Commentary: On Saturday, without explanation, Governor Susana Martinez vetoed Senate Bill 6, legislation which would have created jobs and capitalized on the $600 million industrial hemp industry. The bill was narrowly tailored by the bill’s sponsor Senator Cisco McSorley to address concerns expressed when Governor Martinez vetoed similar legislation in the 2015 session.
“After leading our state into a jobs crisis, Governor Martinez has again shown a disregard hardworking for New Mexicans struggling to find a job and provide for their families,” said Senator McSorley. “Now because of Governor Martinez, our state’s farmers and rural communities will continue to fall behind as producers across the nation move quickly to capitalize on this versatile crop. She owes unemployed New Mexicans an explanation for her years of mismanagement and she owes the public an explanation as to why she continues to reject this common sense job creation measure.”
The legislation passed overwhelmingly in both chambers by a vote of 37-2 in the Senate and 58-8 in the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 6 was supported by New Mexico Farm & Ranch, New Mexico Cattle Growers, the Farm Bureau, and was constructed by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, New Mexico State University, and the New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service.