Post by pavel on Feb 22, 2016 3:34:06 GMT -6
A look at proposals that passed and failed during the 30-day legislative session that ended Thursday. Gov. Susana Martinez has until March 9 to act on legislation approved by lawmakers.
BUDGET/TAXES
PASSED: $6.2 billion budget shaving overall spending, but including increases for public schools, Medicaid, prison guards and state police officers; $166 million for state and local capital improvements funded largely through severance tax bonds; $186 million for infrastructure projects funded by general obligation bonds; transferring $130 million from various government accounts to shore up budget; allowing use of lodger’s tax to underwrite airline service to communities.
FAILED: Delay of pending increase in corporate income tax rate; gasoline tax increase; redistribution of the motor vehicle excise tax to state and local road funds; increase in tax on tobacco products; reimposition of food tax; exempting veterans’ pensions from income tax; extension of solar tax credit expiring this year; tax credit for business owners who can demonstrate gender pay equity; gross receipts tax exemption for elk-hunting authorizations; repeal of capital gains deduction; tax break for small-business owners.
EDUCATION
PASSED: Change in state law to ensure military veterans are not denied tuition assistance; removal of some testing requirements for ninth- and 10th-grade students; addition of lifesaving skills training to public school health classes; more flexibility for school districts to design breakfast programs for hungry students; putting forfeited lottery prize money into scholarship fund; expand to 5th grade a program that extends the school year in schools with disadvantaged students.
FAILED: Revamp of the funding formula for the lottery scholarship program; ending practice of “social promotion” by holding back third-graders who can’t read proficiently; closing a background check loophole for school employees; allowing industry professionals as classroom teachers; identifying students at risk of truancy, suspending driving privileges for truants; constitutional amendment to increase the annual payout from a state permanent fund for schools, other institutions.
Read more: www.abqjournal.com/727595/news/2016.html
BUDGET/TAXES
PASSED: $6.2 billion budget shaving overall spending, but including increases for public schools, Medicaid, prison guards and state police officers; $166 million for state and local capital improvements funded largely through severance tax bonds; $186 million for infrastructure projects funded by general obligation bonds; transferring $130 million from various government accounts to shore up budget; allowing use of lodger’s tax to underwrite airline service to communities.
FAILED: Delay of pending increase in corporate income tax rate; gasoline tax increase; redistribution of the motor vehicle excise tax to state and local road funds; increase in tax on tobacco products; reimposition of food tax; exempting veterans’ pensions from income tax; extension of solar tax credit expiring this year; tax credit for business owners who can demonstrate gender pay equity; gross receipts tax exemption for elk-hunting authorizations; repeal of capital gains deduction; tax break for small-business owners.
EDUCATION
PASSED: Change in state law to ensure military veterans are not denied tuition assistance; removal of some testing requirements for ninth- and 10th-grade students; addition of lifesaving skills training to public school health classes; more flexibility for school districts to design breakfast programs for hungry students; putting forfeited lottery prize money into scholarship fund; expand to 5th grade a program that extends the school year in schools with disadvantaged students.
FAILED: Revamp of the funding formula for the lottery scholarship program; ending practice of “social promotion” by holding back third-graders who can’t read proficiently; closing a background check loophole for school employees; allowing industry professionals as classroom teachers; identifying students at risk of truancy, suspending driving privileges for truants; constitutional amendment to increase the annual payout from a state permanent fund for schools, other institutions.
Read more: www.abqjournal.com/727595/news/2016.html