[Editor's Note: This is part one of the Grant County Commission first work session of the month held April 9, 2024.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

With no public input at the April 9, 2024 Grant County Commission work session, the first presentation came from District 29 Rep. Luis Terrazas, giving an update on the 2024 legislative session.

"It was another wonderful session," Terrazas said. "They are always good, as well as brutal. We did a good job with capital outlay for Grant County this year. One of the most important things in every session is for legislators to work together. We have to make sure we do not double fund anything. I am the one representative from Grant County, but we are actually represented by two senators, Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill and Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley. We had conversations to make sure we were listening to the Prospectors (the county resident-driven lobbying organization) and our citizens to determine what is most important to not just one of us. We collectively brought $8.3 million to Grant County. The support we have from the county manager and the elected officials is very important and we thank you. We are only as strong as the support we get from all our constituents."

He noted that Highway 180 received $170 million for phase 2 of widening the highway to four lanes. This phase will cover the highway between Hurley and the county line.

"Our capital outlay was well rounded including funding for community centers, the hospital, schools, youth activities and some for a vocational school. We think we did very well with junior money, too, with $50,000 for local libraries, $50,000 to El Refugio Inc (domestic violence shelter), $20,000 to SASS (sexual assault support services) and some to make the jail a safer place.

"On other initiatives, we heard a lot about addressing the so-called 'catch-and-release,' and I worked on that, but unfortunately, it didn't get very far," Terrazas said. "We worked with Rep. Jennifer Jones (representing Luna County) to get funding for border security. We talked to the State Police and they said we could really help if we put license plate readers all the way from Doña Ana County across to the state line with Arizona. We got $320,000 in junior money for that. I sponsored 26 bills and co-sponsored another 11. It was a very fast-paced 30-day session. In my opinion, one of the best things we accomplished was HB (house bill) 236. We talked with commissioners, councilors, the sheriffs about the need for the return to work for retired law enforcement, firefighters, deputies, court security, dispatchers. Finally, it passed after four years of initiative. They will be able to return to work and will still fund their retirement accounts, but without taking a second retirement. A lot of these individuals have to go back to work to cover their health insurance, for instance, and other expenses. Before this legislation they were not allowed to go back to their same work."

Another thing he said he fought for was to protect the 4-day school week. "I believe in local government and local school board to have the last say-so. It was important."

"I've been working with Bayard and Silver City to bring the baby boxes," Terrazas said. "I wanted to give pregnant women choices and for them to keep their baby or abandon their baby in secure place, instead of having an abortion."

He said they brought in some money for the vocational school. "It's hard to find a plumber or an electrician."

Terrazas talked about other legislation that he found troubling because so many people are struggling with not enough funding, living paycheck to paycheck. "They are trying to figure out how many gallons of fuel to put in their vehicle and have enough for their utility bill. There were two bills: one was the clean fuel standards bill. It sounds good, but in other states where it has passed, they have seen fuel costing 50 cents more a gallon. When you live in rural New Mexico, like we do, and have to go to the doctor in Las Cruces and have to travel 200 miles round trip, you can imagine what an extra 50 cents a gallon does to them. I have to balance how it's going to affect the regular person, while we're already facing the out-of-control inflation. I couldn't support it, and fortunately the legislators did not pass it. I also had mixed feelings about the paid family and medical leave. There were two bills. One had bipartisan support; one had bipartisan opposition. They tried to force the opposition one through, but it didn't pass. The reason many of us didn't support it is because we see people struggling and this is a mandatory payroll deduction. The vast majority of working families and the vast majority of businesses would have had to pay that. I didn't support it. We could have passed the good bill with bipartisan support, but they didn't want it. We asked about the actuarial data behind this, and we were told the study would be done in two years; that is scary. I can't support something like that."

He concluded with thanking the commissioners for giving him the time to speak. "If I wanted to tell you everything that happened, we probably wouldn't leave this room until tomorrow. Do you have any questions?"

No one had questions.

The next article will address the presentation from HMS (Hidalgo Medical Services).