The New Mexico Legislature passed a $330 million COVID-19 relief bill during a special session on Tuesday.
New Mexico’s unemployed workers will receive a one-time $1,200 payment next month, following authorization of the legislature’s COVID-19 relief bill by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Grisham, who called for the special session, spoke about the need to get funds out to New Mexicans as soon as possible.
“We spent the last several days working with legislators, both chambers, both sides of the aisle, to work on those details,” Grisham said. “And it's a tough time to ask legislators, as they're trying to be, and they are, effective local leaders—getting their counties ready, their cities and communities, families, but we want to get this relief out to New Mexicans. They need unemployment. They need housing assistance and businesses need grants.”
Approximately $319 million in federal pandemic relief funding will go toward financing the bill. The money, previously set to be returned to the federal government if not used by the end of December, will now be allocated to help with specific pandemic related needs, such as the distribution of grants to aid local businesses.
$10 million from the state’s general fund will go toward managing the pandemic; allowing for more COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and vaccine implementation.
For more than seven hours, the legislature debated the specifics of the bill, with House Majority Floor Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton underscoring the dire need in her community.
“The economic engine has been decimated. Mom and Pop shops at the heart of our communities have closed for good. As a result, many have lost jobs and are struggling to provide for their families. They are having to choose between providing the next meal and not paying rent or the utility bills,” Stapleton said. “What we propose to do today is something no other state has done. We have worked carefully to comply with the CARES Act to support small businesses, nonprofits, and for profits, the many unemployed, housing for the homeless, those impacted by loss of employment and support for the food banks as major areas of our focus.”
Both the state’s House and Senate chambers attempted to pass an amendment offering essential workers a one-time payment of $600. The proposed amendment would have reduced the amount of the $1,200 payment to the state’s unemployed by half. District 21 Senator Mark Moores emphasized the importance of helping essential workers.
“They are being left behind on this bill. We're giving business owners, we're giving everyone else grants,” Moores said. “We're giving $1,200 for folks who are on unemployment, but [not] those who stepped up in the most critical time in all of our lives. I can't think of a more critical time in the history of America in New Mexico, and these folks stepped up.”
House District 38 Representative Rebecca Dow, who introduced the amendment in the House, spoke about wanting to thank essential workers with more than just words.
“One of the biggest comments that I've received during this pandemic is the hard work the essential workers have done, and not all of those essential workers have to be working right now,” Dow said. “These are people like personal care providers who are going into homes and providing Peri-care to our disabled citizens and to our seniors. These are the CNAs at our state's nursing homes…who are coming to work every day when they could be having more disposable income if they choose to go on unemployment.”
Ultimately, concerns regarding who would qualify as an essential worker, and the need to create a new technology system for verification and distribution before the end of December, led to the amendment not passing. Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth was one of many who suggested continuing the discussion during the 2021 legislative session.
“I think there is no question in my mind we are going to be back, and the first thing we need to do in January is another revisit. And I'm looking forward to getting lots of members on this floor involved in all the many, many meetings that it takes to do legislation like this, and so we need to do that,” Wirth said.
He also spoke about the need to get the full $1,200 payment out to the unemployed before Christmas.
“The 1,200 dollars, these folks are identified, it's ready to go,” Wirth said. “They need the money. And I just know I've had clients and friends that are in this situation that this would make a huge deal and put food on the table in this window between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
