Healthcare Acquisition Oversight – Until last year, New Mexico was one of only 11 states with no oversight over hospital sales. This bill would allow New Mexico to review pending transactions of our hospitals and healthcare facilities to ensure that any change in ownership does not negatively impact the quality, affordability, and accessibility of care. As private equity looks to acquire healthcare facilities across America, this is urgently needed transparency and accountability.
Medicaid Forward – Today, there are more than 200,000 uninsured New Mexicans and hundreds of thousands more who are strained by their insurance costs. Medicaid Forward would eliminate the income cap on Medicaid, allowing any New Mexican to purchase robust and affordable insurance through the program. Studies show that this would create the largest increase in coverage since the Affordable Care Act, capping household spending on healthcare at 5% and saving millions every year for families, employers, and the state.
Local Solar Access Fund – New Mexico communities of every size are interested in solarizing public buildings and improving their emergency resiliency. Some, however, especially our smaller communities, lack the funding and staff to pursue these projects. The $60 million Local Solar Access Fund would be a gamechanger, providing grants to our communities to plan and build solar and battery storage projects.
Set the Age – New Mexico must pursue many paths to make communities safer and reduce gun violence. This bill would set an age of purchase and possession for semi-automatic rifles to 21.
School Supplies Sanity Act – With all the back-to-school expenses families already save for, New Mexico parents shouldn’t have to cover the cost of school cleaning supplies as well. This bill would require school districts to properly budget for cleaning supplies so that parents are no longer asked to foot the bill.
Grant Funding for the Division of Creative Industries – Established by Rep. Szczepanski in the 2023 session, the newly created New Mexico Division of Creative Industries is investing in New Mexico’s creative economy and helping entrepreneurs and businesses succeed. Securing funding for a new round of economic development grants from this innovative division is a budget priority.
Preventing Adverse Employment Action for Medical Cannabis – Medical cannabis use has been legal in New Mexico since 2007. Some frontline workers however, such as firefighters, can still be penalized or even fired for using medical cannabis during their time off. Medical cannabis has helped many manage sleep, PTSD, and chronic pain issues. This bill ensures that using medical cannabis during personal time will not be penalized at work.
State Employee Retention, Reducing the Probationary Period – This bill shortens the probationary period for newly hired state employees from one year to 180 days. For new hires, a probationary period is good standard practice. When this period is too long, however, it creates uncertainty for employees and entire teams and prevents new hires from benefiting from union representation and from using important benefits like sick days and medical leave.