2-2-22 Alert

Good Morning New Mexico Activists:

Let’s get straight to what’s new for today and tomorrow:

NEW! Today, Weds., Feb 2, 1:30 p.m. Rm., 309, House Judiciary is scheduled to hear HB 132 Interest Rates for Certain Loans. This bill lowers the cap on small loan interest rates to 36%. The word is that this committee may try to raise it to 99%. We need all hands on deck to prevent this! Please read the talking points at the link above and call and email committee members immediately. Your main message should be “please pass this bill and retain the 36% cap.” We need to get this through this year!

We also urge you to join the hearing by Zoom to offer public comment and “raise your hand” in favor of the bill. You can watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov by going to Webcast and selecting the committee name, but you won’t be able to comment or raise your hand to support the bill.

To join the Zoom webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85381395136  Or: +16699009128, 85381395136# or +12532158782,,85381395136#. Or 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. Webinar ID: 853 8139 5136.

House Judiciary

  • Chair: Gail Chasey (D). District 18 (Bernalillo). Room 308, (505) 986-4411. Email: gail@gailchasey.com
  • Vice Chair: Micaela Lara Cadena (D). District 33 (Dona Ana). Room 204B, (505) 986-4210. Email: micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Eliseo Lee Alcon (D). District 6 (Cibola & McKinley). Room 314A, (505) 986-4416. Email: eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Christine Chandler (D). District 43 (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval and Santa Fe). Room 316B, (505) 986-4420. Email: christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Zachary J. Cook (R). District 56 (Lincoln and Otero). Room 203B, (505) 986-4226. Email: zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Brian Egolf (D). District 47 (Santa Fe). Room 104, (505) 986-4782. Email: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Daymon Ely (D). District 23 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 205A, (505) 986-4243. Email: daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Georgene Louis (D). District 26 (Bernalillo). Room 306, (505) 986-4329. Email: georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Matthew McQueen (D). District 50 (Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Torrance and Valencia). Room 316A, (505) 986-4423. Email: matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Greg Nibert (R). District 59 (Chaves & Lincoln). Room 203EN, (505) 986-4467. Email: greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: William “Bill” R. Rehm (R). District 31 (Bernalillo). Room 201B, (505) 986-4214. Email: bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: James G. Townsend (R). District 54 (Chaves, Eddy and Otero). Room 125, (505) 986-4758. Email: townsend@pvtn.net

To send group email, copy and paste this block: “Eliseo Lee Alcon” <eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov>, “Micaela Lara Cadena” <micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov>, “Christine Chandler” <christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov>, “Gail Chasey” <gail@gailchasey.com>, “Zachary J. Cook” <zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov>, “Brian Egolf” <brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov>, “Daymon Ely” <daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov>, “Georgene Louis” <georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov>, “Matthew McQueen” <matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov>, “Greg Nibert” <greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov>, “William “Bill” R. Rehm” <bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov>, “James G. Townsend” <townsend@pvtn.net>

NEW! Thurs., Feb. 3, 8:30 a.m., Rm. 315, House Agriculture, Acequias & Water Resources is scheduled to hear HB 131 Water Data Act Implementation. We don’t have talking points for HB 131 yet, but it will provide funding ($18.3M) to the state agencies that are responsible for carrying out the Water Data Act that was passed in 2019 (HB 651). In a nutshell, that act requires the Interstate Stream Commission, Office of the State Engineer, Dept. of Environment, and the Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Dept. to integrate their water data on streamflow, precipitation, reservoirs, ground water use and levels, and municipal and industrial water use and land use. This is essential to our state and long overdue, so please call and email committee members today to urge them to pass this bill.

Please consider participating in the Zoom webinar, using the link below, to offer public comment and to raise your hand in support of the bill. Or watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov by going to Webcast and selecting the committee name.

To join the Zoom webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86337399512. Or use mobile: +13462487799, 86337399512# or +16699009128,,86337399512# Or 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. Webinar ID: 863 3739 9512.

House Agriculture, Acequias & Water Resources

  • Chair: Derrick J. Lente (D). District 65 (Rio Arriba, Sandoval and San Juan). Room 312B, (505) 986-4840. Email: derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov
  • Vice Chair: Anthony Allison (D). District 4 (San Juan). Room 413C, (505) 986-4436. Email: anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Cathrynn N. Brown (R). District 55 (Eddy). Room 203A, (505) 986-4227. Email: c.brown.nm55@gmail.com
  • Member: Candy Spence Ezzell (R). District 58 (Chaves). Room 203IN, (505) 986-4454. Email: csecows@aol.com
  • Member: Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D). District 15 (Bernalillo). Room 413F, (505) 986-4432. Email: dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Marian Matthews (D). District 27 (Bernalillo). Room 413B, (505) 986-4436. Email: marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Nathan P. Small (D). District 36 (Doña Ana). Room 304C, (505) 986-4319. Email: nathan.small@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Martin R. Zamora (R). District 63 (Curry, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt & San Miguel). Room 203EN, (505) 986-4467. Email: martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov

To send group email, copy and paste this block: “Anthony Allison” <anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov>, “Cathrynn N. Brown” <c.brown.nm55@gmail.com>, “Candy Spence Ezzell” <csecows@aol.com>, “Dayan Hochman-Vigil” <dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov>, “Derrick J. Lente” <derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov>, “Marian Matthews” <marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov>, “Nathan P. Small” <nathan.small@nmlegis.gov>, “Martin R. Zamora” <martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov>

We’re happy to report that four of the bills/memorials we support have moved to the House Floor: HB 37 Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant, HB 65 Housing Modernization Changes, HM 22 Study Low-Income Basic Income, and HM 26 Study Legislative Sessions & Salaries. HB 37 and HB 65 will move on to Senate committee assignments after they pass the House Floor. HM 22 and HM 26 are memorials, so will not need to move to the Senate or the Governor for signature. A memorial is considered a “legislative desire” and does not have the “force of law.”

Read about each of the bills/memorial in the links above. We don’t have talking points for HB 26 yet, so here’s a brief summary: HB 26 calls for a study to examine salaries for legislators and make recommendations on the length and scope of the legislative session, legislative staffing, and staffing pay. Paying legislators is a good start to solve some of the issues in our legislature, but the length and scope of the session and staffing are equally important. Though it is not as comprehensive in scope, we also support SJR 8 Salaries for Public Officials, which would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to give the State Ethics Commission authority to set salaries for legislators. Let’s hope one of these gets through this year!

One last reminder to join our Legislative Huddle tonight, 6-7 p.m. So much to talk about! We hope to see you there. Register for the Huddle at this link.

If you’ve missed any of our Alerts, you can find links to all of them here.

That’s all for this morning. There are bound to be new hearings listed later today, so look for another Alert this evening. Thanks again for your dedication to this process.

In solidarity and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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