Livingston Depot hosts chuck wagon dinner & dancing bozone.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bozone.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Legislative Roundup: 57 Days Left In 2021 Session
SFNM
There’s jobs to be had: The House Appropriations and Finance Committee held its initial meeting online Thursday, with lawmakers reviewing budget proposals of both Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Legislative Finance Committee.
One big difference in the two budgets which are about $600 million apart is the LFC’s inclusion of $60 million for state, public school and higher education employees average raises of 1.5 percent, as well as $3 million for pay increases for essential health and social service front-line employees. The governor’s budget has no across-the-board raises.
David Abbey, director of the Legislative Finance Committee, told lawmakers the money could help in recruiting and retaining state employees. The state has an 18 percent vacancy rate. In terms of keeping up on salary increases, Abbey told the committee, “We’ve fallen behind”.