The Associated Press reported today that U.S. Senator Tom Udall is working on legislation with Republican colleagues from Wyoming to restore millions of dollars in federal minerals payments to states being cut by sequestration. Read the full AP article here .
Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Interior Department officials about the mineral payments and the overall impact of sequestration on New Mexico at a hearing before the Interior & Environment Subcommittee on Tuesday and noted that legislation was in the works. The full video of the committee exchange can be seen here .
Here are some highlights from the AP's coverage:
"Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., told Interior Secretary Sally Jewell at a hearing in Washington on Tuesday that the federal Mineral Leasing Act requires the federal government to split revenues from the sale of minerals on federal lands with the states. He said he regards the payments as state revenues that ought to be off limits from federal meddling."
"This revenue is vital to New Mexico, where it funds our public education system," Udall said.
"These are state revenues. What we're going to do in legislation is look to make sure you don't get your hands on them at all, so we don't get in this kind of situation."
"New Mexico state leaders are very upset by the Department of Interior's Office of Natural Resources Revenue determination that these state revenues are subject to sequestration."
