SANTA FE (Feb. 18, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the leading voice for small businesses in New Mexico today announced its strong opposition to HB 11, which would create a costly, state-run Paid Family Medical Leave Mandate. In a statement, NFIB State Director Jason Espinoza urged lawmakers to stand up for Main Street New Mexicans and reject the mandate.

“The overwhelming majority – 89 percent – of New Mexico’s small business owners oppose this mandate because it’s a bad deal for them and their employees. As qualified applicants remain in short supply, our Main Street New Mexicans do everything they can to attract top talent and retain their workers – and that often includes flexible and generous employee benefits. Eliminating customized employer-provided benefits in exchange for an overly broad and loosely defined state-run mandate will force our small business owners to make difficult decisions, like raising their prices, cutting positions, or worse, closing their doors for good. It’s not just a bad deal for employers, but their employees as well, who will see their taxes increase and wages slashed to fund the mandate. We’re asking lawmakers to stand up for our job creators and the hardworking New Mexicans they employ and reject this costly mandate once again.”

Background:

In NFIB’s 2023 New Mexico member ballot, 89% of small business owners opposed the creation of this new mandate.

A burdensome, loosely defined, state-run paid family and medical leave program that would have been funded through a payroll tax on employers and a wage tax on employees was defeated on a bipartisan basis by the 2023 Legislative Session.