Santa Fe New Mexican (Editorial): Increase the alcohol tax and save lives: It’s that simple

Santa Fe New Mexican (Editorial): Increase the alcohol tax and save lives: It's that simple

It’s no wonder New Mexico hasn’t raised the excise tax on alcohol over the past 40 years. A report from citizens’ interest group Common Cause New Mexico lays out just why legislators are so reluctant to tax alcohol, both as a means of raising revenue and to reduce drinking. Called “Still Under the Influence,” the report successfully — as it intends — “connects the dots” from contributions to policy outcome. In 2023 alone, liquor lobbyists spent $74,968 on entertaining and wining and dining legislators, according to the Common Cause report. These are not campaign contributions. These are just dollars to grease the gears of government, and liquor lobbyists ensure there is plenty of grease. Their force showed during the 2023 session, when yet another attempt to increase the excise tax on liquor failed. It’s past time to act, with what has always been a crisis in New Mexico growing more acute. The Common Cause New Mexico report is clear: “Between 2019 and 2021, the state’s alcohol-related death rate increased by 31 percent.”