THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham this week signed into law three initiatives that will improve the quality of life for military families and veterans as they move to New Mexico.
Each of the three bills – House Bill 120, Senate Bill 271 and Senate Bill 272 – were passed unanimously by both chambers.
“New Mexico recognizes the stress and challenges a military family faces due to frequent relocations” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “We are fully committed to supporting our military installations and the families who serve.”
House Bill 120 improves on the benefits of House Bill 30 passed last session by adding critical occupations such as accounting and architects and expanding others like nursing and teaching. It also reduced the processing time requirement from 60 to 30 days and eliminated the requirement for a military spouse to produce burdensome documentation beyond a home license.
Credit NMFO Commentary: Community leaders and nonprofit organizations are applauding New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for signing House Bill 200 into law today. The legislation,which was co-sponsored by Reps. Matthew McQueen and Nathan Small and Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart and Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill, ends the proposed Gila diversion project and fast-tracks the spending of the remaining approximately $80 million in the NM Unit Fund for priority water projects, creating long-term water security and jobs in southwest New Mexico (Catron, Grant, Hidalgo and Luna Counties).
“House Bill 200 is a fiscal responsibility bill. It will create jobs, stimulate the economy, and improve lives,”
Governor Signs New Mexico Special Education Ombud Act
From the Office of the Governor:
SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law Monday a measure establishing an office within the Developmental Disabilities Council to advocate for the educational rights of students seeking special education services.
The special education ombud will serve as an independent advocate and watchdog for public school students and provide comprehensive support for families navigating the special education system. Duties will include ensuring that students and parents receive complete and accurate information about the student’s rights, adequate services to meet the student’s needs and timely responses when they raise questions or express concerns. It was a priority bill of the governor’s.
February 12, 2021
Gila diversion group asserts primacy as legislation threatens Written by Geoffrey Plant on February 12, 2021
With a proposal in Santa Fe threatening its very existence, the New Mexico Entity of the Central Arizona Project the group that was formed in 2015 to build the ultimately unsuccessful Gila diversion project is having to defend the role it could play when it comes to administering the more than $80 million in the N.M. Unit Fund.
The massive pot of money is destined to be spent, per the 2004 federal Arizona Water Settlements Act, either on a ※New Mexico Unit,” i.e., a surface water diversion, or on ※other water utilization alternatives to meet water supply demands in the Southwest Water Planning Region of New Mexico.”