New Mexico House Bill 33 would restore state-provided meat inspections by authorizing the New Mexico Livestock Board to conduct meat inspections.
The bill is sponsored by Reps. Rebecca Dow (R-38), Gail Armstrong (R-49), G. Andres Romero (D-10), Jack Chatfield (R-67), and Antonio “Moe” Maestas (D-16).
New Mexico stopped conducting its own inspections in 2007 and USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service has been handling inspections since then. Maestas told the Rio Grande SUN the goal of the bill was to help strengthen and diversify the state’s economy.
“We have a lack of meat inspectors, so we are not tapping into that market,” Maestas said. “The steak you ate last night was probably processed in Texas; to build our economy we have to eke out our comparative advantages.”
The Rio Arriba County Commission voted at its monthly meeting in late January to support the bill. During the meeting, County Attorney Adan Trujillo noted there are only four major packing companies in the U.S. and if New Mexico restored state inspections, it would be easier for smaller processors to expand and new ones to open.
The legislation was sent to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee Feb. 11, where it is being reviewed.
