Jobs and the Economy
The “Breaking Bad” Bill
In the 2013 Legislative Session, Rep. Maestas sponsored the “Breaking Bad” bill which sought to increase the Film Production Tax Credit for television productions or projects that shoot in New Mexico and employ New Mexicans. The bill was nicknamed the “Breaking Bad” bill because the popular series was interested in coming to New Mexico initially in part due to this favorable tax credit. At first, HB 379 was vetoed by the Governor. But Rep. Maestas was not deterred – he continued to work hard to reach a compromise with all parties to include the credit in a major tax reform package bill, HB 641, which was ultimately signed into law by the Governor. Rep. Maestas puts working families first while at the Legislature and uses his experience to strike a balance between competing interests and ultimately bring jobs to New Mexico.
For more information on these bills, see:
House Bill 379 in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/final/HB0379.pdf
House Bill 641 in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/final/HB0641.pdf
Economic Development Utility Rates Bill
In the 2014 Legislative Session, Rep. Maestas sponsored a bill that called for utility rates for certain customers certified by the state’s Economic Development Department to assist in job creation and additional investment in the state. This measure would help cities like Albuquerque attract major employers like Tesla by being able to offer competitive utility rates as an additional incentive to relocate to New Mexico. Unfortunately, this bill died at the end of this past session. Rep. Maestas plans to introduce this bill again in the 2015 session and to work with all stakeholders, like environmental advocates, energy companies, consumer and low-income advocates, to work out a good compromise to the bill.
For more information on this bill, see:
House Bill 289 in the 2014 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/14%20Regular/bills/house/HB0296.pdf
Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act
Rep. Maestas has been a big supporter of ensuring our real estate market in Albuquerque continues to grow and work efficiently. He carried legislation in the 2013 Legislative Session to help Commercial Real Estate Brokers ensure they get paid for the services they provide. That bill was HB 365, and it died before the end of the 2013 session. In the 2014 session, Rep. Maestas carried on the effort and sponsored House Bill 185 which created the Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act. This law permits a broker to place a lien upon
House Bill 365 in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/bills/house/HB0365.pdf
House Bill 185 in the 2014 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/14%20Regular/final/HB0185.pdf
Public Safety
Rep. Maestas is a member of several Standing Committees of the House, including the Judiciary Committee and the Voters & Elections Committee. He is also a member of several Interim Committees, including the Criminal Justice Reform Subcommittee, Legislative Council, Indian Affairs Committee and the Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee. Rep. Maestas has been passionate about justice and civil rights since his early days as a community organizer at El Centro de la Raza, a Seattle community-based civil rights organization. As a former prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney, he also believes strongly in criminal justice reform in New Mexico, including alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders and addressing the failed war on drugs.
Among the many bills he has sponsored
HB146 Sale of Methamphetamine Precursors in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/final/HB0146.pdf
Rep. Moe Maestas is concerned about the accessibility of certain products that are used to make methamphetamine. He sponsored HB146 in the 2013 Session, which restricted the per-person purchase amount of non-prescription ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to no more than 3.6 grams per day or no more than 9 grams per thirty day period. Nonprescription products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine were also required to be kept behind the retailers counter. The bill also implemented a “real-time
New Mexico Athletics
HB 330
UNIFORM ATHLETE AGENTS ACT
In the 2008 session, this bill enacted the Uniform Athlete Agents Act to provide for the uniform registration, certification, and background check of sports agents seeking to represent
HB 282
ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES LICENSE PLATE
In the 2013 session, this bill would have authorized the MVD to issue a special registration plate with a logo pursuant to indicating support for the Albuquerque Isotopes baseball team. The annual fee for the plate would be $35.00 in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fees. Despite being passed by both the House and the Senate, this bill was Pocket Vetoed by the Governor.
HM 10
“COACHES VS. CANCER & SUITS & SNEAKERS DAY”
In the 2014 session, this house memorial was meant to encourage coaches in New Mexico to wear sneakers with their game attire while coaching games and encouraged lawmakers and others to wear suits and sneakers to raise awareness about the fight against cancer. The memorial noted that more than ten thousand New Mexicans were newly diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and due to their diagnoses face many physical, emotional, financial and day-to-day challenges. The coaches versus cancer and suits and sneakers awareness nationwide effort
HM 93
NEW MEXICO MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER TEAM
In the 2014 session, House Memorial 93 asked that leaders explore the possibility of bringing Major League Soccer to New Mexico. The memorial requested that the governor lead a dialogue with representatives from various agencies including Finance and Administration, Economic Development and Tourism, along with the athletics community, the state’s chambers of commerce, the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UNM, business owners, and other stakeholders to explore the feasibility of building a soccer-specific stadium with the hope of establishing an MLS team here in the future.
Education
HB 1205 TEACHING OF FINANCIAL LITERACY IN SCHOOLS
In 2007, this bill provided that financial literacy
HM 73 MINORITY HEALTH-RELATED COLLEGE FACULTY
In the 2007 session, this memorial requested the UNM Health Sciences Center assess policies for recruitment, retention
HB 342
PUBLIC SCHOOL MEDIA LITERACY CLASSES
Similar to the financial literacy bill, in the 2008 session, this bill permitted media literacy
HJR 13
MINIMUM LAND GRANT FUND BALANCE, CA (failed in Senate)
In the 2013 session, House Joint Memorial 13 proposed a Constitutional Amendment calling for funding or early childhood education from the Land Grand Fund. The memorial called for an amendment to Article, XII, Section 7 of the State Constitution, which governs the distributions from the land grant permanent fund (LGPF). If approved by voters, the amendments to the constitution would make permanent the additional distribution of 0.5 percent of the five-year average of the year-end market value of the fund (currently scheduled to expire after FY16). Amendments would also create an additional distribution of 1.0 percent of the five-year average of the year-end market value of the fund to begin in FY16. This additional distribution was to be used for early childhood education nonsectarian services administered by the state for the benefit of children before they are eligible to attend kindergarten, as provided by law. While this joint memorial passed the House, it did not pass the Senate in 2013, and therefore, did not become law.