Saturday, July 5, 2008

Contact legislators early, business association leader says

T.S. Last El Defensor Chieftain General Manager, tslast@dchieftain.com

Don't wait until it's too late. If you have strong opinions about any of the issues likely to be addressed during the next legislative session, contact your representatives now.

That's one of the messages put forth by Dr. Beverlee J. McClure, president and chief executive officer of the Association of Commerce and Industry, at a business roundtable held in Socorro on Wednesday, June 25.

"It's important for delegates to hear from you. The first day of the legislative session is too late," she told a group of about 30 people during the lunchtime event sponsored by the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce and held at Socorro Springs Brewing Company.

The governor has promised to call a special session of the Legislature later this summer to address health care issues. The Legislature has a 60-day session planned to begin in January 2009.

McClure works closely with both business people and legislators in her role with the ACI.

"We serve as a statewide Chamber of Commerce," said McClure, who conducts more than 30 roundtables a year all across the state. "We work to create good business policy, and, more importantly, to connect that policy with state government."

ACI representatives sit in on legislative committee meetings and monitor the progress of bills as they make their way through the political process.

"So much of what happens to a bill happens in committee," she said, using House Bill 62 in this year's 30-day session as an example.

McClure explained that ACI initially stood in opposition to the bill because she said the cost of health insurance would skyrocket, the taxes employers would have to pay would increase and the health-care authority lacked oversight.

The bill spent 17 days in committee and changed enough that ACI's stance moved from opposed to neutral. But everything that had been taken out by the House committee was put back at the first meeting of the Senate committee.

McClure said what often happens is organized opposition groups show up for committee meetings, and she and a few others lobbying in favor of the issue find themselves overwhelmingly outnumbered. That makes it hard for committee members to take positions against the majority in the room.

Most business people are too busy to travel to Santa Fe and lobby legislators themselves, so now's the time to contact their representatives to express their point of view.

"We as a business community have to get more involved in the process to ensure that our voices are heard," McClure said. "Make sure your representatives hear from you. Be involved in the process."

State Rep. Don Tripp, of Socorro, attended the roundtable and provided the group with an overview of what issues he expected to come up during the anticipated special session.

The state government has been too "reactive" when it comes to addressing issues, Tripp said. With a changing economic climate, legislators will have to take more of a proactive approach.

Tripp said gas and oil account for 25 percent of the state's revenue, so he anticipates revenue to come down, even with the escalating cost of fuel. He added that revenue generated through gross receipt taxes may also decline. People may be spending more on gas and have less disposable income.

Because gas prices have already gone up so much — twice the price as a year ago — he said it's unlikely there will any additional gas taxes.

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version