SANTA FE, N.M. – We’re roughly a third of the way through this legislative session and this is the time when state lawmakers revise, rewrite and sometimes rethink their bills in order to make sure the numbers are on their side.

A Senate committee spent the morning picking apart a proposal to shield livestock producers from revealing certain information about themselves during livestock disease incidents, like the recent bird flu outbreak.

While that may sound counter-intuitive, the New Mexico state veterinarian says it’s actually meant to encourage livestock producers to speak up.

“It can hinder their cooperation if they’re concerned that their personal information is going to be released. It can create a target, it can damage their markets. There’s a lot of repercussions to that information being out there,” said New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck.

Despite a large showing of public support, the Senate Conservation Committee had several technical – but significant – issues with the bill. So, the bill’s sponsor asked to delay a vote until he worked out those kinks.

“I think we just need to make sure that we’ve got our language a little more correct for what is here in New Mexico,” said Holeck. 

It’s a strategy we’re seeing more of this year, and one that’s already proven effective for an even more contentious bill.

STRATEGIC WATER SUPPLY PROPOSAL

A House committee took a second look at the strategic water supply proposal Tuesday morning. This is the governor’s plan to incentivize private companies to pump brackish water out of the ground, clean it up, and sell it for industrial uses.

The committee spent hours voicing concerns with the bill last week, so the bill’s sponsors made some changes and came back for round two.

“Because of your willingness to hopefully address the concerns coming from the Pueblo of Acoma, I feel comfortable moving forward,” said state Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena. 

The committee still had several concerns, but ultimately approved the contentious proposal, which is further than it got last year. It still has a long way to go before reaching the governor’s desk.