January 28 Legislative Alert

1-28-21 Alert­­– New Hearings Today and Friday: Private Prison Moratorium, Paid Sick Leave, End-of-Life Options, Paid Legislature

Good morning New Mexico Activists!

Lots of interesting and essential legislation coming up for hearings today and tomorrow. Here’s what we know about this morning:

NEW: Today, Thurs., January 28, 1:30 p.m., House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (CPAC) is scheduled to hear HB 40 Private Detention Facilities Moratorium Act, and HB 111 Housing Discrimination Changes. You’ll find talking points for HB 40 at the link above. Here’s a brief summary of the other: HB 111 would improve the balance between the rights of landlords and the rights of tenants so families who can pay rent and comply with their lease are not evicted; it would reduce barriers to housing for New Mexicans using housing vouchers and other lawful sources of income such as social security income, child support, or housing assistance to pay rent; and it would create a statewide housing council to address housing policy and coordinate state resources directed to addressing housing in New Mexico.

Join the webinar at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88589309206. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16699009128,,88589309206# or +12532158782,,88589309206#. 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: 885 8930 9206.

Please use the contact info below to call and/or email committee members, especially if your legislator is on the committee. Please send individual emails – group emails are impersonal and may not be read. If you don’t join the Zoom, you can watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and find the committee name.

House Consumer & Public Affair Committee (HCPAC)

NEW: Today, Thurs. Jan. 28, 2 p.m., House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee (HLVMC) is scheduled to hear HB 20 Health Workplaces Act and HB 37 Paid Sick Leave Act. Both these bills are similar and establish paid sick leave for all workers. You’ll find a single summary with talking points about the benefits of paid sick leave at the link above. Please follow the instructions below to participate in the Zoom hearing, or you can simply watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov by going to Webcast in the top menu bar and finding the committee name.

Click this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87367059610?pwd=YVpycCtlUzNTWWlyMVhqNnBLM2FzQT09 Passcode: 630659. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16699009128,,87367059610#,*630659# or +12532158782,,87367059610#,*630659# Page 6 of 9. 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: 873 6705 9610 Passcode: 630659. International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kmLnOeCgy.

Please use the contact info below to call and/or email committee members, especially if your legislator is on the committee. Please send individual emails – group emails are impersonal and may not be read. If you don’t join the Zoom, you can watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and find the committee name.

House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee (HLVMC)

NEW: Fri., Jan. 29, 8:30 a.m., the House Health & Human Services Committee (HHHC) is scheduled to hear HB 47 Elizabeth Whitfield End-of-Life-Options Act. This bill would allow a prescribing healthcare provider to prescribe “medical aid in dying medication” under certain conditions. The patient must request the medication voluntarily, have a terminal illness (with a life expectancy of less than six months), have capacity to understand their options, and possess the ability to self-administer the medication. The health care provider must discuss it with the patient; the bill lists a number of topics that must be covered. The bill identifies a patient’s right to be informed of their legal options. The death certificate in cases where this law is applied will list the patient’s underlying illness as cause of death. Provisions in contracts, wills, agreements, or life insurance policies which restrict a person’s right to make or rescind a request for aid in dying are not valid. Insurers may not deny benefits on the grounds that aid in dying is available. A conscience clause prohibits civil and criminal liability for participating, or declining to participate, in medical aid in dying compliant with the Act. Healthcare providers will file reports; Department of Health will report on aggregate statistics. The definition of the felony of assisting suicide is modified to exclude actions taken in accordance with the end-of-life options act.

To join the webinar go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89853256841 Or iPhone one-tap: US: +13462487799,,89853256841# or +16699009128,,89853256841#. Or Telephone: For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location: US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 Webinar ID: 898 5325 6841

Please use the contact info below to call and/or email committee members, especially if your legislator is on the committee. Please send individual emails – group emails are impersonal and may not be read. If you don’t join the Zoom, you can watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and find the committee name.

House Health and Human Services Committee (HHHC)

NEW: Fri., Jan. 29, 9 a.m., the Senate Rules Committee (SRC) is scheduled to hear SJR 4 Review of Salaries Every Two Years. This legislation puts us on a path to having a paid legislature, one that can truly represent the people of New Mexico. Read the summary above to learn more and get speaking points. The committee is also scheduled to hear SB 100 Major & Minor Party Ballot Nominations, otherwise known as Fusion Voting. Advanced by the Working Families Party, fusion voting allows a candidate to appear on the ballot as the nominee for more than one party — for instance, Democratic and Working Families parties — allowing a voter to support both the candidate and party platform of their choice. Voters have the option to vote for the party line that best represents their values. Fusion voting means two parties are working to get a candidate elected instead of one. Learn more at this link to nmfusion.org. Please note, the deadline to join the Zoom is today at 4 p.m. See instruction below.

Instructions from the committee: To participate in the Zoom and offer public comment, please send an email to SRC@nmlegis.gov with Name, Organization, Bill #, For or Against, and email address by 4 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 28. You will be contacted by our Zoom operator with virtual meeting instructions.

Please use the contact info below to call and/or email committee members, especially if your legislator is on the committee. Please send individual emails – group emails are impersonal and may not be read. If you don’t join the Zoom, you can watch the hearing at nmlegis.gov – go to Webcast in the top menu bar and find the committee name.

Senate Rules Committee (SRC)

Daniel A. Ivey-Soto (D), Chair, 505-397-8830, daniel.ivey-soto@nmlegis.gov

Katy M. Duhigg (D), Vice Chair, 505-397-8823, katy.duhigg@nmlegis.gov

Stuart Ingle (R), Ranking Member, 986-4702, stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov

Gregory A. Baca (R), 505-986-4877, greg.baca@nmlegis.gov

Linda M. Lopez (D), 505-397-8833, linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov

Mark Moores (R), 505-986-4856, mark.moores@nmlegis.gov

Bill B. O’Neill (D), 505-397-8838, oneillsd13@billoneillfornm.com

Jerry Ortiz Y Pino (D), 505-397-8839, jortizyp@msn.com

Cliff R. Pirtle (R), 505-986-4369, cliff.pirtle@nmlegis.gov

Mimi Stewart (D), 505-397-8853, mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov

Peter Wirth (D), 505-397-8855, peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov

One reminder for today: Thurs., Jan. 28, 9 a.m. Senate Conservation Committee (SCONC) will hear SB 86 Use of Water for Oil & Gas Operations, SB 112 Sustainable Economy Task Force, SB 83 Local Choice Energy Act, SB 84 Community Solar Act, and SB 132 Photovoltaic Systems in New Homes. You will find contact info and more details in yesterday’s Alert at this link.

And we invite you to join us every Friday, 3:30-4:30 p.m., for our Legislative Advocacy Strategy Meeting via Zoom. Please go to this link to register for the next meeting.

This advocacy work during the legislative session always feels a little crazy. So much happening, so much to follow. We value your patience, your commitment, and your willingness to engage in the messy process that is democracy!

In solidarity and hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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