Lt. Gov. Diane Denish Issues Statement in Opposition to Food Tax

As lawmakers, administration officials and constituency groups continue to discuss proposals to address the state’s budget shortfall, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish voiced her strong opposition to an across-the-board tax hike on food. The Lt. Governor released the following statement yesterday:

“Like many other states, New Mexico is facing tough times and we have to make some tough decisions in order to close our state’s budget shortfall. A lot of ideas have been put on the table, but one thing I will not support is an across-the-board tax on all food. When families are pinching and scraping to get by, taxing the basics like milk and bread is just not right.

We need a solution to the state's budget problem, but it should not come at the cost of making tough times even tougher for regular New Mexico families. We must start the upcoming legislative session by identifying ways to make government smaller and more efficient, such as overhauling the capital outlay process and ending the practice of double-dipping.”