2-15-23 Alert

Good Afternoon, New Mexico Activists:

New hearings on Thursday and Friday include SB 1 Regional Water System Resiliency, the Green Amendment, HB 100 14-Day Waiting Period for Firearm Sales, and HB 101 Large-Capacity Magazines & Assault Weapons.

Tomorrow, Thurs., Feb. 16 at 8:30 a.m., Room 315, House Agriculture, Acequias & Water Resources will hear SB 1 Regional Water System Resiliency. SB 1 would strengthen small local water and wastewater associations by allowing them to form regional collaborations to manage water across the state. Read the talking points at the link in the bill title above. Please call and email committee members today to urge them to vote “YES” on SB 1.

You can offer public comment in person or via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85936697460. Or one tap mobile US: +12532050468, 85936697460# or +12532158782, 85936697460#. Webinar ID: 859 3669 7460. Or watch the webcast Thursday morning at this link.

House Agriculture, Acequias & Water Resources Committee

  • Chair: Susan K. Herrera (D). District 41 (Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe & Taos). Room 327, 986-4333. Email: susan.herrera@nmlegis.gov
  • Vice Chair: Anthony Allison (D). District 4 (San Juan). Room 413C, 986-4436. Email: anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov
  • Ranking Member: Candy Spence Ezzell (R). District 58 (Chaves). Room 203IN, 986-4454. Email: csecows@aol.com
  • Member: Gail Armstrong (R). District 49 (Catron, Sierra, Socorro & Valencia). Room 201A, 986-4215. Email: gail@gailfornewmexico.com
  • Member: Kathleen Cates (D). District 44 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 203BN, 986-4254. Email: Kathleen.Cates@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Raymundo Lara (D). District 34 (Doña Ana). Room 134a, 986-4777. Email: raymundo.lara@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Marian Matthews (D). District 27 (Bernalillo). Room 413B, 986-4438. Email: marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Martin R. Zamora (R). District 63 (Curry, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt & San Miguel). Room 203EN, 986-4211. Email: martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov

Bulk email: “Anthony Allison” <anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov>, “Gail Armstrong” <gail@gailfornewmexico.com>, “Kathleen Cates” <Kathleen.Cates@nmlegis.gov>, “Candy Spence Ezzell” <csecows@aol.com>, “Susan K. Herrera” <susan.herrera@nmlegis.gov>, “Raymundo Lara” <raymundo.lara@nmlegis.gov>, “Marian Matthews” <marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov>, “Martin R. Zamora” <martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov>

CANCELLED BY REQUEST FROM SPONSOR: On Fri., Feb. 17, at 9 a.m., Room 321, Senate Rules will continue to hear SJR 6 Environmental Rights (The Green Amendment). The committee began to hear the bill this morning (Weds.) but ran out of time. Opposition was given 10 minutes, but only one person was allowed to speak in support. We’ve been told no more public comment will be allowed, but because the supporting side was not given time to speak today, we urge you to make calls and email comments today, or by 9 a.m. Thursday. Please put the talking points below in your own words to submit comments. Email your comments to committee members and to SRC.zoom@nmlegis.gov and urge them to vote “YES” on SJR 6.

Despite industry cries that the sky will fall, the courts will clog, and industries will collapse, this has not happened in other states that have passed the Green Amendment. These concerns are carefully crafted misinformation, designed to undermine the bill’s support. In fact:

  • Legal experts from PA and NY say there are no frivolous lawsuits, no clogged courts and no efforts to dismantle industries, only a handful of lawsuits each year.
  • Lawsuits have been only in response to egregious environmental harms that had been met with state inaction.
  • The suits did not seek damages but sought protection from these harms by insisting the state enforce existing legal protections.
  • In Montana, Pennsylvania, and New York, not a single lawsuit has been determined to be frivolous.
  • No renewable energy or transmission line projects have been delayed by Green Amendment litigation.
  • No jobs have been lost due to Green Amendment litigation.
  • This amendment will not cause harm to industry; it will simply force industry to abide by the rules.
  • It will force the state to enforce those rules. 
  • Far from creating regulatory uncertainty, it will create clarity and certainty that NM laws and regulations will be enforced evenly and as intended. 

You can still attend the hearing in person, though public comment may not be allowed. And we think you can still join the hearing via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3396422464, or via telephone at 1 346 248 7799, meeting ID: 339 642 2464. Or watch via Webcast at this link.

Senate Rules Committee

  • Chair: Katy M. Duhigg (D). District 10 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 300B, 986-4726. Email: katy.duhigg@nmlegis.gov
  • Vice Chair: Leo Jaramillo (D). District 5 (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval & Santa Fe). Room 416C, 986-4487. Email: leo.jaramillo@nmlegis.gov
  • Ranking Member: Stuart Ingle (R). District 27 (Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Lea & Roosevelt). Room 415G, 986-4702. Email: stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Gregory A. Baca (R). District 29 (Bernalillo & Valencia). Room 109A, 986-4877. Email: greg.baca@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Linda M. Lopez (D). District 11 (Bernalillo). Room 120A, 986-4380. Email: linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Brenda G. McKenna (D). District 9 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 218B, 986-4301. Email: brenda.mckenna@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Mark Moores (R). District 21 (Bernalillo). Room 109C, . Email: mark.moores@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Gerald Ortiz y Pino (D). District 12 (Bernalillo). Room 300A, 986-4482. Email: jortizyp@msn.com
  • Member: Cliff R. Pirtle (R). District 32 (Chaves, Eddy & Otero). Room 414D, 986-4369. Email: cliff.pirtle@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics (D). District 39 (Bernalillo, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance & Valencia). Room 328B, 986-4377. Email: lstefanics@msn.com
  • Member: Mimi Stewart (D). District 17 (Bernalillo). Room 105A, 986-4734. Email: mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov

Bulk email: “Gregory A. Baca” <greg.baca@nmlegis.gov>, “Katy M. Duhigg” <katy.duhigg@nmlegis.gov>, “Stuart Ingle” <stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov>, “Leo Jaramillo” <leo.jaramillo@nmlegis.gov>, “Linda M. Lopez” <linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov>, “Brenda G. McKenna” <brenda.mckenna@nmlegis.gov>, “Mark Moores” <mark.moores@nmlegis.gov>, “Gerald Ortiz y Pino” <jortizyp@msn.com>, “Cliff R. Pirtle” <cliff.pirtle@nmlegis.gov>, “Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics” <lstefanics@msn.com>, “Mimi Stewart” <mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov>

On Fri., Feb. 17, at 1:30 p.m., Room 309, House Judiciary will hear HB 100 14-Day Waiting Period for Firearm Sales and HB 101 Large-Capacity Magazines & Assault Weapons. HB 100 would prohibit the possession, manufacture, purchase, or sale of large-capacity firearm magazines and assault weapons in our state. HB 101 would require a 14-day waiting period before a gun purchaser can take possession of the weapon. I’m sorry we don’t have talking points for you, but you can read about both bills in this Feb. 9 article from Source NM. Please call and email committee members today to urge them to vote “YES” on HB 100 and HB 101.

Offer public in person at the hearing or via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81793611432. Or one tap mobile US: +12532050468, 81793611432# or +12532158782, 81793611432#. Webinar ID: 817 9361 1432. Or watch via Webcast at this link.

House Judiciary Committee

Bulk Email: “Eliseo Lee Alcon” <eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov>, “Christine Chandler” <christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov>, “Gail Chasey” <gail@gailchasey.com>, “T. Ryan Lane” <RYAN@LANEFORLIBERTY.COM>, “Javier Martínez” <javier.martinez@nmlegis.gov>, “Matthew McQueen” <matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov>, “Greg Nibert” <greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov>, “Andrea Reeb” <Andrea.Reeb@nmlegis.gov>, “William “Bill” R. Rehm” <bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov>, “Andrea Romero” <andrea@andrearomero.com>, “Reena Szczepanski” <reena.szczepanski@nmlegis.gov>

House Floor Calendar

HB 7 Reproductive & Gender-Affirming Health Care is now eighth on the House Floor “Third Reading” Calendar, which means it’s ready for floor debate, so it will likely be heard this week. HB 4 Voting Rights Protections and HJR 2 Legislative Changes are first and fourth on the House Temporary Calendar, which means they will eventually move up, but still require some bureaucratic fiddling. (Don’t ask; the confusing process is supposedly laid out in the state constitution.) All three of these bills passed in House committees along party lines, so there will likely be some Republican stalling during debate.

We’re halfway through the Session! In our next Alert we’ll tell you about bills that are stalled in committee and haven’t been scheduled for a hearing. Maybe with some persistent nudging to committee chairs we can get these bills moving.

In Gratitude & Solidarity

Roxanne and Paul

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