New Mexico's House Minority Leader Jim Townsend (R-Artesia) has criticized the state's Democratic lawmakers for what he called a "secretive plan" to enact a large hike in gas taxes for the working families in the Land of Enchantment. 

According to a press release, Townsend claimed Democrat lawmakers held closed-door meetings in an attempt to gain support for their efforts to raise the gas tax in the legislature next year.

"While New Mexico's economy continues to flounder with the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation, Democrat politicians and environmental groups are forging ahead with their secretive plan for a massive increase in the gas tax on New Mexico's working families," Townsend said in a statement for the press release. "These so-called 'clean fuel standards' are why Californians pay significantly more at the pump than we do. Environmental activists and their progressive allies in Santa Fe will not stop until they completely alter our way of life."

"Environmental activists and their progressive allies in Santa Fe will not stop until they completely alter our way of life," Rep. Jim Townsend said.

Townsend said similar legislation has been passed in other states, and for the people living in New Mexico, raising the gas tax could mean folks could pay about $120 more each year on average when it comes to the cost of fuel, the release stated. Because of the need to drive longer distances, however, rural New Mexicans would feel the brunt of the pinch.

According to the press release, Senate Bill 11, or the Clean Fuel Standards Act, almost passed in the New Mexico legislature this past session, but it ran out of time at the end of the 60-day session. 

GOP leaders called its failure a "victory," but there's always the possibility it could pass in the next session, according to the release.