Cathrynn Brown — Representative Cathrynn Brown was called on to ask questions about the Zia symbol payment. She raised concerns about possible duplication in the bill and asked what documentation supported the $2 million amount, including whether the arrangement was an MOU or some other legal agreement. After being told the agreement would be arranged through the Indian Affairs Department, she continued pressing to confirm that the payment was a one-time, paid-in-full licensing arrangement for the state’s use of the Zia symbol.
Cathrynn Brown — Representative Brown made the motion to do pass the bill as three times amended.
Jack Chatfield — Jack Chatfield is mentioned during roll call and then as the ranking member in the amendment discussion, where he seconded the motion on the amendment.
Jack Chatfield — Representative Chatfield, the ranking member, seconded the motion.
Rebecca Dow — Representative Rebecca Dow was marked present during the roll call.
Rebecca Dow — Rebecca Dow was called on to ask questions and then engaged in a continuous discussion about the implications of closing prison facilities. She asked whether prisoners would simply be detained in other counties, noted her experience touring Valencia and Otero, questioned whether the loss of federal support would leave the facilities without enough scale to operate, and asked why the lost revenue would not be supplemented if transporting prisoners costs more than keeping them there. The exchange ended with her acknowledging the explanation and thanking the chair.
Mark Duncan — Mark Duncan is first recorded as present during roll call, and later appears in the amendment discussion as the member who moved the amendment, with a subsequent reference to him in the same motion context.
Mark Duncan — Named as the member who seconded the motion.
Mark Duncan — Asks whether the committee will return in 2027 to address 2028.
Mark Duncan — Asks about returning in 2027 and doing 2028; the director says that option would remain available.
Mark Duncan — Questions whether the handout matches the chair's instructions and clarifies the reduced amount.
Mark Duncan — Asks for confirmation that the handout matches the chair's instructions and notes the first amount is being reduced by half.
Mark Duncan — Representative Duncan said the amendment was the right thing to do and described the impact of losing $350 million in tax revenue quickly.
Joy Garratt — Marked present during the roll call.
Joy Garratt — Referenced as having just explained the amendment's purpose.
Joy Garratt — Joy Garratt first expressed appreciation for the overdue payment to the Zia Pueblo, then asked follow-up questions about the private prison arrangements in the counties, including whether each county had a private prison, how local governments contracted with those facilities when the federal government needed detention space, and whether the facilities had prior contracts before ICE and whether those contracts still existed.
Joseph Hernandez — Marked present during the roll call.
Pamelya Herndon — Marked present during the roll call.
Pamelya Herndon — Representative Herndon asks about combining sections 273 and 274 and whether the one-twelfth provision applies to 274. The chair confirms that the provision does not apply to the other section.
Susan Herrera — Called during the roll call.
Charlotte Little — Marked present during the roll call.
Tara Lujan — Marked present during the roll call.
Randall Pettigrew — Marked present during the roll call.
Randall Pettigrew — Randall Pettigrew asked for clarification on whether the arrangement was considered 'paid in full,' noting that he saw conflicting nonverbal reactions from the panel. He then followed up by saying he may have been confused by the answer he was hearing, keeping the discussion focused on clarifying the same issue.
Joseph Sanchez — Called during the roll call.
Debra Sariñana — Representative Debra Sariñana was called during the roll call.
Debra Sariñana — Debra Sariñana questioned the witness about Cibola County’s prisoner transportation costs, noting the amount had been reduced and asking how many prisoners were involved. She then followed up to clarify whether prisoners were being transported one-way or back and forth, seeking more detail on the logistics and cost implications. The exchange remained focused on the transportation arrangement and its expense.
Debra Sariñana — Asks whether the numbers were brought forward in the same way as the other numbers and whether Representative Lord brought them.
Sarah Silva — Representative Sarah Silva was marked present during the roll call.
Sarah Silva — Sarah Silva was called on and then asked for clarification on the amendment, saying she was catching up with the changes. She questioned how the amendment affects 2028, money and budgeting, and the triggers, and added that she would have more questions on the bill itself once the committee moved past the amendment.
Harlan Vincent — Marked present during the roll call.
Meredith Dixon — Meredith Dixon is addressed as Vice Chair Dixon/Madam Vice Chair during a short, continuous exchange.
SB273 — Senate Bill 273 is introduced as one of the bills before the committee and then explained as a Senate Finance Committee package developed in response to House Bill 9. The discussion describes it as providing funding for the next two years, with the committee considering adding everything into SB 273 through an amendment. The amendment is then discussed in fiscal terms, noting that the original bill spends about $15 million while the amended version spends about $10.4 million, and that the amendment limits the appropriation to FY27 because of uncertainty around a trigger. The segment ends with questions about HASC Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 273.
SB273 — The committee substitute for Senate Bill 273 is the measure being amended.
SB273 — The committee considered and moved to adopt Amendment 3 to the Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 273, with the chair asking whether there was any opposition to adopting the amendment.
SB274 — Senate Bill 274 is introduced as one of the bills before the committee and then described in more detail as the governor’s CYFD-related funding bill, focused on four funding areas.
Adrian Avila — Identified as the Senate chief financial person and invited to explain the bills.
Adrian Avila — Adrian Avila explained that the transportation cost estimate was based on data from local officials, including prisoner counts and the expected frequency of transports, and that the cost of transporting prisoners is about twice the cost of keeping them at the facility. He noted that Cibola County houses county prisoners as well as others, including some from Pueblos, and that if the facility closes those individuals would need to be transported to neighboring counties. He said the transportation language came from the contract wording they were instructed to use. Avila also clarified that the Otero funding remains unchanged because it is needed up front, and that the funding serves as a contingency if the facility closes and no other contract or revenue source stabilizes operations. He added that if the facility shuts down and no one runs it, arrestees still must be housed somewhere, likely in a neighboring county, and that unused money in the original bill would revert to the general fund. When asked about the tribal arrangement, he said he did not have enough knowledge to speak confidently and offered to have analysts follow up with answers the next day.
Mr. Avila — Explains Senate Bill 273 and its relationship to House Bill 9.
HB9 — Referenced as the bill prompting the Senate Finance Committee response.
Kathleen Cates — Kathleen Cates asked a series of related questions about tribal inmate holding facilities and funding: who pays for prisoner-holding services, whether the current arrangement for tribes paying those invoices will change, and where any unspent FY27 funds would revert if not used. She referenced her experience as a tribal administrator and requested follow-up from analysts, after which her questions were acknowledged as answered.
Director Brighting — Referenced as having explained the trigger-related changes to the amendment.
Martin Zamora — In a brief, continuous exchange, the speaker repeatedly addresses the member labeled in the transcript as 'Representative Vincent' while discussing numbers that were provided and questioning whether the available funding can support jobs for two years. The interaction remains focused on the same issue throughout, ending with a polite closing remark.
Stefani Lord — Representative Lord is present and her proposed floor amendment is being circulated and discussed. The discussion focuses on the amendment’s funding figures, including a proposed change from $600,000 to $1.8 million and a referenced amount of $642,000, with members noting that the numbers were brought forward by Representative Lord and supported by additional data from her community.