End-of-the-session push!
----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Camilla Feibelman, Rio Grande Chapter
<reply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: "nmcheryl@xxxxxxxxx" <nmcheryl@xxxxxxxxx>Sent:
Sunday, March 10, 2019, 11:30:06 PM MDTSubject: NM legislative roundup and how
you can take action
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| Dear Cheryl,
We've sent you lots of alerts about many bills in this whirlwind New Mexico
legislative session.
With a week to go, here's a roundup of where the most critical environmental
bills are, what their chances are and what actions you can take to move them.
Below the roundup, we'll sum up strategies for the most efficient and effective
ways to take action.
In-person opportunities:
Tuesday will be Bring It Home for the Environment Day, our last big lobby
day of the session. Meet at 9 a.m. in Room 326 with our volunteer legislative
co-chair, Melinda Smith. For more info, email Melinda at smithm@xxxxxxx. And on
Friday, we'll join youth globally for their Climate Strike.
Bills in play:
Community Solar (HB210): HB210 makes solar energy accessible and affordable
for more New Mexicans. You've helped this legislation progress further each
year. Let's send it to the governor's desk this year. HB210 clears the way for
New Mexicans to buy into community solar gardens. It is waiting to be heard in
the Senate Conservation Committee. PNM is opposing this legislation, so we need
to raise our voices loud. Please call AND write Sen. Joseph Cervantes at
Joseph@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and (575) 526-5600 to ask him to schedule HB210 as
soon as possible so it has time to get a vote on the Senate floor. Energy
Transition Act (SB489), closing San Juan coal plant, providing funds for coal
workers and the impacted community and mandating 100% carbon-free electricity
in New Mexico by 2045, will be heard at 1:30 p.m. Monday in House Judiciary,
Room 309. Contact House Judiciary members to support. Here's a file with
contact info for all relevant committees -- scroll down a bit to find
Judiciary.
Game Commission reform (HB263): This bill that would require the Game
Commission to include more scientists and wildlife experts has passed the House
and is waiting to be scheduled in Senate Rules. Call or email Rules Committee
Chair Linda Lopez and ask her to prioritize it: linda.lopez@xxxxxxxxxxx, (505)
986-4737.
Ending coyote-killing contests in New Mexico (SB76): This bill has passed the
Senate and its House committee is now headed to the House floor. The last step
before the governor's desk! Please urge your representative to vote "Yes" to
once and for all end these senseless contests!
Roxy's Law (HB366): This bill to ban cruel traps and poisons on public lands
in New Mexico has reached the House floor but does not yet have enough votes to
pass. If you're a constituent of one of the representatives who are swing votes
on this bill, you received our alert last week, but please contact your
representative again. Even if you didn't receive that alert, please contact
your representative so we can show legislators how much New Mexicans care about
ending trapping and its deadly consequences.
Growing New Mexico's electric-vehicle market (HB521): This bill clarifies that
independent EV charging companies will not be considered public utilities
subject to regulation by the PRC. (This is unclear in current statute and is a
barrier to getting companies to install stations) It also requires the
investor-owned utilities (PNM, SPS and EPE) to develop
transportation-electrification plans and submit those to the PRC for approval.
HB521 increases access to EV-charging infrastructure in New Mexico, which will
accelerate adoption of EVs. This bill has passed the House and is waiting to be
scheduled in Senate committees. Please contact your senator for support.
Energy Efficiency Act (HB291, SB136): Removes disincentives for utilities to
invest in energy efficiency, the cheapest and most effective way to reduce our
climate impact. The House version passed the House and is going to Senate
Corporations. The Senate version is headed to the House floor. Please urge your
representative to vote YES on SB136. This is the version likeliest to pass. For
the House bill, contact Democrats on Senate Corporations, especially Chair
Clemente Sanchez, and ask him to schedule it.
Study energy-extraction impact on tribal residents (House Memorial 73): This
memorial requests a study of the economic, health, environmental and social
costs of extractive and fossil fuel impacts to the indigenous communities of
New Mexico. This study, which would include community-based recommendations and
a needs assessment, passed House State Government and Indian Affairs Committee
and now moves to the House floor. Please urge your representative to support
it.
Climate resilience for New Mexico (HB28): Rep. Melanie Stansbury's bill
requiring state agencies to create plans for sustainability and preventing
climate disruption, including energy efficiency, water conservation and
pollution prevention, passed the House and Senate Conservation Committee.
Please urge your senator to vote YES on HB28 to lower New Mexico's climate
impact and prepare our state to respond to climate change.
Water Data (HB651): Improves water-data integration and tools for state
planning. Passed House Appropriations. Goes to House floor next.
Raising oil and gas royalties (SB500, HB398): SB500, the Senate version of
this legislation to bring New Mexico oil and gas royalty rates in line with
neighboring states, is in Senate Conservation, but the House version died,
despite strong support by Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia-Richard. The
Senate version passed Conservation and heads to Senate Corporations. Please
contact Corporations senators and urge them vote YES on SB500.
Outdoor Recreation (SB462): Creates an Office of Outdoor Recreation and
Outdoor Equity Fund. This bill creates an infrastructure and plans for getting
kids outside. It passed the Senate Finance Committee on Saturday and now heads
to the Senate floor.
Moratorium on new drilling (SB459): This four-year moratorium on new oil and
gas drilling, along with reporting requirements, is in Senate Conservation.
Contact Chair Cervantes to ask him to schedule the bill, but it would have to
pass two more committees before even reaching the Senate floor with just a week
left in the session.
Holding Oil and Gas Violators Accountable (SB186 and HB680): New Mexico's
Oil Conservation Division, our regulating agency for oil and gas, in 2009 lost
its authority to fine operators for violating laws and safety regulations.
Since then, drillers have committed more than 10,000 violations, but have been
fined less than 10 times (in cases where the State Land Office stepped in).
This bill would also raise fines from the levels not updated since 1935. This
is a critical fix to restore safety and industry accountability and really a
no-brainer. Prospects for Senate Finance Committee don't look good; the House
version is scheduled for House Energy and Environment at 8 a.m. Tuesday in Room
317. Ask your representative to support.
Bills that have died or are in trouble
HB417, preventing Gila diversion: This bill, another that our allies have been
shepherding for several years, was tabled in House Ag and Water. It would have
diverted the funds that the Interstate Stream Commission earmarked for a
diversion of New Mexico's last wild river and directed them instead to fund
local water-conservation projects. We'll update you on where we can best use
our efforts to stop diversion plans once and for all.
Competitive procurement (SB456): This legislation to make electric utilities
issues issue requests for proposal on all new energy resources to ensure they
are proposing the lowest-cost sources was tabled by the Senate Corporations
Committee.
State Environmental Protection Act (HB206): This would create
environmental-review requirements for new projects and facilities. It is stuck
in the House State Government Committee with a lot of pending amendments.
Cruising along:
Solar Tax Credits (SB518): Sierra Club and allies have for years prioritized
reinstating expired state tax credits for those who install solar at their
residences or businesses. This legislation passed twice but was vetoed by Gov.
Martinez. This year the bill has passed the Senate and now moves to the House.
Wildlife Corridors (SB228): Coordinate Dept. of Transportation to designate
and/or maintain wildlife corridors. On House floor. Contact your representative.
Wildlife Trafficking (SB38): This legislation passed with broad bipartisan
majorities previously but was pocket-vetoed by Gov. Martinez. It closes
loopholes in laws prohibiting trafficking of endangered species and will be
heard by House Judiciary next.
Consolidate your actions:
You can act on many of these bills with a few emails or calls:
1. Call and write Sen. Joseph Cervantes to urge him to schedule and hear
HB210, Community Solar. This is important legislation that we can pass this
year if heard quickly enough in his committee.
2. Contact your own House representative and ask for support for: the ban on
coyote-killing contests (SB76), wildlife corridors (SB228), EV infrastructure
(HB521), the memorial studying impacts of extractive industry (HM73), Oil
Conservation Division authority (HB680) and the trapping ban (HB366).
3. If you can, come to the Roundhouse Tuesday, when a lot of these bills will
be considered. Contact smithm@xxxxxxx to let her know you're coming.
These are just some of our high-priority bills. There's even more at our
legislative tracker here.
Each year you bring more people power to the Legislature, and that's why this
list is so full of positive legislation and so light on damaging policy that we
need to stop. Still a lot of pressure to exert in the next week and in coming
years for the health of people and our planet. We won't give up, and I know
neither will you!
Camilla Feibelman | Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
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| Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter |
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This email was sent to: nmcheryl@xxxxxxxxx
This email was sent by the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
1807 Second St, Unit 45 Santa Fe, NM 87505
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