Legislative Alert 1.27.2021

Good Morning New Mexico Activists:

We have one new hearing to tell you about today, and one reminder for tomorrow.

NEW: Today, Weds., Jan. 27, 1:30 p.m., House Commerce and Economic Development Committee (HCEDC) is scheduled to hear HJR 1 Permanent Fund for Early Childhood. (Get talking points at the link in the bill title.) This bill has made the rounds through the legislature for years — let’s get it passed this year! Please call and/or email committee members this morning, especially if you see your representative on the committee list, to ask them to support the bill. See committee contact info below.

Follow the instructions below to participate in the Zoom webinar, or watch the hearing via nmlegis.gov by clicking on Webcast in the top menu bar and looking for the committee name.

Click this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82162614729. Or iPhone one-tap: US: +12532158782,,82162614729#,,,,*427065# or +13462487799,,82162614729#, *427065# Or Telephone: For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location: US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 821 6261 4729 Passcode: 427065.

House Commerce and Economic Development Committee (HCEDC)

REMINDER: 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. Find full summaries at the three Transformational Bills linked above: SB 86, SB 112, and SB 83. The other two are on our second-tier list and don’t have summaries, but here’s a brief description: SB 84 would enable people who do not have the financial resources to install solar panels on their own homes to make use of New Mexico’s abundant solar power with a low-income assistance fund. Solar power generation facilities could be constructed and operated by subscriber organizations, which could be municipalities, pueblos, affordable housing providers, nonprofits, community-based organizations, or other entities. SB 132 would require all new homes constructed after July 1, 2021 to have photovoltaic systems installed that provide at least one watt per square foot of heated area and at least one electrical receptacle for charging electric vehicles.

If you want to offer public comment, please follow the instructions below and note the deadline is today at 3 p.m. If you just want to watch the hearing, you can do so at nmlegis.gov by going to Webcast in the top menu bar and finding the committee name.

Please read the following instructions from SCONC: For public participation send an email to SCONC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Your Organization, Bill #, For or Against and, an email address by Weds., Jan. 27, 3 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with virtual meeting instructions. NOTE: Agenda items might be rolled over to the next meeting.

And please call and/or email committee members today to urge them to support these bills if you haven’t already done so.

Senate Conservation Committee (SCONC)

If you missed any of our Alerts from earlier this week, you’ll find them at this link on our website. Later today, we’ll also begin to post a list of daily hearings so you can get a quick view of what’s scheduled on any given day.

It’s a long session this year and we have 7 and-a-half weeks to go, so we hope you can hang in there and enjoy participating in democracy. Messy, for sure, but what a reward when we get the legislation that we care about passed!

In Solidarity and Hope,

Roxanne and Paul

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