1-26-21 Alert

Greetings New Mexico Activists:

Hearings T, W, Th: Air Quality, Tax Reform, House Abortion Bill, Paid Sick Leave. Things are heating up already.
 
We have a few new hearings to tell you about and a few reminders about what’s coming up. But first, a few tips on contacting legislators:

We’ve heard they are overwhelmed with email right now, so calling might be a better strategy. When you call, mention the bill number and urge them to support it. (You will likely speak to an assistant, who will record your support.) Some new members do not have phone numbers listed yet, so if you do email, please email individual legislators – do not paste in all committee members in a single email. They are more likely to read your email if you address them by name and, if possible, thank them for their support of past bills that you know of, and mention where and when you met them or spoke with them in the past. Personalize it as much as you can.

  1. We told you previously about the Senate Conservation Committee hearing today at 9 a.m. They will hear SB 83 Local Choice Energy Act (get talking points at the link). They will also hear SB 8 Local Gov’t. Air Quality Regulations, advanced by NM Environmental Law Center and sponsored by Sen Peter Wirth. SB 8 would remove language in the Air Quality Control Act and the Hazardous Waste Act that forbids the state from creating more restrictive regulations governing air quality and hazardous waste management than are included in the Federal regulations.

 Please call or email committee members this morning to ask them to support these bills. See tips for contacting legislators at the top of this Alert. Contact info is directly below. The deadline to participate in this hearing has passed, but you can watch a webcast of the Zoom at https://nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and look for the committee name.
 
Senate Conservation Committee (SCONC)
Liz Stefanics (D), Chair, 505-397-8851, lstefanics@msn.com
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D), Vice Chair, 505-397-8847, a.sedillolopez@nmlegis.gov
David M. Gallegos (R), Ranking Member, (no phone posted yet) david.rsi@hotmail.com
Joseph Cervantes (D), 505-397-8820, joseph@cervanteslawnm.com
Carrie Hamblen (D), 505-397-8827, carrie.hamblen@nmlegis.gov
Steven P. Neville (R), (no phone posted yet), steven.neville@nmlegis.gov
Harold Pope, Jr. (D), 505-397-8843, harold.popejr@nmlegis.gov
Gregg Schmedes (R), (no phone posted yet), gregg.schmedes@nmlegis.gov
William P. Soules (D), 505-397-8850, bill.soules@nmlegis.gov

  • NEW: Today, Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 1:30 p.m., the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC) will hear HB 42 Low-Income Comprehensive Tax Rebate Changes. Sponsored by Rep. Christine Chandler, this legislation would update the 20-year-old low-income tax rebate (LICTR) to adjust for inflation by changing the income threshold for qualified tax filers (from $22K to $36K) and increasing the amount of the rebate by 50%. Rebate would be anywhere from $15 to $730, depending on income and on the number of exemptions. This is just one of many bills that are expected in the 2021 tax and revenue reform effort. To get an overview of this year’s possibilities and how tax and revenue reform advocacy is somewhat different than for other bills, please read our tax and revenue reform summary at this link.

Link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89247448940. Passcode: 946748. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +13462487799,,89247448940# or +16699009128,,89247448940#. Or Telephone: Dial a number based on your current location: US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592. You can also watch a webcast of the Zoom at https://nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and look for the committee name.

Whether or not you plan to participate in the hearing, you can call and email committee members this morning. Please see tips for contacting legislators at the top of this Alert. Contact info below.
 
House Consumer & Public Affair Committee (HCPAC)
Liz Thomson (D), Chair, 505-986-4425, liz.thomson@nmlegis.gov
Andrea Romero (D), Vice Chair, 505-986-4254, andrea@andrearomero.com
Brittney Barreras (D), (no phone listed yet), brittneyfornewmexico@gmail.com
Stefani Lord (R), (no phone listed yet), stefani.lord@nmlegis.gov
Randall T. Pettigrew (R), (no phone listed yet), randall.pettigrew@nmlegis.gov

  • NEW: Weds., Jan. 27, 8:30 a.m., House Health and Human Services Committee (HHHC) will hear HB 7 Repeal Abortion Ban. This is identical to the Senate version, SB 10 Repeal Abortion ban, which passed Senate Health & Public Affairs along party lines on Monday. See talking points at the link above.

 To join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89853256841.  Or iPhone one-tap: US: +13462487799,,89853256841# or +16699009128,,89853256841# Or Telephone: (For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592. You can also watch a webcast of the Zoom at https://nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and look for the committee name.

Whether or not you plan to participate in the hearing, you can call and email committee members today to urge them to support the bill. Please see tips for contacting legislators at the top of this Alert. Contact info below.
 
House Health and Human Services Committee (HHHC)
Deborah A. Armstrong (D), Chair, 505-986-4344, deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov
Joanne J. Ferrary (D), Vice Chair, 505-986-4438, joanne.ferrary@nmlegis.gov
Phelps Anderson (R), 505-986-4450, phelps.anderson@nmlegis.gov
Gail Armstrong (R), 505-986-4242, gail@gailfornewmexico.com
Brittney Barreras (D), (no phone listed yet), brittneyfornewmexico@gmail.com
Karen C. Bash (D), 505-986-4210, karen.bash@nmlegis.gov
Stefani Lord (R), (no phone listed yet), stefani.lord@nmlegis.gov
Marian Matthews (D), 505-986-4248, marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov
Roger E. Montoya (D), (no phone listed yet), roger.montoya@nmlegis.gov
Luis M. Terrazas (R), (no phone listed yet), luis.terrazas@nmlegis.gov
Liz Thomson (D), 505-986-4425, liz.thomson@nmlegis.gov

Link to the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87367059610?pwd=YVpycCtlUzNTWWlyMVhqNnBLM2FzQT09
Passcode: 630659 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,87367059610#,,,,*630659# or +12532158782,,87367059610#,,,,*630659# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799.
 
Whether or not you plan to participate in the hearing, you can call and email committee members today to urge them to support the bill. Please see tips for contacting legislators at the top of this Alert. Contact info below.
 
House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee (HLVMC)
Eliseo Lee Alcon (D), Chair, 505-986-4416, eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov
Patricia Roybal Caballero (D), Vice Chair, 505-986-4248, pat.roybalcaballero@nmlegis.gov
Karen C. Bash (D), 505-986-4210, karen.bash@nmlegis.gov
Rachel A. Black (R), 505-986-4467, rachel.black@nmlegis.gov
Miguel P. Garcia (D), 505-986-4844, miguel.garcia@nmlegis.gov
Joshua Hernandez (R), (no phone listed yet), joshua.hernandez@nmlegis.gov
Angelica Rubio (D), 505-986-4227, angelica.rubio@nmlegis.gov
Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D), 505-986-4780, sheryl.stapleton@nmlegis.gov
Luis M. Terrazas (R), (no phone listed yet), luis.terrazas@nmlegis.gov
 
To review other hearings that we’ve already notified you of in previous Alerts, please review our Saturday, Jan. 23 Alert here and our Monday, Jan. 25 Alert here.
 
Lots going on, and Roundhouse staff are still scrambling to update contact info and to work out the kinks in the Zooms and Webcasts – yesterday the Senate Health & Public Affairs hearing on SB 10 Repeal Abortion Ban started 2 hours late, but they passed the bill along party lines. Also yesterday, the House State Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee passed HB 4 NM Civil Rights Act along party lines. So far, so good!
 
Thank you for your energy and dedication to social, economic, and environmental justice!
 
In solidarity and hope,
Roxanne and Paul