Good Morning New Mexico Activists:
I hope you’re enjoying the long weekend. I (Roxanne) was away for 9 days, taking a vacation in California with my daughter, so I’m just getting back to check on upcoming Interim Committee Meetings. I apologize for the short notice on the first committee meeting below! Keep reading to learn about our upcoming Zoominars and two candidate events next week.
Upcoming Interim Committee Meetings
1. The Radioactive & Hazardous Material Committee will meet on Tues., Sept. 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New Mexico State University-Grants, in Fidel Hall, 1500 North Third St., Grants. Agenda items include Proposed Green Amendment, Issues Concerning Downwinders, and Uranium Mine Legacy Cleanup. You’ll find the full agenda at this link. For a roster of committee members follow this link.
Public comment is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. You may email your comments in advance to committee secretary Tom Kricka at Tom.Kricka@nmlegis.gov, or go to the committee webpage at this link to find the Zoom link on Tuesday morning just before the meeting and offer your comments directly by joining the Zoom. If you want to comment on the Green Amendment and need talking points, you can find our original summary – a little outdated but still relevant – at this link. Of course, you can watch the meetings via Webcast at this link. Or, if you live near Grants you can attend the meeting in person. Even if you don’t offer public comment, it’s a good way to learn what legislators are hearing about the issues.
2. The Legislative Education Study Committee will meet jointly with the Indian Affairs Committee, Sept. 7-9, at the Bond Wilson Technical Center, 40 Rd. 6580, Kirtland, NM. The agenda includes updates on the Martinez and Yazzie Lawsuit and on Indian Education in general, among many topics. You’ll find the full agenda at this link. Public comment is scheduled for Thurs., Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m. If you live near Kirtland, you can attend the meeting and offer public comment in person. Or you can email your comments to lesc@nmlegis.gov. You’ll find the roster of Indian Affairs Committee members at this link and the Legislative Education Study Committee here. You can watch the meeting via Webcast at this link. (Stream will be under “Indian Affairs Committee.”)
3. The Legislative Health & Human Services Committee will meet Sept. 14-16 at UNM Gallup, where they will discuss the status of the Health Security Act. We’re waiting to get more info from Mary Feldblum, Executive Director of the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign, about what we can do to support the effort to move the planning and design phase forward. Mary is planning a specific messaging strategy for the Interim Meeting and into the future, so we’ll send you that info as soon as we have it, sometime this coming week.
In the meantime, you can check out the agenda at this link. If you’re curious who’s on the Health & Human Services Committee, you can find the roster at this link. If you find your Senator or Representative on the list, please plan to send them a note when you get the additional info from us next week. And please note, it’s most effective to focus on the Chair, Vice Chair, and members. But there are an additional 21 “advisory” legislators, so if you find your Senator or Rep. among those, please feel free to contact them. More info coming soon. Also see below for info about our upcoming Zoominar on the Health Security Act with Mary Feldblum, Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, and Rep. Day Hochman-Vigil.
Upcoming Retake Zoominars
Tues., Sept. 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m., Status of the Health Security Act Study & Design. Our panelists will be Mary Feldblum, Exec. Director of New Mexicans for Health Security, who for over 30 years has been leading the effort to achieve health security in NM. Joining Mary will be two of her key legislative allies, Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Representative Day Hochman-Vigil, who will be working to pass legislation to advance the HSA in 2023. The panel will also include Rick Madden, with the NM Academy of Family Physicians, who will speak about how difficult it is for physicians to focus on patients, with the onerous billing and administrative burdens in the current system and how the Health Security Act would reduce those burdens dramatically. Mary will discuss six issues key to HSA implementation that are currently being researched with funding received from Junior Bill funding in the 2022 Legislative Session. These are key issues directly relevant to the design of the HSA. The information gathered in this research will be used to launch the HSA once enabling legislation is passed. Our two legislators will discuss the political process that lies ahead, including the legislation they will be sponsoring in 2023. The Health Security Act will be one of the most important bills we support in 2023. You must register to attend. Click here to register.
Weds., Sept. 21, 6 – 7:30 p.m., How Would a Public Bank Benefit New Mexico? Let Us Count the Ways.
Join Alliance for Local Prosperity (AFLEP) Executive Director Angela Merkert and AFLEP’s Public Bank Campaign Director and retired banker, Harold Dixon, who will outline precisely how a state public bank would collaborate, not compete, with community banks. Joining them will be two rural business owners who will describe how their lack of access to capital impedes their business development and how a state public bank could change that. Wall Street bankers have already begun their disinformation campaign, sowing seeds of fear among legislators and the public. Retake peeps must get fully informed and ready to counter their disinformation. Join us to find out more about how a public bank would benefit New Mexicans and what you can do to support the effort. You must register to attend. Click here to register.
Candidate Meet-N-Greets
There are lots of candidate events this time of year, but we want to tell you about two coming up in Santa Fe. If it’s convenient, we hope you’ll attend. If not, then we hope you’ll donate if you can.
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 6 to 7:30 p.m., an evening in Santa Fe with Gabe Vasquez, candidate for Congressional District 2. Gabe has a good chance to beat right-winger and Trump loyalist Yvette Herrell, but he needs our help. Please come meet Gabe on Tuesday, Sept. 6 in Santa Fe. (Address provided upon RSVP.) RSVP, donate, or get more info here. You can also watch Paul’s recent interview with Gabe at this link.
Thursday, Sept. 8, 5:30 to 7 p.m., meet and greet Augustine Montoya, candidate for House District 22 in Santa Fe, at the home of our friends Mariel Nanasi and Jeff Haas. Co-hosts include NM State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, Senators Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Liz Stefanics, Representatives Matthew McQueen and Andrea Romero, and House District 47 candidate Reena Szczepanski. Augustine is a young, enthusiastic, bright light with solid progressive values who is running against the NRA- and MAGA-aligned Stefani Lord (R), and as a result of redistricting, he has a real shot at winning if he can raise the funds to mount a sustained campaign. RSVP by email to retakeresponse@gmail.com to receive the address. Learn more about him in our Aug. 31 blog at this link. Donate directly to Montoya’s campaign at this link. You can watch Paul’s interview with “Augie” at this link. We hope to see you on Thursday!
Check out our Election Guide & Endorsements for all New Mexico races at this link.
Thanks for reading through to the end! There’s a lot going on right now, so we hope you appreciate that we’re doing our best to send you no more than one Alert per week. Thank you once more for your dedication and commitment to improving the lives and land of our beautiful state!
In Solidarity and Hope,
Roxanne & Paul