3-17-21 Alert

2 New Hearings Today: Tax Changes, Sustainable Bldg. Tax Credit, Cannabis, Indian Child Welfare; Update On Bills Passing

Good Morning New Mexico Activists:

We have two new hearings this afternoon to tell you about. And we suggest you read today’s blog at this link for an analysis of several important bills and how they have moved forward or been undermined, including an update on SB 66.

We also recommend that you check the Senate and House Floor Calendars every day this week – that is where a lot of the action is in the final week. If you see a bill you care about, call and email your Senator or Rep. to urge them to support the bill. (If you have a Republican Senator or Rep., skip it and save yourself some time.)

Find today’s House Floor calendar here. The House will convene at 1 p.m. today.

Find today’s Senate Floor Calendar here. The Senate will convene at 11 a.m. today.

We’re happy to report on a few bills that recently passed and are headed to the Governor’s desk:

  • HB 47 Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options passed the Senate 24:17 and the House concurred with Senate Amendments yesterday.
  • HB 51 Environmental Database Act passed the Senate 29:12 on Sunday.
  • HB 89 Health Soil Tax Refund Contribution Option passed on the Senate Floor 36:1 yesterday.
  • SB 75 State Agency Disclosure of Sensitive Info passed on the House Floor 45:18 on Sunday.
  • SB 112 Sustainable Economy Task Force passed on the House Floor 40:25 on Monday.

Here are today’s hearings:

Weds., March 17, ½ hr. after floor session, Senate Finance: HB 291 Tax Changes, HB 15 Sustainable Building Tax Credit, and HB 98 Omnibus Tax Bill. You’ll find info about HB 291 and more details about how to advocate for tax and revenue reform bills at this link. HB 15 creates new incentives for new homes and commercial buildings that include requirements such as broadband access and electric vehicle readiness and, for the first time, the credit includes work on existing homes and buildings for installation of things such as Energy Star heat pumps, water heaters, windows and doors. Not only does this help lower energy bills, it improves community health through reduced emissions. 

This is the last hearing for all three of these bills before they go to the Senate Floor for a final vote. The deadline to participate in the hearing has passed, but you can watch the webcast at nmlegis.gov. Please call and email Democrats on the committee to urge them to pass these bills – in this committee and on the Senate Floor.

Senate Finance Committee (SFC)

Weds., March 17, ½ hr. after floor session, Senate Judiciary: HB 209 State Indian Child Welfare Act (7) and HB 12 Cannabis Regulation Act (10). (Though these bills are 7th and 10th on the agenda, Senate Judiciary tends to skip around, not hearing bills in the order they are listed.) HB 209 protects Native American children so that they can remain within their tribal communities and extended families. This is the last hearing of both of these bills before they go to the Senate Floor for a final vote!

Please call and email Democrat committee members first thing this morning to urge them to pass these bills. In particular, email and call the Chair, Sen. Cervantes, to urge him to hear HB 12. In previous years, Cervantes killed the cannabis bill in his committee by joining Republicans and former Sen. Richard Martinez to table it. Let’s not let that happen again! The deadline to participate in the hearing has passed, but you can watch the webcast at nmlegis.gov.

Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC)

We are happy to be in this effort with all of you! Please email us any time at retakeresponse@gmail.com to ask questions, make a comment, or just tell us how you’re doing.

In solidarity, gratitude, and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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