2025 Legislative Update #8
U R G E N T
- PAID FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE/WELCOME CHILD & FAMILY WELLNESS LEAVE ACT
Representative Martha Garcia Contact Information:
Phone – (505) 986-4464
Email – martha.garcia@nmlegis.gov
We have provided a letter that you may use. Feel free to send it as it is, or to edit and make your own. You may also send this to other legislators.
THE FLOOR SESSION BEGINS AT 10:30 THIS MORNING
WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED!!
Representative Martha Garcia 02/28/2025
New Mexico District 6
martha.garcia@nmlegis.gov
As a concerned constituent, I’m writing to ask that you vote no today on HB-11, “Paid Family and Medical Leave”, also known as the “Welcome Child and Family Wellness Leave Act”.
We want to address our added concerns with the committee substitute. Changing the name from “Paid Family and Medical Leave”, to the “Welcome Child and Family Wellness Leave Act” does not drastically change the contents of the bill. In fact, most of the flaws in HB 11 still exist in the substitute and the name change on the bill only serves to create confusion, hide bad policy, and provide political cover.
The bill, if passed, will still amount to the largest tax increase ever imposed on New Mexicans. While the substitute does lower the percentages paid by the employee and the employer, the bill’s Fiscal Impact Report clearly indicate that the fund will be broke in less than three years. This means the bill creates deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and a tax increase to employees who would have to pay 55% and to employers who would have to pay 45% to fill the gap.
The substitute calls for an independent actuarial to be done to help determine the tax to be paid, the bill’s sponsors promised in each committee to provide an actuarial, but have only produced a Financial Analysis which does not weigh risk and is not an indicator of how solvent the program would be. Furthermore, the Financial Analysis they provided was performed by a partisan company who has provided analysis for many other states on these programs. They always provide analysis showing that the program is feasible, but in each of the states, the programs have had financial problems that required an increase in taxes, cutting of benefits, or both. Before plunging into this financial risk why not have an actuarial done to let New Mexicans know what the true cost of the plan will be. Providing an accurate, transparent cost to taxpayers is the responsible thing to do.
In addition to the personal payroll taxes that will increase, what about the possibility of added tax burdens from municipalities and counties who may have to raise taxes or cut services to implement the program. Our school districts will also need additional dollars from the legislature to offset the costs. All of that funding is provided by tax paying New Mexicans.
We were happy to finally see small changes made to the legislation, but just like the name change they don’t really do anything to significantly improve the bill. Please stand with us in opposing HB 11 and vote NO.
Sincerely,
