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Committee approves HB155 to remove statutory salary cap for Gaming Control Board executive director
Summary
House Bill 155 would remove a statutory cap that prevents the executive director of the New Mexico Gaming Control Board from being paid at or above the governor's salary; the committee recommended approval 10-0, allowing the board discretion over the director's pay subject to budgetary approvals.
Representative Zamora presented House Bill 155 to the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee, describing the measure as a modernization to allow the Gaming Control Board to set a competitive salary for its executive director.
Patrick Garrett, chairman of the Gaming Control Board, told the committee that current statute prevents the executive director from meeting or surpassing the salary of the sitting governor. "The way that the statute is set right now, the executive director of our agency ... cannot meet or surpass the salary of the current governor serving in office. So in this particular case, our governor ... makes a a $110,000 a year," Garrett said, adding that comparable executive directors in similar agencies typically earn more.
Garrett and committee members said removing the cap would allow the board to recruit qualified personnel and would still require compliance with state budget and personnel processes. Committee members asked for why the cap had been tied to the governor's salary historically; the witness said the cap dated back to initial statutory design and that the gaming sector and agency needs have evolved.
The committee recorded a do pass recommendation on HB155 with a roll call tally of 10 yes, 0 no. Chairman Dela Cruz moved approval and Representative Hernandez seconded the motion at the committee vote recorded in the transcript.
What happens next: With the committee's do pass recommendation, HB155 moves forward in the legislative process; the transcript does not record specific appropriations or implementation details beyond remarks that board hiring remains subject to budget approvals.
