3-1-23 Alert

Good Afternoon, New Mexico Activists:

We have an urgent new hearing tomorrow morning, an action to help the Public Health & Climate Resiliency bill, and a few reminders.

NEW: On Thurs., March 2, 8:30 a.m., Room 311, Senate Conservation will hear SB 493 Brackish Water Reuse, a bill we OPPOSE. You may remember the Produced Water Act from 2019, which permitted, even encouraged, the eventual reuse of toxic wastewater from fracking operations. This new bill, SB 493, allocates more than $50 million to the Office of the State Engineer, the NM Institute of Mining and Technology, NM State University, and the NM Environment Department to explore the treatment and reuse of “brackish water,” desalination projects, and to create “rules for appropriate mineral levels” in water to advance water reuse. It may sound good on the surface –treating and recycling water – but we don’t trust the state at this point to treat toxic water, decide “acceptable” levels of remaining toxins, and then use the water for agricultural purposes or “aquifer recharge water projects.” No, thanks!

Read more about this in Paul’s blog to be published later today on our homepage at retakeourdemocracy.org. (Look for the post dated March 1.)

In the meantime, please call and email committee members today to urge them to vote “NO” on SB 493. Offer public comment in person or join the Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82404382748 Or Zoom via telephone at 1 669 900 9128. Meeting ID: 824 0438 2748. To submit written comments, please email SCONC.Zoom@nmlegis.gov today. Or watch the Webcast at this link.

Senate Conservation Committee

Bulk email: “Joseph Cervantes” <joseph.cervantes@nmlegis.gov>, “David M. Gallegos” <david@ramirezandsonsinc.com>, “Carrie Hamblen” <carrie.hamblen@nmlegis.gov>, “Steven P. Neville” <steven.neville@nmlegis.gov>, “Harold Pope” <harold.popejr@nmlegis.gov>, “Gregg Schmedes” <gregg.schmedes@nmlegis.gov>, “Antoinette Sedillo Lopez” <a.sedillolopez@nmlegis.gov>, “William P. Soules” <bill.soules@nmlegis.gov>, “Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics” <lstefanics@msn.com>

NEW: HB 42 and SB 5, the Public Health & Climate Resiliency bills, are in trouble and need our help. HB 42 has been in House Appropriations & Finance for over a month; the committee did not include funding for the bill in the overall state budget. SB 5 has been stuck in Senate Finance for more than a month, likely because the overall budget does not include funding for the bill. (Read talking points at the link in the bill title above.)

The New Mexico Health Professionals for Climate Action plan to show up tomorrow morning before the SFC meeting, at 8:15 a.m. in Room 325, to call on the committee to support the bill and include funding for it in the budget. Specifically, the physicians call on the Senate Finance Committee to fund a new Public Health and Climate program at the Department of Health, and to create the new Public Health and Climate Resiliency Fund. Local communities would be able to apply to the Fund for planning and initial action to protect the health of people in their communities from the certain health impacts created by the ravages of extreme weather and ongoing changes in our weather.

They request that we write to the Senate Finance Committee to say: Please add the Public Health & Climate Resiliency Fund and the Climate & Health Program to the state budget. We care about the health of New Mexicans and we know you do too. Or you can follow this link to submit a letter via online to both the House and Senate Finance Committees.

Senate Finance Committee

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

Bulk email: “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>

REMINDER: On Fri., March 3, 8:30 a.m., Room 305, House Govt., Elections & Indian Affairs will hear HB 431 Local Govt. Utility Service Restrictions, a bill we OPPOSE. This bill is designed to undermine local jurisdictions from implementing Local Choice Energy, and supporters are spreading lies to scare people about what could happen if it doesn’t pass. Please read the talking points at the link in the bill title above. HB 431 passed House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources 10 days ago when Democratic Reps. Cynthia Borrego and Miguel Garcia voted with Republicans to pass the bill. It’s time to kill this bill in HGEIC! Please call and email committee members before Friday to urge them to vote “NO” on HB 431.

Offer public comment at the hearing or via Zoom:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81850374006. Or use one tap mobile US: +12532050468, 81850374006# or +12532158782, 81850374006#. Webinar ID: 818 5037 4006. Or watch the Webcast at this link.

House Govt., Elections & Indian Affairs Committee

Bulk email: “Janelle Anyanonu” <Janelle.Anyanonu@nmlegis.gov>, “John Block” <John.Block@nmlegis.gov>, “Gail Chasey” <gail@gailchasey.com>, “Natalie Figueroa” <natalie.figueroa@nmlegis.gov>, “Dayan Hochman-Vigil” <dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov>, “D. Wonda Johnson” <dwonda.johnson@nmlegis.gov>, “Charlotte Little” <Charlotte.Little@nmlegis.gov>, “William “Bill” R. Rehm” <bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov>, “Martin R. Zamora” martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov

These legislative sessions can be exhausting, we know! But it’s so important that our legislators hear from us to make good decisions. Your actions do make a difference.

In Gratitude & Solidarity,

Roxanne and Paul

%d bloggers like this: