The House is working today, scheduling a 10 a.m. floor session. The Senate will reconvene again on Monday at 11 a.m. However, Senate Education will meet in joint session with House Education at 8 a.m. on Friday to learn about the ERB solvency proposal. They will meet in Rm. 317.

Next Thursday,  Jan. 31, House Labor will consider H167, Teacher Licensure Content Knowledge, in Rm. 305 at 1:30 p.m. or thereabouts.

Next Monday, House Taxation and Revenue, meeting in 317, will hear H211, Severance Tax Bond Projects. Also next Monday, Senate Finance will hear about issues facing the ERB at 1:30 p.m. in 322.

The solvency proposal for education retirement that was crafted over many months by Education Retirement Board stakeholder groups has passed its first committee hearing of the 2013 legislative session by a 5-4 vote. HB 64, sponsored by Rep. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), calls for  an increase in employee contributions to 10.7 percent and establishes a minimum retirement age and new COLA requirements for future employees. On the same 5-4 vote the House Labor and Human Relations committee rejected an amendment from Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell (R-Roswell) that would tie the COLA to solvency success as well as the CPI. There was also concern, expressed by Reps. Youngblood and Pacheco, both Albuquerque R's, that the rate of return on investment built into the proposal is too high.

Bills of interest introduced today include:
H227 - Move Brain Injury Advisory Council Functions, Rep. Gail Chasey
H228 - UNM Law School Southwest Indian Law Clinic, Rep. Debbie Rodella
S266  - Architecture Multiple Source Contracts, Sen. Phil Griego
S285  - Local Govt Higher Ed Facility Property Tax, Sen. Richard Martinez

Watch for bill progress on the 2013 Bill Tracker.

Susan McKinsey, Office of Government and Community Relations