State officials say there is no looming rollback of programs administered by state government because of the continued federal shutdown, but lawmakers starting to work on next year's budget fear New Mexico's economy could be weakened by a prolonged stalemate in the nation's capital.
State Budget Division Director Michael Marcelli said Friday there are no imminent cuts to public education or state agencies that receive federal money. Federal money will end later this month for a nutrition program for women and children, but services will continue because the state has more than $1 million in federal aid carried over for the program from a previous year.
Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat, said if the federal shutdown continues it could hurt the state economy and cause lower-then-expected revenue collections.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.