Senate Finance Chair Calls for Extraordinary Session

GALLUP, N.M. - With today’s veto by Governor Lujan Grisham of Senate Bill 48, known as the “Junior” bill, Senator George K. Muñoz, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, called on his legislative colleagues in both chambers to consider an extraordinary session to override that veto. Senate Bill 48 was this year’s add-on to the state budget and allowed for each legislator in both chambers to allocate $25.2 million in recurring and $25.2 million in nonrecurring funds for projects and programs around the state. Senate Bill 48 included funding for home delivered meals to seniors, expansion of domestic violence programs, increased support for the judicial system to help reduce crime, and additional funds for law enforcement agencies to purchase more police cars.

“This veto is inexplicable,” said Chairman Muñoz, “and I’ve heard from many of my colleagues today that we must call ourselves into extraordinary session to override the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 48.”

Senate Bill 48 was passed unanimously in the Senate, 40-0, and passed unanimously in the House, 67-0.

“If we call ourselves into an extraordinary session then I will also introduce a measure to temporarily suspend our state gas taxes,” said Chairman Muñoz. “We’ve already done the analysis and it would only cost $13 million per month, a small price for the state to pay in these times of record-breaking gas prices at the pump that are hitting regular, working New Mexicans hardest.”