Summary of legislative bill activity (Exclusive of budget bills):
| INTRODUCED
HOUSE |
INTRODUCED
SENATE |
INTRODUCED
TOTAL |
TRACKING BY
PEOPLES LOBBYISTS |
REACTED TO BY PEOPLES LOBBYISTS |
| 1,027 | 775 | 1,802 | 482 | 146 |
This week, both the governor and the legislature were in the headlines.
The governor was sent the first bill of this session, and she promptly vetoed it, as expected. The reasons Hobbs gave are totally bogus. The vetoed bill was HB2703, which would have improved significantly the speed and efficiency in connection with election results. Since this bill has wide support, it will probably come back in the form of a ballot referral that will bypass Hobbs.
At the legislature, it was a very frantic week because February 21 was the last day for bills to be considered in committees of the bills’ original chamber. Therefore, there was a mad rush to get through committee hearings as many bills as possible.
Most of the bills heard in committee this week passed, quite often along party lines, but some warrant additional comment.
HCR2003 – expenditure limit; school districts; authorization This bill overrides the school spending limits established by Proposition 109, even though those limits are quite generous. It is rapidly becoming an annual ritual for the legislature to appropriate more money than Prop 109 allows, and then pass an override bill.
HCR2047 – state land trust; permanent funds This bill extends the funding provisions of Proposition 123 for another 10 years. Experts in the area of trusts continue to claim that this tinkering is not allowed under the rules for trusts, but that is not stopping the accelerated withdrawal of funds from the trust. Most likely, the voters will again approve this measure.
SB1164 – immigration laws; local enforcement Requires that state and local law enforcement agencies enforce immigration laws. Most likely it will be vetoed by Hobbs and force the legislature to place this very popular measure on the ballot for voters to decide.
SB1371 – income tax; subtraction; retirement distribution Enables senior citizens with IRA’s, 401k’s, and similar retirement plans to receive distributions exempt of state income taxes. It does not affect federal income tax liabilities or the federal Required Minimum Distribution rules. This bill is written in such a manner that the bulk of the benefit goes to the lower income portion of retirees.
SB1584 – public employees; merit; hiring practices Aimed at discontinuing the practice of hiring public employees based on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Requires that only the merits of potential employees be considered.
HERE IS THE LIST OF ALL THE TRACKED BILLS THAT SAW ACTION THIS WEEK
Next week will not be nearly as hectic. The appropriations and the rules committees get an extra week to hear bills in the committees of the original chamber. That is why there are appropriations hearings scheduled for next week.
The bulk of the activity will consist of action in Committees of the Whole and Third Reading votes. Unlike standing committee actions, this activity rarely gets much advance notice, so it is difficult to alert voters of what is coming up. This is what we have as of the time of this writing.
LIST OF ALL TRACKED BILLS SCHEDULED FOR ACTION NEXT WEEK