NM House endorses $1 billion budget plan to raise public salaries, expand free college education

A New Mexico House panel has endorsed a $1 billion increase in fund spending to boost rural health care networks, public salaries, and no-pay day care and college.

Democratic state Rep. Nathan Small, of Las Cruces, chair of the lead House budget-writing committee, said that a large deposit to the state's severance tax permanent fund makes sense in the long term.

"This one-time only (set-aside) pays for itself in roughly a decade," Small said. "At the same time, we're investing in agencies and prioritizing health care, education, infrastructure, economic development."