2-20-21 Alert

Climate Solutions, Tax Changes, Paid Sick Leave, Lower Predatory Loan Rates, Community Solar

Good Saturday afternoon New Mexico Activists:

We have five hearings on Monday to tell you about and one on Tuesday. Here they are in chronological order:

Mon., Feb. 22, 8 a.m. House State Govt., Elections and Indian Affairs: HB 9 Climate Solutions Act was carried over from earlier this week. HB 9 would create a state Climate Leadership Council with a diverse membership from across departments, tribes, local govts., impacted communities, and more. The Council would create a statewide framework for addressing climate change and developing sustainable economy, establishing statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements, directing state agencies to adopt rules to achieve statewide greenhouse gas emissions reductions and foster inclusion in workforce development and procurement related to climate solutions.  Please call and email committee members this weekend to urge them to support this bill. Watch the hearing via Webcast at nmlegis.gov or use this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89283197941  Or iPhone one-tap US: +16699009128,,89283197941 # or +12532158782,,89283197941# Or Telephone: For higher quality, dial a number based on your 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: 892 8319 7941.

House State Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee (HSEIC)

NEW: Mon., Feb. 22, 9 a.m. House Taxation & Revenue: HB 291 Tax Changes. This is the big tax and revenue bill we’ve been expecting. It’s not appearing on the agenda yet, but our allies tell us it will be heard on Monday. HB 291includes several fixes to our tax code to make it more fair and to raise more revenue from stable sources so we’re not so reliant on boom-or-bust oil and gas revenues. One of these changes is an increase in the personal income tax rate for those who earn the highest incomes. As our tax code stands now, those who earn $25,000 pay the same tax rate as those earning $250,000. It also has an increase in a tax credit for working families with children and an increase in a tax rebate that’s available to those with low incomes, including seniors. Please contact committee members today to urge them to support this bill.

Also on the agenda is one we want to OPPOSE: HB 278 Manufacturing Services Gross Receipts. Please contact committee members to urge them to VOTE AGAINST HB 278 Manufacturing Services Gross Receipts, which gives manufacturers and other businesses an unnecessary and costly tax break. Watch the hearing via Webcast at nmlegis.gov or use this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84898317503.  Or iPhone one-tap: US: +13462487799, ,84898317503# or +16699009128,,84898317503# 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 Webinar ID: 848 9831 7503.

House Taxation & Revenue Committee (HTRC)

CARRIED OVER: Mon. Feb. 22, 1:30 p.m., House Judiciary: HB 20 Healthy Workplaces Act. Get talking points at the link in the bill title. Also on the agenda are two of our Priority bills: HB 111 Housing Discrimination Changes and HB 193 Extreme Risk Protection Order Changes. HB 111 would improve the balance between the rights of landlords and the rights of tenants so families who can pay rent and comply with their lease are not evicted; reduce barriers to housing for New Mexicans using housing vouchers and other lawful sources of income such as social security income, child support, or housing assistance to pay rent; and create a statewide housing council to address housing policy and coordinate state resources directed to addressing housing in New Mexico. HB 193 cleans up the ERPO law passed two years ago so that it can be better implemented. (Not a single ERPO has been issued in NM since the bill passed!) Please call and email committee members today or Monday morning to urge them to support this bill. Watch the hearing via Webcast at nmlegis.gov or use this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89543370073. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16699009128, ,89543370073# or +12532158782,,89543370073# 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 Webinar ID: 895 4337 0073

House Judiciary Committee (HJC)

CARRIED OVER: Mon., Feb 22, 1:30 p.m. (or ½ hr. after floor session) Senate Judiciary: SB 66 Permitted Percentage Rates for Loans, and from our Priority list, SB 75 State Agency Disclosure of Personal Info.  Get talking points for SB 66 at the link above. SB 75 would prohibit state agencies from disclosing sensitive personal information such as a person’s status as a recipient of public assistance or as a crime victim, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, medical condition, immigration status, national origin or religion, and social security number or tax ID number. Please call and email committee members today or Monday morning to urge them to support this bill. Watch the hearing via Webcast at nmlegis.gov or follow the instructions below to participate in the Zoom:

For public participation send an email to SJC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. For written comments, limit them to 300 words or less. The deadline to respond is Sunday, February 21 at 5:00 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC)

Mon., Feb. 22, 1:30 p.m., House Commerce & Economic Development: HB 110 Phased Minimum Wage Increase. HB 110 would accelerate the scheduled raises to the minimum wage. It would also delete federal exclusions for employees working in an executive, administrative, sales, or professional capacity; engaged in educational, charitable, religious, or nonprofit organizations; and paid by piecework, flat-rate schedules, or commissions. HB 110 deletes exclusions to the minimum wage for tipped, food processing, agricultural, and seasonal employees, as well as registered apprentices and trainees. It also deletes the exclusion for those 18 or younger who aren’t students. Please call and email committee members today or Monday morning to ask them to support this bill. Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83846715600  Or iPhone one-tap: US: +12532158782, ,83846715600# or +13462487799,,83846715600# Or Telephone: For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location: US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 838 4671 5600.

House Commerce and Economic Development Committee (HCEDC)

NEW: Tues., Feb 23, 1:30 p.m. Senate Tax, Business & Transportation: SB 84 Community Solar Act. The Act would enable people who do not have the financial resources to install solar panels on their own homes to make use of New Mexico’s abundant solar power with a low-income assistance fund. Solar power generation facilities could be constructed and operated by subscriber organizations, which could be municipalities, pueblos, affordable housing providers, nonprofits, community-based organizations, or other entities. Subscribers to such community solar facilities would receive credit for the electrical energy that their subscription generates. Please call and email committee members on Monday to urge them to support this bill. Watch the hearing via Webcast at nmlegis.gov or follow the instructions below to participate in the Zoom:

For public participation send an email to SCORC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. The deadline to respond is Tuesday, February 23 at 10:00 a.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

Senate Tax, Business & Transportation Committee (STBTC)

We don’t track the floor sessions daily (not enough time!), but there’s a lot of activity on the House and Senate Floor at this point in the session, so you may want to check the calendars to see what’s coming up. You can find the latest floor session calendars at this link. The best strategy is to email or call your own Rep. or Senator to encourage them to vote in favor of the bills you support. If you already know they support the bill, then email them to thank them for supporting it. You can watch floor sessions via Webcast at nmlegis.gov.

Remember that floor sessions can run long, which causes afternoon hearings to start late, sometime by an hour or two. So if you’re looking for an afternoon hearing and can’t find it on the Webcast, check to see if the floor session for the relevant chamber is still running – the afternoon committee hearings won’t begin until the floor session is adjourned.

It’s a beautiful afternoon, so we hope you had a chance to get out and take a walk! Thank you for engaging in this process and making democracy stronger in New Mexico.

In solidarity and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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