Jay Block, a senator for New Mexico Senate District 12, said that if the Citizens Tax Rebate, or Senate Bill 398, which he co-sponsored with Senator Ant Thornton, had passed, "every New Mexican resident would receive $500." He made this statement in an X post on March 20.
"Senator Ant Thornton and I were finally scheduled to present our bill setting up oil and gas rebates to every New Mexican," said Block, State Senator. "With this bill, every New Mexican residemt would receive $500. We will bring this bill back. The people need it."
Block shared an X post from the New Mexico Senate Republicans indicating that he and Thornton presented a bill to provide New Mexicans with a $500 tax rebate annually. However, the bill did not advance.
Screenshot of State Senator Jay Block's March 20 post on X.
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Senate Bill 398 was introduced by Senators Thornton, Block, Pat Boone, Steve Lanier, and David Gallegos. It has garnered support from 42 sponsors across both the Senate and the House. The bill proposed a $500 tax rebate for individuals filing tax returns, with an additional $500 for each dependent claimed. Married couples filing jointly would also receive $500 for their spouse. According to the bill's text, the rebate could be deducted from the taxpayer’s total state income tax liability. However, it would not be allowed for returns filed after May 31. Individuals who were in public institutions for more than six months during a taxable year would be ineligible for the rebate.
On February 15, according to a news release from the New Mexico Senate GOP (Grand Old Party), all 16 Senate Republicans and 26 House Republicans signed on to support the bill. The release said that the bill aims to return taxpayer funds from the state's $3 billion budget surplus to residents. Block commented on this initiative: "Recent trends have seen the legislature spend every dollar that comes in, all while failing to provide the results citizens have been hoping for. In response, our proposal ensures that at least a portion of these funds are not squandered but are returned to the hard-working New Mexicans who contributed them in the first place."
Jay Block is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former Sandoval County Commissioner. In 2024, he was elected as the Republican Senator for District 12, succeeding retired Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino. Block’s campaign focused on limited government, economic reform, and veterans' issues. As County Commissioner, he sponsored and passed a Second Amendment resolution making Sandoval County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County and played a key role in economic development initiatives.
