SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico state House is adding items to a massive spending bill that’s focused on internet and road infrastructure.
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill Friday, adding amendments that allocate $50 million for a rural hospital. The location isn’t specified.
“The hospital that comes to my attention—which doesn’t mean it would be limited to this—is Valencia,” said committee chair Rep. Patty Lundstrum, Democrat of Gallup.
Another amendment consolidated $123 million in internet funding to allow officials flexibility to decide which technology to use. The state has considered everything from traditional fiber optic cable to broadcasts from satellites and blimps.
The bill also has $142 million for roads.
It’s funded with federal pandemic relief money.
Some $2 million would go to a teacher training fund. The move is aimed at pulling the state out of a growing teacher shortage that’s swelled to around 1,000 unfilled teacher vacancies. The bill could support as many as 1,500 educators and aspiring educators.
“Our teacher shortage is acute,” said Democratic Rep. Nathan Small, of Las Cruces, in southern New Mexico, adding that he wanted to send a message to aspiring teachers that the Legislature is “taking action right away.”
___
Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.
