Special to KRTNradio.com
by Ford Robbins
for the NM Section
SW Chief Coalition
7 Monte Alto Court
Santa Fe NM 87508
505-466-7665
We have two bills that we are supporting, HB 117 and HB 116. HB117 funds a cost/benefit study and a
legal study. HB116 creates a maintenance fund in the treasury and appropriates $4 Million as a
first year contribution to that fund.
HB117 was taken up first. We were able to move an amendment to the bill that essentially expands
the scope of the study to include a study of infrastructure status and needs, and to place
supervision of the study with the NMDOT. UNM’s Business Unit will
conduct the study but we hope that with NMDOT supervision we can urge the NMDOT to use outside
consultants to undertake the infrastructure aspects of the study. The bill received a unanimous “do
pass” as amended.
HB116 was another story. First, the bill was tabled at the beginning of the hearing and HB241 was
substituted. HB241 is an amendment of HB116 to bring in it line with Senate Bill 221, its companion
bill. In addition, after consultation with Amtrak, Amtrak’s
commitment was reduced from 40 years to 20 years. The hearing went very well as far as
presentation is concerned. The panel did an excellent job, and the public contributed very good
comments in support. There was no negative comment. The questions from the
legislators were important and answered to their apparent satisfaction. Legislator comments were
for the most part very favorable. However, at the end Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup) suggested
that funding should not come from the general fund as required
by the bill, but rather from the severance tax fund, which is funding by bonds. Her suggestion was
supported by Rep. Powdrell-Culbert (D-Albuquerque). Both felt strongly enough about it to not vote
in support of the bill without amendment. A motion was made,
seconded and adopted to strip the bill of its funding but leave the creation of the fund in the
treasury intact. What happened next was unclear to all as the hearing came to an abrupt end. The
bill apparently received a “do pass” in its amended form (creating
a southwest chief fund only), according to the committee secretary’s notes. It would then go to
the appropriations and finance committee in that form. I don’t think anyone heard the motion or
vote.
That is how the matter was left. Checking with the committee secretary early this afternoon, I
learned that overnight the following happened: HB241 was redrafted to restore the funding at $4
Million but place the funding source in the severance tax fund,
and the Speaker of the House agreed to reassign the bill to the Tax and Revenue Committee
(approval that was necessary to make a committee reassignment). The revised HB241 was read on the
House floor this morning and formally referred to the Tax and Revenue
committee where it now awaits action by that committee. I do not have the space to describe why
this is a small victory and forward progress, but it is. This new funding source will, if the bill
is enacted, provide a basis for future funding and the Governor
has less to say about it. We are not out of the woods yet in any sense, but our job has been made
a little easier.
The romance of riding the rails is abundant on Youtube, this video was found as a rider started in Las Vegas and rode east on the SW Chief. This particular video is of the ride from Raton to Trinidad over Raton Pass. What a shame it would be to lose this experience.
