Work Continues on G.O. Bond Bill Draft
By Joe Sabatini, Co-Chair, NMLA Legislation Committee
NMLA Legislative Advocate Larry Horan has submitted the text of our bond to a bill drafter with the Legislative Council Service. Rep. Ed Sandoval, Chairman of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee, will be sponsoring this legislation. Saturday, the Legislative Finance Committee heard a report by Principal Analyst Linda Kehoe on General Obligation Bond Project Requests and Recommendations. She presented a preliminary “staff scenario” for a 2010 bond package totaling $159 million for funding education and senior citizen center projects. These were based on inputs submitted by departments in an ongoing capital outlay review process. On Thursday, Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Katherine B. Miller had reported that the state’s General Obligation Bond capacity for 2010 was $175 million. Ms. Kehoe noted that the staff scenario left $15 million for “policy makers’ discretion.” Representative Ed Sandoval asked why libraries had not been included in the bond package. Ms. Kehoe replied that the scenario funded priority renovation projects which had significant safety/health/ADA issues. She acknowledged that Representative Sandoval and other legislators could and did revise staff recommendations based on their judgment about priorities. Several Committee members commented that they were receiving many citizen comments about their increasing property tax burdens. Members of the NMLA Legislation Committee met with Ms. Kehoe later to review the types of information that the LFC staff needs to determine the impact and effectiveness of library bond funding. She also noted that the final LFC staff scenario is not publicly released until the LFC Budget document is released in early January.
The Committee will continue meeting through Tuesday afternoon. It would be timely to let members of the Legislative Finance Committee know of the importance of bond funding to your current and future ability to provide service to your communities. Although the LFC recommendations guide budget and funding decisions in the upcoming legislative session, the actual G.O. Bond bill will be prepared by the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.
Librarians will have another forum in which to present their needs. The interim Legislative Education Study Committee will meet next week. Omar Durant worked with LESC staff to get a slot on the Committee’s agenda on Wednesday, December 16th, tentatively at 9:05 am.
We are organizing a presentation which will include information about both the School Libraries Materials Fund and the 2010 G.O. Bond issue. Your attendance and your communication with committee members are encouraged. We will advise you of details about this meeting.
Your presence at Library Legislative Day, Thursday, January 28th is needed as well.
The following lists have links to the member pages on the Legislature’s webpage, including contact information. Or go to the Agencies box at http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/
LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE
Title Name Role
Representative Luciano “Lucky” Varela
Chair
Senator John Arthur Smith
Vice Chair
Senator Sue Wilson Beffort
Member
Representative Donald E. Bratton
Member
Senator Pete Campos
Member
Senator Carlos R. Cisneros
Member
Senator Stuart Ingle
Member
Representative Rhonda S. King
Member
Senator Carroll H. Leavell
Member
Senator Mary Kay Papen
Member
Representative Henry Kiki Saavedra
Member
Representative Nick L. Salazar
Member
Representative Edward C. Sandoval
Member
Senator John M. Sapien
Member
Representative Don L. Tripp
Member
Representative Jeannette O. Wallace
Member
Senator Rod Adair
Designee
Representative Andrew J. Barreras
Designee
Representative Ray Begaye
Designee
Representative Brian F. Egolf
Designee
Representative Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales
Designee
Senator Phil A. Griego
Designee
Senator Clinton D. Harden
Designee
Representative John A. Heaton
Designee
Senator Timothy Z. Jennings
Designee
Senator Timothy M. Keller
Designee
Representative Larry A. Larrañaga
Designee
Senator Linda M. Lopez
Designee
Representative Antonio Lujan
Designee
Representative Patricia A. Lundstrom
Designee
Senator Cisco McSorley
Designee
Senator Howie C. Morales
Designee
Senator Steven P. Neville
Designee
Representative Al Park
Designee
Representative Danice Picraux
Designee
Senator Bernadette M. Sanchez
Designee
Senator William E. Sharer
Designee
Representative Thomas C. Taylor
Designee
Senator David Ulibarri
Designee
Representative Richard D. Vigil
Designee
Senator Peter Wirth
Designee
LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
Title Name Role
Senator Cynthia Nava
Chair
Representative Rick Miera
Vice Chair
Senator Mary Jane M. Garcia
Member
Representative Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales
Member
Representative Jimmie C. Hall
Member
Senator Gay G. Kernan
Member
Senator Lynda M. Lovejoy
Member
Representative Dennis J. Roch
Member
Representative Mimi Stewart
Member
Representative Jack E. Thomas
Member
Senator Vernon D. Asbill
Advisor
Representative Andrew J. Barreras
Advisor
Representative Ray Begaye
Advisor
Representative Eleanor Chavez
Advisor
Representative Nathan P. Cote
Advisor
Representative Nora Espinoza
Advisor
Senator Stephen H. Fischmann
Advisor
Representative Mary Helen Garcia
Advisor
Representative Karen E. Giannini
Advisor
Representative John A. Heaton
Advisor
Senator Howie C. Morales
Advisor
Senator John Pinto
Advisor
Senator Sander Rue
Advisor
Senator William E. Sharer
Advisor
Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton
Advisor
Representative Shirley A. Tyler
Advisor