In New Mexico, the senate tax committee is about to debate @jerryfornm's bill SB 220 that would dedicate current alcohol tax revenues more fully to treatment & prevention services. It seems to have broad support. #nmleg
For viewers at home: sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/Harmony/…
For viewers at home: sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/Harmony/…
Year-to-year, state alcohol tax revenues are fairly flat at $45-50M (adjusting for inflation, they've fallen). Currently, nearly half goes to the general fund and most of the rest trickles down to counties thru a DWI Grant Program , administered by @NewMexicoDFA.
Counties spend those funds on everything from in-school programs, to police overtime for checkpoints, to jail-based treatment. The program is fragmented & LFC has criticized it for failing to base activities on evidence or to demonstrate effectiveness. nmlegis.gov/Entity/LFC/Doc…
SB 220 wouldn't alter those local DWI programs (although they might indeed merit more scrutiny). Instead, it would direct the general fund dollars, around $25 million, to new substance use treatment and prevention services. nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Le…
Half that money would go to counties proportional to their population; the rest would be granted to counties "based on need as determined by" @NMHSD. Should the spending be on Medicaid services, it could be leveraged for federal dollars, too, perhaps as much as $75 million.
Sen. Ortiz y Pino introduced essentially the same bill in 2022—SB 207. A committee passed it but it didn't show up in in the final tax bill. @JasonHarperNM told me "I'm still just kind of scratching my head why that didn't make it in the tax package." nmlegis.gov/Sessions/22%20…
This year could be different. Alcohol interests have mustered in force to defeat HB 230/SB 259, which would raise alcohol taxes to 25¢/drink, and many have explicitly named this bill as their preferred alternative.
No mystery why: it wouldn't change their bottom-line.
No mystery why: it wouldn't change their bottom-line.
Better late then never, the committee turns to this bill.
@jerryfornm said he intended to amend the bill to add domestic violence as a target for the funding, but the paperwork isn't here so he may do it in its next committee, senate finance.
@jerryfornm said he intended to amend the bill to add domestic violence as a target for the funding, but the paperwork isn't here so he may do it in its next committee, senate finance.
I'm not here to debate raising the tax, he says.
He introduces lobbyist Dan Weaks, "who dreamt this idea up and brought it to me." Weaks has long lobbied for the NM Winegrowers Association. cfis.state.nm.us/media/ReportLo…
He introduces lobbyist Dan Weaks, "who dreamt this idea up and brought it to me." Weaks has long lobbied for the NM Winegrowers Association. cfis.state.nm.us/media/ReportLo…
Lobbyists for Albuquerque, alcohol distributor Admiral Beverage, @NMBrewersGuild, @tractorbrewing, @AnheuserBusch quickly chime in to support.
Jason Weaks, who lobbies for @NMBrewersGuild & @NMDistillers, says "one of the core causes of crime is substance abuse."
We did not hear Weaks raise this point on Monday when he and others opposed a bill to raise alcohol taxes, which have been shown to reduce violent injury.
We did not hear Weaks raise this point on Monday when he and others opposed a bill to raise alcohol taxes, which have been shown to reduce violent injury.
The chairman was moving rapidly to pass the bill when @senatorwirth jumps in, supportive, but adding: "I think this bill is is absolutely step #1 and then we can start talking about an additional tax."
No opposition. Do-pass.
Maybe more importantly, Dan Weaks lobbies for @NMHospitals. The funding from this bill, what Ortiz y Pinto peg at as much as $100 million, would largely be spent on Medicaid services, and the health system would be the recipient.
https://twitter.com/TedAlcorn/status/1628911287735287814?s=20
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