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Today at the Roundhouse, Feb. 14

Today at the Roundhouse, Feb. 14

Yahoo14-02-2025

Feb. 14—The Legislature is nearing the end of the fourth week of the 60-day legislative session. Expect to see lots of flowers and chocolate at the Roundhouse on Valentine's Day. Here's what else to watch for on Friday, Feb. 14.
Baby bonds: A bill that would set up a new state fund to provide cash support to New Mexico families for each child born after January 2025 gets its first hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee. The "baby bonds" bill, House Bill 7, is supported by state Treasurer Laura Montoya and others.
Session lengths: The length of New Mexico's legislative sessions would be changed to 45 days per year, under a proposed constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 1, scheduled for debate in the House Judiciary Committee. Under the state's current system, lawmakers meet for 60-day sessions in odd-numbered years and 30-day sessions in even-numbered years.
University leaders: A measure that would require a state board to sign off on certain top university administrator contracts gets its first vetting in the Senate Education Commission at 9:30 a.m. The bill, Senate Bill 266, is one of several being pushed by Attorney General Raúl Torrez after a recent string of higher education controversies.
Joint session: It's African American Day at the Capitol, and the House and Senate will hold a joint session to hear speakers. It's also Dental Hygienists' Day at the Roundhouse.

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(iStock / Getty Images Plus) As the Ohio Senate moves forward with its budget proposal, advocates for Medicaid are hoping changes can be made to avoid significant impacts to low income residents, elderly Ohioans, and people with disabilities. Funding from Medicaid allows 3 million Ohioans access to health care services, including more than 770,000 who receive them through the Medicaid expansion program instituted in 2014. That expansion program allows people who weren't eligible for the traditional Medicaid programs but were still in categories of need to access health care. The existence of that program dropped the uninsured rate in Ohio to historic levels, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. Along with health care, Medicaid dollars help with services that aren't necessarily connected to medical treatment, like home care, employment help, transportation, and a direct care provider who helps with all of those things. 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