CVNM’s 2008 Governor’s Scorecard New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson

Once again, Governor Richardson proved his conservation mettle by exercising his veto authority over a controversial bill (SB487) that was heavily pushed by uranium mining companies. The industry lobbied hard for Richardson to sign the legislation, but he was very responsive to community concerns raised by the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE), CVNM, conservation and environmental justice groups, and concerned citizens from around the state. On March 3, the Governor signaled his commitment to environmental protection by vetoing SB487. In his veto statement, Richardson indicated that he believes “New Mexico deserves better” – he is right. Governor Richardson’s efforts to make New Mexico a clean energy leader have been a resounding success. He added to his legacy by working with energy advocates, utilities, the Public Regulation Commission and Speaker Lujan to pass HB305, which mandates energy efficiency for electric utilities. As a result, we will offset the need for construction of new power plants – which saves the environment and consumers. One of the fiercest fights of the session was over New Mexico’s regulatory process – and Richardson stood firm against efforts to strip agencies of their authority to regulate and enforce environmental standards. Under Governor Richardson, agencies have followed the requirements under law to protect air quality by regulating vehicle emission standards, and protect groundwater and wildlife by restricting the disposal of toxic waste from oil and gas development. The Governor advocated environmental funding to be included in the statewide capital outlay budget; together, he and legislators appropriated $2.8 million for river and ecosystem restoration statewide, and an additional $1.5 million for land and wildlife conservation projects. The statewide capital outlay budget also included $3.5 million for clean energy grants and innovative energy projects. Advocates were disappointed that the Governor didn’t elect to use any of his discretionary money to fund requested environmental projects, but his consistent push for statewide funding for conservation is a step in the right direction. A critical issue facing the Legislature in this and future sessions is tax increment financing proposals. Despite the land use and water planning problems created by tax increment districts for sprawl developments, Governor Richardson took no public position on the issue. Environmental impacts aside, the potentially devastating impacts on the state general fund should have spurred Governor Richardson to oppose the inappropriate application of tax increment financing. Finally, we wish to thank Governor Richardson for strengthening the capacity of the Oil Conservation Division during his tenure. Oil is at an all-time high, the relentless pressures of development are being felt throughout the state, and threats of litigation would make many elected officials simply back down. We salute Governor Richardson’s bold efforts to balance energy development with common-sense approaches to protecting our groundwater and environment. We look forward to building upon this progress in future years with this and future Governors.