Senator: A Lot of Work in 30 Days

Published January 7th, 2024 at 1:52 pm, Last Updated January 16th, 2024 at 5:02 pm

While partisan politics and divisive division has characterized the political landscape throughout the nation, state Sen. Brenda McKenna says she hopes all that can be put aside for the benefit of constituents.

“I’m hoping all events are collegial and we remember why we’re there,” she said in a recent interview with the Comment. “We’re public servants. I take that very seriously. It’s a short timeframe, so we need to be as productive as we can be.”

This year’s legislative session in Santa Fe starts Jan. 16 and lasts for 30 days.

McKenna, a Democrat who has lived in Corrales since 2018, did say she would like to see a bill to modernize the Legislature come up again this year. Unlike other states, New Mexico doesn’t pay its lawmakers.

“What we have now is not serving the Legislature well,” she said, saying the current system discourages a truly representative government.

Few people have the means to work a job that only pays per diem for a fraction of a year. Not offering a salary that people can live on eliminates a broad range of people, she said. 

McKenna says she’s lucky. As a field representative for U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, her boss understands the predicament and allows her to use personal time and unpaid leave.

“We’re missing out on a lot of talent,” she said.

McKenna, who represents Senate District 9, said it’s important for legislators to work with each other to assure all the communities are covered for essential capital outlay spending. She works with state Rep. Kathleen Cates on projects in Corrales, but also works with Rep. Derrick Lente (D-Sandia) on issues related to Sandia Pueblo and Bernalillo, for instance.

“It’s my understanding my colleagues in the senate and I will get the same appropriation as last year, about $4.1 million,” she said. “We need to coordinate with each other for our respspective appropriations to reach as close to 100% of the projects we’ve identified.”

Corrales’s legislative priorities include a water tank on Angel Hill, funding to complete Fire Station No. 3, roads and drainage, replastering the interior of the old San Ysidro Church and municipal parking. The Village’s Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan includes those projects, as well as money for a multi-use facility, an annex to the library, a membrane bioreactor wastewater project, and others. 

“It’s my understanding Public Safety and water projects are two of the top prioritist for the governor,” she said.

McKenna hadn’t prefiled any legislation when she spoke with the Comment, but still had about a week to do so.

“I’m contemplating one on rent stabilization,” she said, adding that about five bills that would have helped renters got tabled last year. “That problem is not doing away.

Given we’re coming off the hottest year on record, McKenna said she supports legislation that combats climate change. She said she hoped to see more talk on utilizing the state’s geothermal energy resources. 

State Rep. Cates, who represents House District 44, has prefiled three proposed bills, two of them related to housing.

House Bill 24 would add language to the Condominum Act that would make it a requirement that newly constructed condominiums be at least 55% owner-occupied and that at least 35% of of the members of the condominium’s governing board own and occupy units within that condominium.

New language explains that increasing the owner occupancy requirement would make it easier for homeowners to access federal loans. 

HB 25 would add to the Human Rights Act, making it unlawful to discriminate against a renter or home buyer based on their source of income. It identifies sources of income as being any legal profession, occupation or job; Social Security, pensions, annuities, alimonies, and child support; and income from local, state or federal public assistance or housing assistance programs.

A third proposal, HB 26, aims to protect Medicaid recipients. It calls for a $5.3 million appropriation from the general fund to the “health care authority department” in Fiscal Year 2025 and subsequent years. The money would be used to increase the limit on environmental modification services – modification to a home, like installing ramps, hydraulic lifts, grab bars, and modifications to a bathroom or kitchen – to $15,000 every five years. 

The legislation requires that written reports on how the money was used to the Legislative Council Service on Aug. 1, 2024 and Feb. 1, 2025.

Cates could not immediately be reached for comment.