Mexico City, Mexico – According to the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, the Treasury Secretariat (SHCP) should investigate the Mexican state of Jalisco after former Governor Emilio González Márquez left the state buried in over $26 billion pesos ($2.1 billion) of debt.

The Senate is currently looking into state and municipal debt across the country. PRI Senator María Verónica Martínez Espinoza wants to officially request the SHCP to probe the government of Jalisco’s finances because of what she calls the rapid rise in public debt in the state over the last six years.

According to the González Márquez administration’s own figures, the state’s public debt was estimated at about $4.4 billion pesos in 2006. Senator Espinoza said that by 2008 the debt was rising by about $2 billion pesos a year.

After 2009 — an election year — debt was rising by about $12 billion pesos a year, the senator added.

A March report by the Private Sector Economic Studies Center said that debt in Mexico’s state governments is hindering investment and growth, and affecting the well-being of citizens. The report calls for better regulation of state debt and tax reform.

On March 15th, the National Governors Conference denounced a proposal to put the federal government in charge of regulating and approving state loans and debt, calling the measure an infringement on state autonomy.

According to a Reuters report, state and local governments in Mexico are billions of pesos in debt.