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A bill that would create a new liquor license for restaurants and allow for delivery of alcohol has advanced to the floor of the New Mexico House of Representatives floor after a 10-3 vote Monday, Feb. 15, in the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.
House Bill 255 expands on previous legislation that allowed for local-option districts in which restaurants could get licenses to sell beer and wine. The new bill will provide a new license that will allow for the sale of mixed drinks.
New Mexico has a strict quota system for liquor licenses, which has driven up the cost. Licenses have been sold for more than $1 million. Bar owners throughout the state said the change would devalue their licenses and put bank loans on their businesses at risk.
The bill includes a $200,000 tax deduction and waives five years of annual license fees for current license holders. For those who bought their licenses in the last five years, fees would be waived for 10 years.
Good Rx
A bill that would allow for the commercial use of the Rx symbol by businesses other than pharmacies passed unanimously Monday in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mona Ghattas Duran, the owner of a drug store and nearby coffee shop in Albuquerque, said she received a notice from the state after using the symbol in the coffee shop logo. She said the symbol is now used on a wide variety of different products, and has come to be seen as a general symbol for health.
Senate Bill 122 has now cleared both committee assignments, and is eligible for debate on the Senate floor.
Limits on powers
Legislation to restrict the governor’s emergency powers during a public health crisis cleared its final state Senate committee hurdle Monday and has advanced to the Senate floor.
Senate Bill 74 has been changed significantly since its introduction, which originally limited the emergency declaration to 14 days and allowed for it to be overturned by a split vote of two leaders from each chamber and each party, giving power to the minority party.
The amended bill allows the emergency order to remain in effect for 45 days, and calls for the Legislative Council Committee to make the decision about overturning it if the Legislature is not in session. There is also separate legislation in both the House and Senate that would make it easier for lawmakers to call themselves into special session to deal with an emergency.
Walter Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.com
