A state budget has been
signed by Governor Susana Martinez that rises the spending of public
school and provides the state employees and the teachers to take home
more pay. But the Republic Governor did do a little trimming and
cutting on the bill that has been approved by the Democrat-controlled
legislature.
The $5.6 billion budget
was signed by the Governor in a kindergarten classroom in Rio Rancho
Friday afternoon at Puesta del Sol Elementary. She admired its $90
million increase to spendings in the school with most of the money
intended at developing reading and helping the schools that are
struggling so that they do not fall into debt problems. Otherwise,
they may have to take the help of debt
consolidation to come out of their debt problems.
Those are considered to be the basic elements of her education reform
schedule which experienced a couple of major defeats in the current
legislative session.
It has been said by
Martinez that they are going to aim and make sure that the children
can be able to read by the time they go to the third standard. They
are determined to have education reorganization even though the
legislation did not approve the bill. They want to pay attention to
their kids and, as such, they do not have any time to waste.
The bill that has been
passed on by her is the one that would bring an end to the “social
promotion” of the third standards who can not go to the fourth
standard. The budget is going to bring some gross receipts tax relief
to the manufacturing industries and the long-suffering construction
of the state. It restores the payment of the state of large part of
share of retirement pensions of the employees while the contributions
of the employees will fall down to a low rate. The line item vetoes
of the Government will reduce the spending for some moderately
incomprehensible and small projects which consists of $100,000 for a
student project and $75,000 to encourage “adventure tourism” in
McKinley County at Eastern New Mexico University. The reduction
amounts to about 0.035% of the entire budget and about three
hundredths of one percent.
Martinez said that they
have made a balance of the budget once more just like they did the
previous year when a big hole was covered in the budget which is $450
million. This year the budget has been balanced but every dime was
not been spent that they had and so they could allow for some tax
relief. However, the budget does not consist of direct increase in
the salary of the state workers.
The pay has been
increased for the other school employees and public school teachers
that are determined by local school boards but no money has been kept
aside for it in the new budget.