2015 Legislative Days in Santa Fe
Y
ou may know that New Mexico has
an official “State Question” that was
approved by both our House and
Senate. New Mexico residents always know
their personal answer to the question of “Red
or Green,” because New Mexico and New
Mexicans love their chile!
NMRA held its annual “Legislative Days
in Santa Fe” on February 24
th
and 25
th
. A
reception and chile cook-off was incorporated
in the educational and lobbying aspects of
the two-day event. The inaugural House vs.
Senate Chile Cook-Off was held at the Santa Fe
Culinary Academy.
The evening was a great success. Senator Benny
Shendo became the first recipient of the Chile
Cook-Off Trophy, which will pass down next
year to the 2016 winner. Senator Shendo and
the other Legislative “Guest Chefs” paired
up with Restaurateurs from their district.
The cooking teams also included high school
students that participate in the ProStart
Culinary Program at their schools. Senator
Shendo’s team consisted of Hazel Herrera
from NMRA member restaurant El Bruno and
students from Sandia High School. Along with
the Trophy, Senator Shendo’s district received
a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded
to a Hospitality and Tourism student in
that district.
A reception followed where guests mingled
with their legislators and the other teams and
enjoyed appetizers and tastings of New Mexico
beer and wine.
The next day, NMRA sponsored a “Meet your
Regulators”mini-conference at the Rio Chama
Restaurant in Santa Fe where our members
heard speakers from various regulatory
agencies. A “Q and A” session followed. The
following speakers lent their expertise on a
wide variety of topics including unemployment
issues, inspections and safety guidelines, liquor
licenses, and alcohol laws and regulations.
· Department of Workforce Solutions -
Secretary Celina Bussey
· NM Environment Department -
Cabinet Secretary Ryan Flynn
· Alcohol and Gaming Division -
Director Mary Kay Root
· Special Investigation Division -
Captain Tim Johnson
Although our “Legislative Days” special events
have passed for this year, NMRA continues to
stay in your corner with legislative advocacy
that affects your restaurant and your bottom
line. Contact us at
to receive legislative update emails and visit
our website, nmrestaurants.org, for updates on
issues we are following.
To receive emails and alerts regarding legislative news,
contact NMRA at
to get
on our mailing list.
by Allison Kuper Smith,
NMRA Government Affairs Director/Lobbyist
public affairs
Special thanks to Legislative Days Sponsors:
Bueno Foods
Delta Linens
Marble Brewery
New Mexico Cattle Growers
New Mexico Chile Association
New Mexico Department of Agriculture
Santa Fe Culinary Academy
Santa Fe Dining
VARA Wines
Chile Cook-Off
Judges Dorothy and Larry Rainosek
hard at work deciding on a winner
Prostart Students, NMRA Member Chefs, and
Legislators in action preparing for Chile judging
(L to R) Senators Nancy Rodriguez, Lee Cotter,
Benny Shendo, and Sue Wilson-Beffort celebrate
the Senate’s win in House vs. Senate Chile Cookoff
12 New Mexico Restaurant Association
