2-28-21 Alert

How We Can Save Health Security & 6 Hearings Coming Up: Tax Changes, Redistricting Bills, Ban Private Prisons, End-of-Life Options, Environmental Database

First, an urgent request to help save Health Security Planning & Design: When there is a budget surplus discovered late in the game, those surplus funds are often distributed to legislators to allocate as they choose, something called Junior Bill Funding. This year, Senators were given $300K each and House members $170K each for that purpose. Typically, these funds are directed toward projects in legislators’ own districts. This year, legislators are being asked to use those funds for numerous statewide purposes. Senators have already promised their Junior Bill funds, so we are asking House members to devote $50K of theirs to fund Health Security Planning & Design, which is unlikely to advance without $600K in Junior Bill Funding. For a more detailed explanation, read Saturday’s blog on this topic.

Whether or not the actual bill, HB 203, advances, these Junior Bills monies will be used to fund Health Security Planning & Design. If your Rep. is willing to commit $50K in funding, tell them to reach out to the Sponsor, Rep. Debbie Armstrong, and she will provide precise wording to be used to ensure that the commitment of funds will support the planning and design phase, even if HB 203 is killed by a committee chair. DEADLINE: Weds., March 3. As of this writing, $470,000 in commitments are coming from Representatives Andrea Romero, Brittney Barreras, Tara Lujan, Javier Martinez, Patricia Roybal Caballero, Roger Montoya, and Debbie Armstrong. You don’t have to contact these Reps, but if you’d like to you can send them a note of thanks.

Thank you! Now on to hearings–– five on Monday, one on Tuesday so far. Please note some deadlines for public comment are coming up today at 5 p.m.:

NEW: Mon., March 1, 8:30 a.m. House Taxation & Revenue Committee: HB 291 Tax Changes. HB 291 is the single most important of our Tax & Revenue Reform bills as it includes multiple ingredients we are looking for: reducing tax obligations paid by the poor, increasing rebates and credits to low-income New Mexicans, and increasing state revenue by closing loopholes, eliminating costly, ineffective tax credits and introducing more progressivity into our Personal Income Tax rates. Get talking points about tax and revenue reform at the link above. Please call and email committee members today to urge them to support HB 291.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov or the webinar at 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)

NEW: Mon., March 1, 9 a.m. Senate Rules: SB 15 Redistricting Committee and SB 199 Redistricting Act. SB 199 and its House companion bill HB 211 are the two redistricting bills we support.(NOTE: HB 211 will be heard in House Judiciary in the afternoon. See next hearing below.) SB 199/HB211 would create a 7-person Redistricting Commission to work with a professional services vendor hired by the Legislative Council, to develop three to five sets of districts maps for US Congress, NM Public Education Commission, NM Senate, and NM House of Representatives. The Legislature would vote for one set of maps without amendment. The Commission will also be responsible for overseeing public hearings and public input for the redistricting process. Appointments to the Commission will be made one each by the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Pro Tem, and Senate Minority Leader. Three more will be appointed by the NM Ethics Commission, one a retired NM Supreme Court Justice to act as chair. Please call and email committee members today to urge them to support SB 199.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or follow these instructions to join the Zoom: For public participation send an email to SRC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. The deadline to respond is Sunday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

Senate Rules Committee (SRC)

NEW: Mon., March 1, 1:30 p.m., House Judiciary Committee: HB 211 Redistricting Act. (NOTE: SB 199 will be heard in Senate Rules in the morning. See hearing above.) HB211 and its companion bill SB 199 would create a 7-person Redistricting Commission to work with a professional services vendor hired by the Legislative Council, to develop three to five sets of districts maps for US Congress, NM Public Education Commission, NM Senate, and NM House of Representatives. The Legislature would vote for one set of maps without amendment. The Commission will also be responsible for overseeing public hearings and public input for the redistricting process. Appointments to the Commission will be made one each by the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Pro Tem, and Senate Minority Leader. Three more will be appointed by the NM Ethics Commission, one a retired NM Supreme Court Justice to act as chair. Please call and email committee members today or tomorrow morning to urge them to support HB 211.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89543370073.  Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16699009128, ,89543370073# or +12532158782,,89543370073# Or Telephone: 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)

NEW: Mon., March 1, 1:30 p.m. House Appropriations & Finance: HB 40 Private Detention Facility Moratorium Act. Get talking points at the link in the bill title, and please email and call committee members tomorrow morning to urge them to support this bill.Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83259875754. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +12532158782,,83259875754# or +13462487799,,83259875754# 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: 832 5987 5754.

House Appropriations & Finance (HAFC)

NEW: Mon., March 1, ½ hour after Floor Session ends, Senate Health & Public Affairs: HB 47 Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act. Get talking points at the link in the bill title, and please email and call committee members tomorrow morning to urge them to support this bill.  Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or follow the instructions below to join the Zoom.

For spoken public comment register at https://ggle.io/3pe5. If there is a high volume of requests for public comment, not everyone may be able to speak. For written comment send an email to SPAC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, and For or Against. Written comments are limited to 300 words or less. The deadline to respond is Sunday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions. If you do not receive a response, check your junk email.

NEW: Tues., March 2, 9 a.m. Senate Conservation: HB 51 Environmental Database Act. HB 51 establishes a single web-based information portal for city, county, and public access to state environmental data. Among sources of data that would be aggregated: oil and gas wells and pipelines, active mines, utility scale solar and wind projects on state land; rare plant data, locations of permits for sources of air pollution, surface waters, state superfund sites; locations of state trust land leases and active Rights of Way across state trust land; health impact assessments, poverty levels by zip code, child asthma rates by zip code; critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, wildlife corridors, important bird/plant areas, fish management waters.

Please email and call committee members tomorrow to urge them to support this bill.  Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or follow these instructions to join the Zoom: The deadline to register for public comment is Monday, March 1, 5:00 p.m. Please click here to register for public comment: https://forms.gle/5pgx2bgxGyHEDeCS8.  You can submit written comment (300 words or less) any time by emailing SCONC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Representing, Bill #, For or Against.

Senate Conservation Committee (SCONC)

We express our ongoing gratitude to all of you who are actively advocating for social, economic, and environmental justice in our state!

In solidarity and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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