The 2020 legislative session in New Mexico is just 30 days long and is typically described as being a “budget” session—although the agenda is rarely limited to budgetary issues. In 2020, the Rio Grande Foundation will work on a number of important issues on the agenda.

New Mexico again has a massive budget surplus driven by oil and gas revenues. Rather than growing state government, the Rio Grande Foundation would like to see tax reform or tax cuts this session. The Foundation compared New Mexico’s spending levels and economic performance with neighboring Colorado and its Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), a constitutional amendment that prohibits state and local governments from raising taxes without voter approval. The findings clearly show that Colorado benefited greatly from its spending and tax limitation. The Foundation worked with a legislator to introduce TABOR in New Mexico’s Legislature this year.

The Foundation is also prioritizing reform of the state’s dysfunctional gross receipts tax, especially the tax on contract service providers who must pay tax rates of up to nine percent in parts of New Mexico.

Additionally, the Foundation is working with Reason experts on state pension reform. New Mexico’s Public Employee Retirement Administration faces massive unfunded liabilities and reforms are on the table in 2020. The Foundation is working to ensure the state adopts the best reforms possible.

Finally, the Foundation will work to educate policymakers about the fallacy of “free” college. Governor Lujan Grisham proposed a “free” college policy despite ample evidence that college is not for all students and that such a program will do nothing for New Mexico’s economy.