3-9-23 Alert

Greetings New Mexico Activists:

We’re down to the final 10 days of the Session. The Paid Family & Medical Leave bill needs our help. With some effort on our part, we can get this bill passed! And we’re going to have to put up fight to kill HB 493 Brackish Water Reuse. Please read on.

NEW: Tomorrow, March 10, 1:30 p.m., Room 317, House Commerce and Economic Development will hear SB 11 Paid Family & Medical Leave. SB 11 would establish a 12-week Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) benefit for nearly all workers in the state. There is a mounting chamber of commerce effort to kill this bill, and one of the bill sponsors, Rep. Linda Serrato, reached out to us today to urge everyone to write to committee members and to offer public comment either in person or by Zoom. If it passes HCEDC, it moves to the House Floor for a final vote. Let’s put on the pressure to pass this bill!

SB 11 is a well-crafted piece of legislation that would provide NM workers with the security of knowing that to care for a newborn, or if they or a family member become critically ill, they will be able to step away from work without the added worry of losing their income or their job. 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. (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 time is limited, focus on Dems and especially the Dem. Chair Doreen Gallegos. If you want to learn more about the benefits of paid family and medical leave, read this article from the Center for American Progress.

Offer public comment in person or via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81561067239. Or Zoom with one tap mobile: +16694449171, 81561067239# or +16699009128, 81561067239#. Webinar ID: 815 6106 7239. Or watch the hearing via Webcast at this link.

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>

NEW: Regrettably, Senate Finance Committee passed SB 493 Brackish Water Reuse this morning, 9:3, with only Senators Steinborn and Rodriguez voting against it. It now goes to the Senate Floor. It also passed Senate Conservation last week, with only Senators Hamblen, Pope, and Sedillo Lopez voting against it. Democratic Senators who’ve voted to pass the bill include Liz Stefanics, Joseph Cervantes, George Muñoz, Pete Campos, Bobby Gonzales, Siah Hemphill, and Michael Padilla. If one of these is your Senator, please contact them to tell them you are very unhappy with their vote and urge them to vote “NO” on the Senate Floor.

“Brackish water” is not defined in the bill, and neither the sponsor Sen. Muñoz nor any of the expert witnesses have denied that it will include the toxic water byproduct of fracking and drilling, aka “produced water.” Read all about SB 493 in Paul’s March 1 blog at this link. Then contact your Senator today before this goes to a vote on the Senate Floor. You can find your Senator’s contact info at this link. Please email and call today to urge them to vote “NO” on SB 493!

Just ten days left, but still a lot of work to do. Thank you for hanging in there for the long haul!

In Gratitude & Solidarity,

Roxanne and Paul