HOUSE DEMOCRATS NEWS RELEASE

House amendment to tax package reinstates the pay raises for teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, and other public employees that were removed from the state budget 

This evening, the House of Representatives voted 43-19 to pass Senate Bill 151, the 2026 tax package, as amended by the House Taxation and Revenue Committee this morning. 

The amended version of the bill utilizes the House’s share of allocated tax funding to invest in working families. The committee’s key amendment reinstates 1% raises for educators, nurses, police, firefighters, corrections officers, bus drivers, custodians, social workers, and other state employees, which were included in the state budget (HB 2) before being removed in the Senate Finance Committee. 

“Rather than just expanding tax cuts for high-earners or big business, we are directing public dollars to the public workers who protect our communities and maintain the vital services that all New Mexicans rely on,” said Rep. Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo), who introduced the amendment and serves as Chair of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee. “These raises were already well-vetted in the House budget process and are necessary to help workers and their families keep up with the rising cost of living.”

The bill maintains the Senate’s tax credits for physicians, affordable housing construction, media outlets, business owners, and quantum computing industries, while making sure the most immediate incentives go to the state’s public servants and frontline workers. 

“The House is following through on the promise we made to make life better and more affordable for the workers who teach our kids, pave our roads, provide essential services to our families, and keep our communities safe,” said Speaker of the House Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque). “Putting more money into the pockets of hardworking New Mexicans during this time of rising costs and economic uncertainty is the best thing we can do to uplift our workers, families, and communities across our state.” 

SB 151 now returns to the Senate to concur with House amendments. 

Lowering costs for New Mexicans is a top priority for House Democrats this session. A non-comprehensive list of legislation and investments to make life more affordable for New Mexicans is included below. 

The Roundhouse will be open to the public for the entirety of this year’s 30-day session. Members of the public can also view floor sessions and committee meetings on the New Mexico Legislature’s Webcasts tab, and provide comment via phone or Zoom as directed on the daily schedule.   

Affordability Priorities

A non-comprehensive list of affordability investments and legislation introduced by House Democrats this session includes: 

• Prioritizing pay raises for teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, and other public employees (SB 151)
• Allocating $3 million for the state-level expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), amid federal cuts to these vital programs (HB 2)*
• Lowering out-of-pocket healthcare costs by eliminating excessive facility fees (HB 306*) and expanding the Healthcare Affordability Fund, allowing the state to continue keeping marketplace insurance premiums affordable for working families (HB 4*, HB 2*)
• Decreasing health insurance costs for public school teachers and staff, so they can keep more of their hard-earned money (HB 47)*
• Raising pay for teacher residents to make sure aspiring educators are paid a good, living wage as they work toward their teaching license (HB 30)* 
• Delivers $11.1 billion in state and federal funding for Medicaid (HB 2)*
• Codifying New Mexico’s universal childcare program into law, building on more than a decade of work by advocates, parents, and legislators to establish a constitutional right to early childhood education and care, and create a dedicated, multi-billion dollar funding stream to fund these programs (SB 241)*
• Providing no-interest loans to help working families purchase their first home and incentivizing homebuilders to build affordable, starter homes in areas of need (HB 200)*
• Protecting New Mexico homeowners from unanticipated increases in property taxes due to local government re-zoning that is out of their control (HB 103)*
• Dedicating $100 million to address housing shortages, homelessness, and tribal housing issues, including funding for regional housing projects, new housing infrastructure, and housing programs like Linkages, Rapid Rehousing, and homelessness prevention (HB 2)*
• Appropriating $10 million for tribal housing (HB 2)*
• Allocating $5 million for rental assistance to prevent homelessness (HB 2)*