The Associated Press
SANTA FE— The fate of many bills before the New Mexico legislative session only became clear as the smoke cleared after adjournment Thursday.
Not all bills made headlines. Here are some of the other measures passing and dying:
Lawmakers passed a Gov. Bill Richardson-backed tax credit for businesses that create "high wage" jobs— paying $40,000 in cities over 40,000 and $28,000 elsewhere.
A second Richardson-backed economic development proposal, which would have offered a tax incentive for research and development by startup technology companies, died upon adjournment.
Also approved were tax incentives to attract defense projects to the state and help safeguard New Mexico's four military installations from a federal base-closing effort.
One of the proposals targets a tax break to Boeing Co. to get it to perform testing of an airborne laser weapons system at White Sands Missile Range instead of in California. Another is broader, offering a tax break for testing at defense research and development facilities at military installations in the state.
Lawmakers also passed a measure establishing a more rigorous licensing system and minimum salary plan for educational assistants in public schools.
The bill calls for a $12,000 minimum salary in the 2004-2005 school year. Higher minimum salaries of $15,000, $20,000 and $25,000 would be phased in later and tied to a state licensing system with additional training and educational requirements.
Other measures sent to the governor:
Outline the powers and duties of the newly created education secretary and the Public Education Commission, making the commission purely advisory.
Require general contractors bidding on public works projects to register with the state Labor Department.
Allow the state Department of Public Safety to charge a fee for processing background checks. The department could use the fee to defray the costs of maintaining and updating law enforcement records.
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