3-2-21 Alert:

Enviro. Database this morning, then at 1:30 in House Appropriations: Health Security, Public Banking, Food & Hunger. Wednesday: Financial Literacy and Redistricting

Dear New Mexico Activists:

You must already know this, but what you do to promote social, economic, and environmental justice in our state is so important. Don’t ever give up. This work is effective. It makes things happen! Thank you for your dedication to making our state a better place – for people, for wildlife, for our environment.

We have some important new hearings that we just learned about last night, and one reminder:

REMINDER : Tues., March 2, 9 a.m., Senate Conservation: HB 51 Environmental Database Act, 1st on the agenda. 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 call and email committee members right away to urge them to support this bill. The deadline to participate in the hearing and offer public comment has passed, but you can watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov.

Senate Conservation Committee (SCONC)

NEW: Tues., March 2, 1:30 p.m., House Appropriations & Finance Committee: This is a big one, with HB 203 Health Security Planning & Design Board Act 2nd on the agenda, HB 236 Public Banking Act 3rd, and HB 207 Food, Hunger & Farm Act 8th. It’s a trifecta of Transformational Bills! Get talking points at the links above and please call and email committee members first thing this morning to urge them to support these bills. Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81049777380. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +12532158782,,81049777380# or +13462487799,,81049777380# 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 Page 2 of 8 Webinar ID: 810 4977 7380.

House Appropriations & Finance (HAFC)

NEW: Weds., March 3, 8 a.m., House Education: HB 163 School Financial Management Classes, 1st on the agenda. This bill makes financial literacy a graduation requirement. New Mexico currently ranks near the bottom of the nation for its financial literacy: 47out of 50, according to a 2019 study by WalletHub. Since 2008, financial literacy has been offered as an elective in New Mexico’s high schools, but only about 11% of eligible students currently enroll in the course. Twenty-one states have made financial literacy a graduation requirement in the last decade and are already seeing positive results. Teaching financial literacy is particularly important for students from low-income families, which research indicates have far less access to financial literacy courses than do their wealthier peers. When students increase their financial literacy, studies find that that they shift from high-cost to low-cost sources of credit and student loans. In addition, when high school students learn financial literacy, they often bring those lessons home to their parents, which benefits the whole family as part of statewide high school curriculum. Please call and email committee members right away to urge them to support this bill.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84672132667. Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,84672132667# or +12532158782,,84672132667# 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: 846 7213 2667.

House Education Committee (HEC)

CARRIED OVER: Weds., March 3, 1:30 p.m., House Judiciary Committee: HB 211 Redistricting Act, 5th on the agenda. 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 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)

We know this process of advocacy during the legislative session can be exhausting. Believe me, we are exhausted! But knowing you are all out there and we’re all working to make things happen – that’s what keeps us going. And that’s what gets great legislation passed! Thank you!

In solidarity and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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