New Mexico Legislature Supports Green Jobs Bills, Rejects Stem Cell Research

In support of Gov. Bill Richardson's proposal to develop a workforce trained for 21st century jobs, the New Mexico State Legislature passed two bills this session allocating funds and creating training programs for green jobs. Lawmakers also supported a technology transfer initiative and several measures aimed at growing the state's solar industry.

HB 622 creates a green jobs fund from which higher education institutes will create green job training programs. The fund was initially designed to receive money from bonds issued by the New Mexico Finance Authority; however, that provision was eliminated and now the fund will receive appropriations from federal green jobs programs and any other allocations, according to an article in The New Mexico Independent.

Lawmakers also passed a measure designating a portion of state funds for training in the green energy sector. SB 318 requires a minimum of $1 million from the state's Job Training Incentive program be used for this purpose.

During his state of the state address earlier this year, Gov. Richardson said the first point in his economic security plan is to continue to compete for, attract and create high paying green collar jobs (see the Jan. 21, 2009 issue of the Digest).  To this end, lawmakers passed SB 205, the New Mexico Research Applications Act. This legislation will establish a research center for moving technologies developed with federal funds at national laboratories and universities to the marketplace.

A few days after the governor's speech, details of the newly created Green Jobs Cabinet were unveiled. By executive order, the governor charged the group with developing an aggressive clean energy strategy aligned with the state's education and workforce system in order to create a highly skilled workforce that will attract green energy companies to the state. The Green Jobs Cabinet will provide an initial report to the governor by Aug. 15.

Building on the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008, lawmakers passed SB 257, which extends the state's solar tax credit program, originally designed to fill a gap in a federal program. The bill allows a 10 percent state tax credit above the federal credit of 30 percent on the cost of solar installation up to $2,000, reports The New Mexico Independent.

Lawmakers also allocated funding for two major solar initiatives from new Severance Tax Bonding designated for capital outlay projects. Specifically, $6 million was approved for the Schott Solar Manufacturing Plant to accelerate development of solar power generation capacity and for the completion of a 200,000-square-foot solar equipment manufacturing plant. Another $3 million was approved for Project Sun Kachina for construction of a solar panel production facility in Belen, NM.

Not all of the governor's recommendations were met with approval by lawmakers this session. Executive proposals not funded in the capital outlay include $2 million for the Green Grid Initiative, $2.6 million for establishing gateways to the New Mexico Supercomputing Center at community colleges, and a recurring $4.25 million appropriation for supercomputer operations.

For a third year in a row, the legislature failed to pass a bill allowing embryonic stem cell research on cells discarded from fertility clinics. The measure, SB 77, permitting research and clinical applications involving embryonic stem cells, failed in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

Gov. Richardson has until April 10 to act on the bills passed by the legislature.

The committee report of the General Appropriations Act of 2009 is available at:  http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/09%20Regular/bills/house/HB0002FC1.pdf