As the 2015 Legislative Session came to a close, New Mexicans were left shortchanged as the Capital Outlay Bill, SB 159, failed to pass because of last-minute political games played by House Republican leaders. This is a regrettable outcome that should have New Mexicans demanding more from the Republican-controlled House.

Every year, the capital outlay bill provides critical funding for projects that directly improve the lives of New Mexicans. It’s the bill that pays for statewide and local infrastructure needs. This year’s bill passed the State Senate on a bipartisan vote and headed to the House for minor tweaks and changes.

Once the bill arrived in the Republican-controlled House, the problems and partisanship began. In an unprecedented move, House Republicans and Gov. Susana Martinez waited until the last afternoon of the session and gutted $80 million from the state’s capital outlay bill on a party-line vote, eliminating dozens of shovel-ready projects that would have provided thousands of needed jobs in Albuquerque and all across the state.

Read more here: http://www.abqjournal.com/566122/opinion/gop-played-games-with-outlay-bill.html