4-4-22 Alert

Good Morning New Mexico Activists!

We’re enjoying the spring weather and busy prepping all our raised beds, finishing our pruning, hoping our fruit trees don’t bloom too early, and wondering how, for the first time in the 10 years we’ve lived here, squirrels seem to have found their way to our neighborhood — joining the coyotes, cottontails, jackrabbits, pack rats, mice, birds, and other critters that enjoy everything we grow! Gardening in New Mexico is always challenging, and to get the results you want requires year-round work along with lots of hope. Just like successful activism!

With that in mind, we remind you that Special Session of the legislature is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, April 5. There is absolutely no information posted at nmlegis.gov about the Special Session, so we only know what was posted on the Governor’s webpage and what we’ve heard from allies. We originally heard that it will be just one day, April 5. But the Governor’s press release says it will “begin on April 5.” We’re still hoping to hear more, and when we do we’ll pass the info along to you.

In the meantime, we know that the legislature will revisit the Junior Bill funding for hundreds of programs across the state – the bill that Governor Lujan Grisham inexplicably vetoed last month. According to the Governor’s press release, the Special Session will also look at “measures of economic relief,” which may include a temporary suspension of the state gas tax.

We’ve heard that the Junior Bill funding will be reviewed in two committees: House Appropriations & Finance and Senate Finance. Because the Junior Bill funding was already passed in the regular session earlier this year, in the form of SB 48, we expect it to breeze through these committees and go to the House and Senate Floors. If you want to scan the 73-page bill to see the programs it funds, you’ll find it at this link.

Please contact your own House and Senate member to encourage them to restore funding for the programs that were in the original SB 48. In particular, please urge them to restore funding to continue the Heath Security Act Plan & Design. If you review the bill, you may find other programs that you may want to mention when you email your legislator. (We’re not sure that phones at the Capitol will be answered, but you can also try to call.) Find your legislators and their contact info at this link. And we urge you to contact members of the two committees listed at the end of this alert to urge them to push this Junior Bill funding through… again.

We’ve also heard that proposed economic relief legislation will be reviewed during the Special Session by House Taxation & Revenue and Senate Tax, Business & Transportation before it goes to the House and Senate Floors. That legislation is not yet public, but once it is available we will send you information about how to respond, including contact info for those two committees.

REMINDER: Our next Legislative Strategy Huddle is Weds., April 13, 6 – 7:30 pm. We’ll discuss year-round legislative advocacy including effective participation in Interim Legislative Hearings and building relationships with individual legislators. We’ll also discuss why we plan to support Guaranteed Basic Income in our state. Please join us! You must register to participate. Click here to register.

REMINDER: Comment Period on Protecting Chaco National Park from Oil & Gas leasing extended to May 6. Read “The Fight to Save Chaco” in The Paper at this link, to learn more about protecting the Chaco area, including where to submit online comments, written comments, and hard copy letters. Please submit your comments prior to May 6!

Contact Info for Committees in Upcoming Special Session:

House Appropriations & Finance

To send group email, copy and paste this block: “Anthony Allison” <anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov>, “Phelps Anderson” <phelps.anderson@nmlegis.gov>, “Gail Armstrong” <gail@gailfornewmexico.com>, “Cathrynn N. Brown” <c.brown.nm55@gmail.com>, “Ambrose Castellano” <ambrose.castellano@nmlegis.gov>, “Jack Chatfield” <jack.chatfield@nmlegis.gov>, “Randal S. Crowder” <randal.crowder@nmlegis.gov>, “Meredith A. Dixon” <meredith.dixon@nmlegis.gov>, “Candy Spence Ezzell” <csecows@aol.com>, “Harry Garcia” <hgarciad69@gmail.com>, “Dayan Hochman-Vigil” <dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov>, “T. Ryan Lane” <RYAN@LANEFORLIBERTY.COM>, “Raymundo Lara” <raymundo.lara@nmlegis.gov>, “Patricia A. Lundstrom” <patricia.lundstrom@nmlegis.gov>, “Debra M. Sariñana” <debbie.sarinana@nmlegis.gov>, “Nathan P. Small” <nathan.small@nmlegis.gov>, “Candie G. Sweetser” <candie.sweetser@nmlegis.gov>, “Christine Trujillo” <christine.trujillo@nmlegis.gov>

Senate Finance

  • Chair: George K. Munoz (D). District 4 (Cibola, McKinley and San Juan). Room 325B, (505) 986-4371. Email: george.munoz@nmlegis.gov
  • Vice Chair: Nancy Rodriguez (D). District 24 (Santa Fe). Room 325A, (505) 986-4264. Email: nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov
  • Ranking Member: William E. Sharer (R). District 1 (San Juan). Room 415H, (505) 986-4381. Email: bill@williamsharer.com
  • Member: William F. Burt (R). District 33 (Chaves, Lincoln & Otero). Room 415C, (505) 986-4366. Email: bill.burt@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Pete Campos (D). District 8 (Colfax, Guadalupe, Harding, Mora, Quay, San Miguel and Taos). Room 302B, (505) 986-4311. Email: pete.campos@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Crystal R. Diamond (R). District 35 (Dona Ana, Hidalgo, Luna & Sierra). Room 414C, (505) 986-4703. Email: crystal.diamond@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales (D). District 6 (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos). Room 218A, (505) 986-4362. Email: roberto.gonzales@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Siah Correa Hemphill (D). District 28 (Catron, Grant & Socorro). Room 416F, (505) 986-4863. Email: siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Michael Padilla (D). District 14 (Bernalillo). Room 217, (505) 986-4267. Email: michael.padilla@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Jeff Steinborn (D). District 36 (Doña Ana). Room 302A, (505) 986-4862. Email: jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Pat Woods (R). District 7 (Curry, Quay and Union). Room 415D, (505) 986-4393. Email: pat.woods@nmlegis.gov

To send group email, copy and paste this block: “William F. Burt” <bill.burt@nmlegis.gov>, “Pete Campos” <pete.campos@nmlegis.gov>, “Crystal R. Diamond” <crystal.diamond@nmlegis.gov>, “Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales” <roberto.gonzales@nmlegis.gov>, “Siah Correa Hemphill” <siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov>, “George K. Munoz” <george.munoz@nmlegis.gov>, “Michael Padilla” <michael.padilla@nmlegis.gov>, “Nancy Rodriguez” <nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov>, “William E. Sharer” <bill@williamsharer.com>, “Jeff Steinborn” <jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov>, “Pat Woods” <pat.woods@nmlegis.gov>

We’ll update you soon with more info about this week’s Special Session. And we’ll alert you to information about Interim Hearings when those begin sometime in May. Thank you for helping promote social, economic, and environmental justice in New Mexico!

In Solidarity and Hope,
Roxanne and Paul

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