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House passes HAFC substitute for HB2 and HB3 after hours of debate over school dorm funding and county relief amendments
Summary
The House approved the House Appropriations and Finance Committee substitute for HB2 and HB3 (state budget) 55–15 after prolonged debate. Lawmakers sparred over an amendment to cut New Mexico School for the Arts dorm funding and another amendment seeking DFA reimbursements for counties affected by closures tied to other legislation.
The New Mexico House of Representatives passed the House Appropriations and Finance Committee substitute for House Bills 2 and 3 — the state’s operating and capital budget — on Feb. 4, 2026, with a final recorded vote of 55 in the affirmative and 15 in the negative.
Committee chair (Speaker 30) presented HAFC’s substitute to the full House, outlining a cautious recurring-spending increase of about $36 million (approximately 2.7% or roughly $295 million in recurring increases cited by the committee) alongside roughly $2.6 billion in nonrecurring investments, including transportation, higher-education capital projects, and water infrastructure. The package included a 30% reserve target and a range of community-directed line items:…
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