2-15-22 Alert

Good Morning New Mexico Activists:

First, we want you to know that at the end of the House Floor Session on Sunday night, Speaker Brian Egolf announced that the House would hear only Senate bills from this point forward because there isn’t enough time to get House bills through to Senate committees and the Senate floor. (House Bills must pass through House Committees and the House Floor before moving on to Senate Committees and the Senate Floor, and vice versa.)

There are still several House bills on today’s House Floor Calendar, including House Memorials which can be passed without going to the Senate. But we’ve heard from a reliable House member that those bills will not be heard, that the House is working from a supplemental agenda that includes only Senate bills.

The good news is that HB 228, the latest Hydrogen Hub bill, was moved to the Speaker’s Table, basically insuring it won’t be heard. Thank you all for your activism against Hydrogen Hub development. We defeated all three bills! But we have to remain vigilant over the next year, because we know this issue won’t go away.

Please note, we will no longer hold our weekly Legislative Huddles – there is unlikely to be any action to take as of this Wednesday. We will schedule a debrief and post-session planning Huddle in March. We’ll tell you about that sometime in the next few weeks.

Now, let’s look at hearings and House and Senate floor activity scheduled for today:

HELD OVER: Feb. 15, 1:30 pm, Rm. 311, Senate Judiciary is scheduled to hear HB 132 Interest Rates for Certain Loans, the 36% rate bill, 5th on the agenda. If you haven’t already, please make a quick call and send email this morning to urge them to hear this bill and pass it. In case email is not opened, please use the Subject line: Please hear and pass HB 132 today!

In the same hearing, Senate Judiciary is scheduled to hear HB 65 Housing Modernization Changes, 4th on the agenda. Please call and email committee members this morning to ask them to pass this bill. Time is running out for both these bills. They need to be passed today and move to the Senate Floor for a vote tomorrow. This Session ends on Thursday at noon!

We’re told that The Fair Lending Coalition is coordinating the few speakers who will be allowed on HB 132, so please don’t join the Zoom and try to speak. In fact, it’s in all of our interests to move this hearing along quickly, so calling and emailing is our best strategy this morning. You can watch the hearing by Webcast at nmlegis.gov.

Senate Judiciary
(Note: Sen. Stewart uses a Google form for contact instead of email, so you need to contact her separately at the link after her name.)

To send group email, copy and paste this block. (Note: Sen. Stewart uses a Google form for contact instead of email, so you need to contact her separately at the link after her name above.): “Gregory A. Baca” <greg.baca@nmlegis.gov>, “Joseph Cervantes” <joseph.cervantes@nmlegis.gov>, “Katy M. Duhigg” <katy.duhigg@nmlegis.gov>, “Daniel A. Ivey-Soto” <daniel.ivey-soto@nmlegis.gov>, “Linda M. Lopez” <linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov>, “Mark Moores” <mark.moores@nmlegis.gov>, “Bill B. O’Neill” <oneillsd13@billoneillfornm.com>, “Cliff R. Pirtle” <cliff.pirtle@nmlegis.gov>

Also today, Feb. 15, ½ hr. after the Senate Floor Session ends, Senate Finance is scheduled to hear HB 37 Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant, 6th on the agenda. Please call and email committee members this morning to urge them to hear and pass HB 37 today. We’re not recommending public comment at this point because it causes the hearings to run longer and we have so little time.

You can join the hearing Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81679647964 to take the on-screen poll in favor of HB 37. Or telephone 1-669-900-9128. Webinar ID: 816 7964 7964. Or watch the hearing by Webcast at nmlegis.gov.

Senate Finance

  • Chair: George K. Munoz (D). District 4 (Cibola, McKinley and San Juan). Room 325B, (505) 986-4371. Email: george.munoz@nmlegis.gov
  • Vice Chair: Nancy Rodriguez (D). District 24 (Santa Fe). Room 325A, (505) 986-4264. Email: nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov
  • Ranking Member: William E. Sharer (R). District 1 (San Juan). Room 415H, (505) 986-4381. Email: bill@williamsharer.com
  • Member: William F. Burt (R). District 33 (Chaves, Lincoln & Otero). Room 415C, (505) 986-4366. Email: bill.burt@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Pete Campos (D). District 8 (Colfax, Guadalupe, Harding, Mora, Quay, San Miguel and Taos). Room 302B, (505) 986-4311. Email: pete.campos@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Crystal R. Diamond (R). District 35 (Dona Ana, Hidalgo, Luna & Sierra). Room 414C, (505) 986-4703. Email: crystal.diamond@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales (D). District 6 (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos). Room 218A, (505) 986-4362. Email: roberto.gonzales@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Siah Correa Hemphill (D). District 28 (Catron, Grant & Socorro). Room 416F, (505) 986-4863. Email: siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Michael Padilla (D). District 14 (Bernalillo). Room 217, (505) 986-4267. Email: michael.padilla@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Jeff Steinborn (D). District 36 (Doña Ana). Room 302A, (505) 986-4862. Email: jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Pat Woods (R). District 7 (Curry, Quay and Union). Room 415D, (505) 986-4393. Email: pat.woods@nmlegis.gov

To send group email, copy and paste this block: “William F. Burt” <bill.burt@nmlegis.gov>, “Pete Campos” <pete.campos@nmlegis.gov>, “Crystal R. Diamond” <crystal.diamond@nmlegis.gov>, “Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales” <roberto.gonzales@nmlegis.gov>, “Siah Correa Hemphill” <siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov>, “George K. Munoz” <george.munoz@nmlegis.gov>, “Michael Padilla” <michael.padilla@nmlegis.gov>, “Nancy Rodriguez” <nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov>, “William E. Sharer” <bill@williamsharer.com>, “Jeff Steinborn” <jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov>, “Pat Woods” <pat.woods@nmlegis.gov>

Today, Feb. 15, 11 a.m., on the Senate Floor Calendar, SB 8 Voters’ Rights Provisions is first on the list. You cannot participate in the Floor Session, but you can call and email your own Senator this morning to urge her/him to vote “YES” on this bill. Find your Senator’s contact info at this link. Watch the Senate Floor Session by Webcast at nmlegis.gov. SB 8 would still have to go through House committees and the House Floor to pass, but it’s still worth expressing your support for this bill.

That all for this morning. Just over 48 hours remaining! We’ll tell you in another Alert tonight or tomorrow if there are any more actions we can take to push bills through. And in a few days we’ll let you know the status of all the bills we supported this year – all of our wins and our losses.

Thank you again for your focus and commitment to this legislative session!

In Solidarity and Hope,

Roxanne & Paul

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