3-15-21 Legislative Alert: Final Hearings for Perm Fund, Cannabis, Indian Child Welfare, Pred. Lending Rates, Radioactive Waste TF

Good Morning New Mexico Activists:

First, two more of our bills passed their final committee hearings yesterday and are now on the Senate Floor Calendar for a final vote: HB 20 Healthy Workplaces Act (paid sick leave) and HB 47 Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act. Yay! And SB 32 Wildlife Conservation & Public Safety Act, also known as Roxy’s Law, passed its final hearing and is now on the House Floor Calendar. Yay! Thank you for all your efforts on getting these bills through!

Get updates on the status of all the bills on our list at this link.

Now, let’s look at new hearings scheduled today and Tuesday. Remember, at this point we’re writing and calling Democratic legislators only. And keep your message simple: “Please pass this bill!”

NEW: Mon., March 15, ½ hr. after Senate Floor Session or at the Call of the Chair (anybody’s guess this afternoon!), Senate Finance: HJR 1 Permanent Fund for Early Childhood. This was held over from yesterday’s Senate Finance meeting.Please call and email committee members this morning to urge them to pass this bill and retain the full 1% increase in funding. This is the last stop for HJR 1 before heading to a final vote on the Senate Floor. The deadline to participate in the hearing has passed, but you can watch the webcast at nmlegis.gov.

Senate Finance Committee (SFC)

NEW: Mon., March 15, at the Call of the Chair (sometime this afternoon), Senate Judiciary: HB 12 Cannabis Regulation Act (7) and HB 209 State Indian Child Welfare Act. Both of these bills are in their last hearing before going to the Senate Floor for a final vote. Please call and email committee members this morning to urge them to pass these bills! There is no deadline in the instructions to participate in the hearing, so you can try emailing written comment or asking to speak, but it’s unclear if they’ll accept it at this point. See instructions below. Or you can watch the webcast at nmlegis.gov.

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. Written comments are limited to 300 words or less. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC)

REMINDER: Mon., March 15, 11:30 a.m., House Judiciary: SB 66 Permitted Percentage Rates for Loans (5). Get talking points in the link above and please call and email committee members this morning to urge them to pass this bill. This is its last stop before a final vote on the House Floor!

Watch the webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the hearing 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: Tues., March 16, 8 a.m., House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources: SB 82 Radioactive Waste Consultation Task Force. SB 82 expands the existing task force’s scope to include review of federal license applications for privately operated radioactive material disposal facilities in New Mexico, and evaluation of the public safety, environmental, health, infrastructure, and transportation impacts and requirements of the proposed facilities. This would allow more scrutiny of plans to store spent uranium in NM (Holtec). This is the last hearing for SB 82 before it goes to the House Floor for a final vote. Please call and email committee members today to ask them to pass this bill.

Watch the webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the hearing at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88692377623. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16699009128, ,88692377623# or +12532158782,,88692377623# 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: 886 9237 7623.

House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee (HENRC)

Thank you for being part of this statewide team of activists. It will soon be time to celebrate all the great legislation that was passed this year, moving us further down the path toward social, economic, and environmental justice in New Mexico!

In solidarity, gratitude, and hope,

Roxanne and Paul