Governor’s Veto of Senate Bill 24 Stands in the Way of Job Creation & Broadband Development

Santa Fe, NM – Today, Governor Martinez vetoed Senate Bill 24 a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Michael Padilla and Representative Jim Smith that would have streamlined current statutes to facilitate local government investment in broadband infrastructure. Once again, the Governor’s veto message contained no explanation as to why she chose to stand in the way of the state’s progress.

“Governor Martinez’s veto will prevent local governments from being able to provide broadband for their communities,” said Senator Padilla.  “After hearing the news that New Mexico has the highest unemployment in the nation, it’s hard to imagine why Governor Martinez would stand in the way of our cities and counties efforts to bring high-speed internet that would attract needed jobs and support local small businesses.”

Currently, New Mexico internet connection speed ranks 48th in the nation and is similar to the average connection speed of Iraq and Molodova. According to Federal Communication Commission study, even a 7% increase in broadband adoption could create an estimated 15,000 jobs to New Mexico.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 37-1 and passed unanimously out of the House of Representatives.