Pub. 11 2014 Issue 1

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S 6 The controversial constitutional amendments – raising the minimum wage, eliminating the Public Education Department and utilizing more funding from the Land Grant permanent Fund for early childhood programs – failed. The final tally: 785 bills introduced this session; 91 bills enacted by the Legislature; 81 bills signed by the Governor and 10 bills vetoed. The budget, SB 313, was a Senate back-up bill that took life after the House budget bill (HB 2) failed to pass in the House on a tie vote. Senator John Arthur Smith did a masterful job steering the Senate budget bill through very rough waters. The $6.19 billion budget allocates $22.74 billion to public schools (a $176 million increase); $997 million for Medicaid and be - havior health services; $842 million to higher education (a $46 million increase); and $440 million for public safety. The budget calls for leaving 8.7% ($539 million) in reserves. The Legislature approved and the Governor signed (vetoing 2-6 million in projects) a $233 million capital outlay bill. The bill includes $89 million for critical water infrastructure project throughout the state. Executive Vice President’s Message JOHN W. ANDERSON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENt New Mexico Bankers Association T he 2014 30-day legislative session ended on Thursday, February 20. When all was said and done, the state budget was adopted unanimously in the Senate, 58-8 in the House and signed by the Governor. “ Within two years of recording the notice of lien, a broker must bring suit to enforce the lien in the district court in the county where the commercial real estate is located. ” 2014 Legislative Session Recap