3-7-21 Alert

Disclosure of Sensitive Info, Indian Child Welfare, Ranked Choice Voting, Redistricting, Paid Sick Leave, Community Solar, Sustainable Economy Task Force

Good Sunday Morning New Mexico Activists:

We’re in the final two weeks of the Session, and though we’ve had a few victories, there is still a lot of work to do! Today we tell you about five new hearings, four on Monday and one on Tuesday. Please note that the two Senate hearings below have a deadline of today at 5 p.m. if you want to participate in the hearing and offer public comment.

Tomorrow we’ll update you on bills that are still stalled in committee. We’ll need to pressure House and Senate leaders and committee chairs to get these bills heard!

The numbers in parentheses that follow the bill titles below are their place on the hearing agenda. All but one is first or second on the agenda, so there’s a good chance they’ll all be heard.

NEW: Mon. March 8, 9 a.m., House State Govt. & Elections & Indian Affairs: SB75 State Agency Disclosure of Sensitive Info (5) and HB 209 State Indian Child Welfare Act (1), two of our Priority Bills. HB 209 would protect Native American children so they can remain within their tribal communities and extended families. And SB 75 would prohibit state agencies from disclosing sensitive personal information such as a person’s status as a recipient of public assistance or as a crime victim, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, medical condition, immigration status, national origin or religion, and social security number or tax ID number. Please email committee members today to urge them to support these bills.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov or join the Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89283197941. Or by iPhone: US: +16699009128,,89283197941# or +12532158782,,89283197941# 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: 892 8319 7941.

House State Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee (HSEIC)

NEW: Mon., March 8, 9 a.m., Senate Rules: SJR 22 Ranked Choice Voting (2), another of our Priority bills. SJR 22 would allow voters to amend the state constitution to require all state and municipal elections, both partisan and non-partisan to utilize Ranked Choice Voting. Read a thorough description of RCV from Common Cause at this link. Please email committee members today to urge them to support this bill.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or for public participation send an email to SRC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. The deadline to respond is Sunday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

Senate Rules Committee (SRC)

NEW: Mon., March 8, 11:30 a.m., House Judiciary: HB 211 Redistricting Act (1). HB 211 would create a 7-person State Redistricting Commission that would work with a professional services vendor hired by the Legislative Council to develop three to five sets of districts maps for the: US Congress, NM Public Education Commission, NM Senate, and NM House of Representatives. The Legislature would vote for one of the sets of maps without amendment. Please email committee members today and call them on Monday morning to urge them to support this bill.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov or join the Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89543370073. Or iPhone: 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: Mon., March 8, ½ hr. after floor session, Senate Health & Public Affairs: HB 20 Healthy Workplaces Act (1). We need paid sick leave for all workers! Get talking points at the link in the bill title. Please email committee members today and call them on Monday morning to urge them to support this bill.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov, or for spoken public comment register at https://ggle.io/3pe5. If there is a high volume of requests for public comment, not everyone may be able to speak. For written comment send an email to SPAC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, and For or Against. Written comments are limited to 300 words or less. The deadline to respond is Sunday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions. If you do not receive a response, check your junk email.

Senate Health & Public Affairs Committee (SPAC)

NEW: Tues., March 9, 8 a.m., House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources: SB 84 Community Solar Act (1) and SB 112 Sustainable Economy Task Force (2). Get talking points for SB 112 at the link in the bill title. SB 84 was watered down in the Senate last week, so we need this House committee to amend the current version and pass the bill. We’ll send more info on SB 84 amendments tomorrow once we hear from our allies. Please email and call committee members before Tuesday morning to urge them to support these bills.

Watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov or join the Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88692377623. Or iPhone: 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 your patience and dedication as we enter these last two weeks!

In solidarity and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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