It’s a fair question given that more than 15 alcohol related bills, many of which contained a public safety or health component, were introduced during the 2024 regular session that ended in February. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for the convening of a special session on July 18 to discuss Read more…
The deadline to file as a candidate for a House or Senate seat in the 2024 Primary election for the New Mexico Legislature was March 12. Twenty state legislators will not be returning to their seats for the 2025 session, including 11 Senators and 9 Representatives. Several Representatives are not Read more…
By the time the 2024 Legislative Session ended in mid-February, 72 bills — out of more than 650 that were introduced — were on their way to the governor’s desk for signature, veto, or pocket veto. The governor had until Wednesday of this week (March 6) to act. When she finished, Read more…
The House Taxation and Revenue Committee will discuss both HB-179 and HB-213 at 8:30 AM MST on Wednesday, February 7. Both bills aim to increase taxes on alcohol; but while HB-179 increases taxes dramatically, HB-213 reserves its greatest increases for higher priced alcohol. As we reported previously, HB-213 changes the liquor excise tax from a wholesale transaction to one Read more…
House Bill 179, which received its first hearing on January 29, 2024 in the House Health and Human Services Committee, would raise alcohol excise taxes on beer and cider 651 percent by increasing the current 41 cents-per-gallon tax to $3.08 per gallon. Taxes on wine and spirits would increase 376 Read more…
The editorial board of the Albuquerque Journal said it best in its editorial summary of January 13, 2024: “New alcohol taxes would result in higher prices for consumers, which could be detrimental to the restaurant and hospitality industry, with patrons visiting less frequently or deciding to stay home and entertain.” Read more…
The lobbyist representing the New Mexico Alcohol Alliance in the upcoming legislative session, told annual meeting participants in December that a bill to increase liquor excise taxes is likely to be introduced during the 2024 session. Alcohol Alliance members will recall that a 2023 bill aimed to increase liquor excise taxes by more Read more…
Please join the New Mexico Alcohol Alliance at 9:00 am Monday, December 11 for the 2023 annual meeting. Board members will discuss issues affecting liquor license holders, potential bills that threaten liquor license holders, and the legislative slate adopted by the association. The slate includes defensive and offensive actions to Read more…
The September 20, 2023 meeting of the Economic & Rural Development Policy Committee included a report from Phillip Sanchez, Director of the Alcohol Beverage Control Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. Sanchez said the number of delivery permit applications has not been as high as was expected Read more…
A substantial increase in the amount of liquor excise taxes was proposed during the 2023 New Mexico Legislature, but in the end, there will be no increase in 2023. The 2023 session’s omnibus tax bill House Bill 547 contained an increase in liquor excise taxes, which was much less than the originally Read more…