3-11-23 Alert

Good Evening, New Mexico Activists:

We have three bills that need our help this weekend. Please take a few minutes to write email and make calls as soon as you can!

SB 427 Firearm Sales Waiting Period is the Senate equivalent to HB 100 Waiting Period for Firearm Sales. The Senate bill is moving along but the House bill is stuck. SB 427 is on the Senate Floor Calendar, but Senator Peter Wirth needs a little push from all of us to move it up and get it heard. There’s just one week left to get if off the Senate floor and moving along to the House. Miranda Viscoli, Co-President of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, told us today that it’s the most important gun violence prevention bill this session – the one that is most likely to save lives.

Please call and email Senator Wirth today and ask him to make sure SB 427 goes to a vote on the Senate Floor. They’re in session every day now, and his office is answering the phone on weekends. Choose a point or two from the talking points at the link in the bill title above to say why you think it’s important and contact Senator Peter Wirth: 505-986-4727; peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov.

Update: SB 53 Storage of Certain Radioactive Waste has been held over in House Judiciary for at least the last two hearings, but we’re told that the Chair, Rep. Christine Chandler, has promised to put it first on the agenda on Monday, March 13 (usually at 1:30 p.m. in Room 309). If you haven’t written to committee members yet to urge them to pass this bill, please do so this weekend. SB 53 will prohibit state agencies from issuing permits to store high-level radioactive waste. Use the talking points linked in the bill title above.

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

Save SB 11 Paid Family & Medical Leave! After a lengthy discussion in House Commerce & Economic Development yesterday, SB 11 was rolled for possible amendments and future discussion. At this point in time, it doesn’t appear to have enough votes in HDEDC to pass, so please, even if you’ve already called and emailed, please do so again to urge members to pass this bill.

SB 11 would provide NM workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a newborn, to take paid time off if the worker becomes very ill, or to care for a family member who is critically ill. The bill would require monthly employee contributions of 0.5 percent of wages and employer contributions of 0.4 percent of wages into the newly established PFML fund. (That’s just $15 per month for worker wages of $3,000; just $12 per month for the employer.) Please contact committee members today to urge them vote “YES” to pass SB 11. If you want to learn more about the benefits of paid family and medical leave, read this article from the Center for American Progress.

House Commerce and Economic Development Committee

Bulk email: “Janelle Anyanonu” <Janelle.Anyanonu@nmlegis.gov>, “Mark Duncan” <Mark.Duncan@nmlegis.gov>, “Doreen Y. Gallegos” <doreen.gallegos@nmlegis.gov>, “Joshua N. Hernandez” <joshua.hernandez@nmlegis.gov>, “Derrick J. Lente” <derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov>, “Charlotte Little” <Charlotte.Little@nmlegis.gov>, “Patricia A. Lundstrom” <patricia.lundstrom@nmlegis.gov>, “Alan T. Martinez” <Alan.Martinez@nmlegis.gov>, “Jimmy G. Mason” <Jimmy.Mason@nmlegis.gov>, “Marian Matthews” <marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov>, “Linda Serrato” <linda.serrato@nmlegis.gov>

Other News:

HB 431 Local Govt. Utility Service Restrictions, which would have undermined a municipality’s ability to choose their own utility energy source, was tabled today and is now dead. Thank you for helping stop this bill!

HJR 8 Legislative Salaries passed Senate Rules yesterday, so if it passes Senate Finance and the Senate Floor it will go to the Governor, and then to the voters, likely in 2024. Thank you for helping push this bill through!

Happy Saturday night, everyone. We have just one week to go!

In Gratitude & Solidarity,

Roxanne and Paul

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