Stefani Lord, a representative for New Mexico's House District 22, said that House Bill 11 passed the House with support from most but not all Democrats. She described it as "a mandatory tax on employees and employers that you can't opt out of." This comment was made in a February 28 post on X.
"These are “70,000 out of 500,000 letters sent from employees, small business owners, and constituents across the state who want the House to vote NO on HB11 — the largest tax increase in state history," said Lord, State Representative. "The mandatory tax on employees and employers that you can't opt out of just passed the House floor with most (not all) Democrat votes. This bill will be detrimental to our small businesses across New Mexico. Rebecca Dow did a fantastic job presenting her SENSIBLE and fiscally responsible substitute."
According to Lord's post, an image depicted what was described as "70,000 out of 500,000 letters" from employees, small business owners, and New Mexico constituents urging the House to vote against House Bill 11. The bill, known as the Paid Medical and Family Leave Act, was labeled in her post as the largest tax increase in state history. The post also included a photo of the final vote tally, showing House Bill 11 passing with a vote of 38-31, with one representative excused from voting.
Screenshot of State Representative Stefani Lord's Feb. 28 post on X.
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On March 3, the New Mexico Business Coalition highlighted the passage of HB 11, which has been renamed the Welcome Child and Family Wellness Leave Act. According to the New Mexico Sun, this substitute for the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act provides six weeks of paid leave for medical reasons and twelve weeks for the birth or adoption of a child. The act would pay parents $9,000 per child at birth or adoption and could cost $183 million annually. It imposes a tax on employers and employees that will take effect on January 1, 2027, for employers and July 1, 2027, for employees. Benefits are set to begin on January 1, 2028.
Rep. Rebecca Dow proposed an amendment to allow the state legislature to appropriate funds from the early childhood education and care fund to the Workforce Solutions Department for paying leave compensation to employees and self-employed individuals covered by the Paid Parental Leave Act. However, according to the bill's webpage, Dow's amendment was tabled without receiving a vote.
State Representative Stefani Lord has represented New Mexico's House District 22 since 2021. Ballotpedia notes she holds a bachelor's degree in psychology with an emphasis on neurochemistry from Portland State University. Lord is also recognized for her experience as a small business owner and for founding Pro-Gun Women, a citizen action group.
