A New Mexico alcohol tax that has helped fund college scholarships is set to expire at the end of next year and lawmakers are looking to move that money elsewhere.
In 2014, legislators voted to add $19 million from the alcohol excise tax to the lottery scholarship fund through mid-2018.
Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, says that money should go to drunken driving prevention instead of tuition.
The lottery scholarships cover about 90 percent of a student's tuition and fees. Higher Education Department officials say if the excise tax is lost, the scholarships would only cover about 60 percent.
Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, who designed most of the 2014 bill, says he is looking to renew the excise tax.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
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