Commentary: Last Wednesday the State House of Representatives passed House Bill 2, their budget proposal for FY 2021. As last year, it again contains a hodgepodge of pay raise recommendations for state funded public employees. And, in spite of numerous campaign promises, it still leaves thousands of public workers earning less than a living wage.
On this Valentine’s Day, our heartfelt thanks go out to the Hon. George K. Munoz, Vice Chair of the NM Senate Finance Committee. He had the courage, and the commitment to working families, to sponsor an amendment to HB 2, which would provide parity, in a fair raise of 6%, to the public employees who have faithfully served the public interest through a decade of brutal austerity, and downsizing. More, it would provide that no state funded public worker would continue earning less than $15 per hour.
We call upon all of our State Senators, especially those who serve on the Senate Finance Committee, to support your workers, first. We are the infrastructure of governance. Given our current surplus, and projected revenues, it’s really just a matter of priorities. Show us where your lie.