Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy
Issue Position
The "Breaking Bad" Bill
In the 2013 Legislative Session, Rep. Maestas sponsored the "Breaking Bad" bill which sought to increase the Film Production Tax Credit for television productions or projects that shoot in New Mexico and employ New Mexicans. The bill was nicknamed the "Breaking Bad" bill because the popular series was interested in coming to New Mexico initially in part due to this favorable tax credit. At first, HB 379 was vetoed by the Governor. But Rep. Maestas was not deterred -- he continued to work hard to reach a compromise with all parties to include the credit in a major tax reform package bill, HB 641, which was ultimately signed into law by the Governor. Rep. Maestas puts working families first while at the Legislature and uses his experience to strike a balance between competing interests and ultimately bring jobs to New Mexico.
For more information on these bills, see:
House Bill 379 in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/final/HB0379.pdf
House Bill 641 in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/final/HB0641.pdf
Economic Development Utility Rates Bill
In the 2014 Legislative Session, Rep. Maestas sponsored a bill that called for utility rates for certain customers certified by the state's Economic Development Department to assist in job creation and additional investment in the state. This measure would help cities like Albuquerque attract major employers like Tesla by being able to offer competitive utility rates as an additional incentive to relocate to New Mexico. Unfortunately, this bill died at the end of this past session. Rep. Maestas plans to introduce this bill again in the 2015 session and to work with all stakeholders, like environmental advocates, energy companies, consumer and low-income advocates, to work out a good compromise to the bill.
For more information on this bill, see:
House Bill 289 in the 2014 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/14%20Regular/bills/house/HB0296.pdf
Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act
Rep. Maestas has been a big supporter of ensuring our real estate market in Albuquerque continues to grow and work efficiently. He carried legislation in the 2013 Legislative Session to help Commercial Real Estate Brokers ensure they get paid for the services they provide. That bill was HB 365, and it died before the end of the 2013 session. In the 2014 session, Rep. Maestas carried on the effort and sponsored House Bill 185 which created the Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act. This law permits a broker to place a lien upon commercial real estate or any interest in commercial real estate in the amount that the broker is due for licensed services connected with the leasing of commercial real estate. This could include brokerage fees and consulting fees if the broker is entitled to a stated fee or commission. Rep. Maestas worked hard to pass this law because he believes in the importance of making sure commercial brokers get paid for their work in helping to sell or lease commercial real estate. Albuquerque's Westside has the potential to attract much more commercial activity, and brokers are at the forefront of making sure that vacant property is occupied by responsible businesses.
House Bill 365 in the 2013 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/bills/house/HB0365.pdf
House Bill 185 in the 2014 Legislative Session
http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/14%20Regular/final/HB0185.pdf
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