SANTA FE, N.M. – It sure feels like the average paycheck in New Mexico does not cover as much as it used to.

House Democrats in the Roundhouse say the uncertainty around the national economy is not making anything easier for New Mexicans.

“Despite months of lip service about the cost of groceries and reducing inflation, we know that this administration has no plan to address these issues,” said state Rep. Reena Szczepanski. 

House Democratic leaders want to study grocery supply chain issues and ban some pricing strategies.

“We will prohibit grocery and retail stores from using so-called dynamic pricing to gouge consumers,” said Szczepanski. 

Similarly, a bill banning landlords from utilizing artificial intelligence to determine rent prices already cleared its first committee.

“We’ve seen these massive increases in rent, where we look at 14, 15%. That’s absolutely happening in our communities, and this is why we’re trying to put a stop to it,” said state Rep. Andrea Romero.

Democratic leaders want to raise the minimum wage for school workers, and laborers on public projects, increase hospital price transparency and expand the state’s working family tax credits.

“To fully offset state income tax for New Mexican household without children earning up to $22,000 per year, and households with children earning up to $50,000 per year,” said state Rep. Derrick Lente.

Affordability is a concern for Republican lawmakers as well, and they have some different ideas on how to keep your finances under control, especially with another state budget surplus on the table.

“We have more money than we’ve ever had to spend. So let’s eliminate income tax. Let’s not tax social security and retirement income. Let’s give more people, let them keep more of the money that they’ve worked so hard to earn,” said state Rep. Rebecca Dow. 

House Democratic leaders say they are willing to take serious action to counteract major economic decisions in Washington, such as that temporary federal funding freeze a few weeks ago. They hope those conversations cross the aisle.

“We have to sit down and start thinking about what we would do as a Legislature,” said Speaker of the House Javier Martinez.