Senators Leavell and Kernan Support Lower Utility Rates

For Immediate Release Monday, March 01, 2010 Contact: 986-4702


Photo Caption: Lea County Manager Mike Beverly and his wife Karen visited Senators Carroll Leavell (Carlsbad) and Gay Kernan (Hobbs) at the capitol after the County Manager testified at the EIB public hearing today. Senators Leavell and Kernan are in Santa Fe for the Special Session of the State Legislature.

SE NM Senators Still Fearful of Skyrocketing Utility Rates after Receiving Update On Environmental Improvement Board Hearing

Santa Fe- State Senator Carroll Leavell (Hobbs) and State Senator Gay Kernan (Hobbs) are concerned as ever about potential skyrocketing utility rates in Lea County and throughout New Mexico. Today they received an update on testimony presented at an Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) public hearing. The testimony opposes the proposed EIB regulations and limits to emissions from industry including power plants that could send electric rates flying.

Senator Leavell said he hopes today’s testimony by a number of people representing Lea County will have an eye awakening impact on the state’s Environmental Improvement Board’s plan to impose impossible limits to the amount of carbon dioxide, known as green house gas, that can be emitted into the atmosphere.

“No other state has the restrictive limits the Environmental Improvement Board wants to impose here in New Mexico. I have always believed the EIB has overstepped its authority and its proposal regarding green house gas emissions will be very harmful to Lea County industry. All of the testimony presented to me today further confirms my belief,” Senator Leavell said. “I appreciate the Lea County Manager and all others who represented Lea County and its interests for testifying at today’s hearing.”

Both Senators Leavell and Kernan, as well as Representatives Bill Gray and Don Bratten are plaintiffs in a lawsuit to stop the EIB from usurping its authority to create and legislate laws that would cap green house gas emissions to amounts less than what they were 20 years ago.

Senator Kernan said she is hopeful the efforts of so many in protesting the proposed regulations at today’s hearing will have a positive impact on all of the state.

“I want to express my appreciation to the citizens of Lea County and Southeast New Mexico for taking the time to be present at the EIB hearing,” Senator Kernan said. “The testimony and support by private individuals should have a huge impact on all the citizens of New Mexico in recognizing the detrimental impact of the action of this EIB board in regarding green housing emission cap.”

Lea County Manager Mike Beverly and his wife Karen visited Senators Leavell and Kernan at the capitol after the public hearing.

Lea County Manager Beverly told the Senators about his testimony to the board that the cap on green house gas to 25% of 1990 levels would severely affect utility customers because a number of plants would have to close because they would not be able to meet the onerous restrictions.

“There is no current technology to execute the target in a reliable manner. The result will be the most regressive tax possible on the citizens of New Mexico,” Mike Beverly said.

He said this was the first public hearing and that most testimony was opposed to the petition for an executive order to put in place the restrictions. More technical hearings will be held in coming months.

‘If it is not stopped electric rates in Lea County will go through the roof,” Karen Beverly said.

Mike Beverly said those who testified in opposition of the restrictions today included the Lovington School Superintendent, the Lea County Electric Co-op and representatives from Xcel Energy.

Mike Beverly said Congressional representatives are being asked to develop reasonable federal rules and regulations because carbon monoxide emissions respect no state boundaries and limiting them is not a state issue.

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Senate Minority Leader Says Budget Doable Before Session Ends Thursday

Senate Minority Leader Says Budget Still Doable Before Session Ends Thursday
Reacts to Governor Saying He Would Call Special Session Next Week

Santa Fe- Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle said the budget is doable and he said a budget compromised can be reached by Thursday noon when the session ends.

“There is a good possibility we will be out of here Thursday with a balanced budget,” Senator Ingle said in response to a question that the governor said he would call a special session next week if an acceptable budget to him is not agreed up on between the Senate and House. “We are here for the people. We need to take care of business and go home.”

“The House has the budget the Senate passed. The House knows how to send it up to the governor. Senate has completed its work on the budget. A conference committee will need to be called to work out differences,” Senator Ingle said.

Senator Ingle said the Senate did make cuts, did raise revenue and it is not the time to have any more taxes. “The Senate has passed all it can on taxes,” Senator Ingle said.
“While folks don’t like cuts in state government, our businesses don’t like cuts in their businesses either but they have had to do them. We can’t say the state can have cuts.”

When asked if the governor’s call for a short budget session was too long and perhaps why a budget agreement has not been reached yet, Senator Ingle said some issues like domestic partnership have taken a lot of debate time during this limited, budget session.

“In addition to all of the other committee assignments, the domestic partnership bill did take up three to four hours just last night in the Senate Finance Committee with the same results as it has last year, voted down 7 to 5,”Senator Ingle said. “It did not need to take up a lot of time this session as we face a budget crisis.”

Senate Minority Leader Ingle on Budget Cuts to Avoid Tax Increases

Senator Proposes Reducing State Spending to Avoid Tax Increases

Click here for Sen. Ingle interview: www.newmexicorepublicansenators.blogspot.com

Click here for Sen. Ingle on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V5ih40O-9Q

Santa Fe--Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle is proposing various ways New Mexico could live within its means so taxes would not have to be raised to balance the state’s budget. The bill and amendment would help the state address its budget shortfall.

“We can’t spend money we do not have, we are not like the Federal Government,” Senator Ingle said. “Nobody likes having to do this, but we have to remember there had been very large increases to education and teacher salaries in recent years.


Senator Ingle is proposing an amendment to the House’s budget will that would save the state $300 million in costs by reducing state spending across the board by 5.7%.

The budget the House passed last week increases taxes by over $300 million.

Senator Ingle also has proposed SB 246 Public Employee Pension Contribution Increase. It would save the state over $72 million by requiring state employees to increase their contributions to their retirement funds while the state’s contribution for the employees would decrease by the same amount, 2.64%. This shift would be temporary for fiscal year 2011 and would affect the Educational Retirement Board and various plans in the Public Employees Retirement Association. As example, employees earning $55,000 a year would pay an additional $1,000 into their PERA retirement plan for fiscal year 2011.