House Bill 50 (HB50) creates huge regulatory risk for New Mexico businesses and industries like agriculture, insurance, extractive industries, and manufacturing. The bill would circumvent our existing state regulatory protections and allow anyone to file a lawsuit for claimed past harm (with no statute of limitations) or potential future harm, clogging up our already overburdened court system. 

HB 50 would upend any sense of regulatory structure in New Mexico, making it even harder to recruit and retain businesses as we try to restart and diversify our economy. No one will want to invest in a state that encourages “drive by” extortion lawsuits, where lawyers can threaten to sue a business in order to push for a settlement, by forcing them to choose between writing a check or risking the reputational and legal costs of litigation.  

If you believe New Mexico should be working to diversify our economy and create good paying jobs, this bill will halt any hope of a post-COVID economic recovery. 

I urge you to oppose House Bill 50!