HB80: Mining Emergency Notice Appeals (Heaton)
HB80 simply provides an initial appeal to the Mine Safety Board of penalties for failure to notify within 24 hours of major mine accidents. If the Mine Safety Board reduces or eliminates the penalty, the state Mine Inspector can choose to appeal that decision in district court. HB80 PASSED the House (65-2) and Senate (38-0), was signed by the Governor on March 2nd, 2010.

HB81/SB61: Petroleum Storage Tank Definition Changes (Heaton/Leavell)
These bills both amend state statute on the regulation of petroleum storage tanks to comply with federal law. New Mexico has been out of compliance since 2007, and it is costing the state millions of dollars in federal funding. We could have also faced more punitive measures in the future if the law wasn’t fixed. SB61 passed the House, but died in the House Business and Industry Committee. HB81 passed both the House (65-0) and Senate (38-0), and was signed by the Governor on March 3rd, 2010.

HB101: Nuclear Workers Assistance Fund (Salazar)
HB101 creates a fund to help the state provide greater assistance to nuclear workers seeking compensation under the federal compensation program. The principal source of income for the fund is a small percentage of the claims successfully recovered. Given the debilitating health problems suffered by workers in the nuclear industry, it is incumbent upon the state to help them secure compensation; the proposed fund would expand the ability of the state to provide assistance, while largely self-funding the program. HB101 passed both the House (60-3) and Senate (33-0), and was signed by the Governor on March 8th, 2010.

HB113: Aquatic Invasive Species Control (Tripp)
Recognizing the environmental and economic threats posed by aquatic invasive species, HB113 amends existing statute to clarify and strengthen the state’s ability to combat the spread of aquatic invasive species, like quagga and zebra mussels. HB113 passed both the House (55-0) and Senate (40-0), and was signed by the Governor on March 8th, 2010.

HB165/SB96: Whistleblower Protection Act (Cervantes/Beffort)
These measures seek to protect public employees from retaliation by employers for exposing unlawful or improper acts. Whistleblower protection is an essential tool for maintaining and improving the integrity of government. SB96 passed both the Senate (38-2) and House (61-1). HB165 passed both the House (67-1) and Senate (36-0), and was signed by the Governor on February 27th, 2010.

SB186: Natural Heritage Conservation Act (Cisneros)
Each year, New Mexico misses out on approximately $20 million in federal funding for conservation projects, because we don’t have a fund set up for that purpose. SB186 establishes a fund — with no money attached — that could be used for protection of water and watersheds, working farms and ranches, recreational opportunities and more. SB186 passed both the Senate (27-14) and House (41-21), and was signed by the Governor on March 8th, 2010

SB195: Sunshine Portal Transparency Act (Rue)
One of the most significant barriers to civic engagement is the inaccessibility of government information and operations. SB195 requires the state to develop, operate and maintain a publicly-accessible internet database that contains extensive information on state government budgets, expenditures and other financial information. SB195 passed both the Senate (38-0) and House (65-1), andand was signed by the Governor on March 5th, 2010.

SB200: Public Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Cisneros)
There is an enormous opportunity to save energy and money in a badly stressed economy by ensuring that public buildings are energy-efficient. SB200 requires efficient design and operation of public buildings through the EPA’s Energy Star Certification program. A 1-2% initial investment premium in new and retrofitted public buildings is recovered in two years of energy savings, and generates a 10-fold return on investment in 20 years. SB200 passed both the Senate (37-2) and House (59-0),and was signed by the Governor on March 8th, 2010.

HJM29/HM54: Consider Clean Energy Legislation (Stewart)
With abundant renewable energy resources, our state is poised for a boom in the clean energy industry. By urging Congress to take federal action on climate change and clean energy, HJM29/HM54 sends a message that New Mexico will benefit from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by creating clean energy jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. HJM29 passed the House (33-28), but died in the Senate Rules Committee. HM54 passed the House (42-20). Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

HM4/SM9: Use Pollinator-Friendly Plants in Landscaping (Stewart/Feldman)
The threats to our food security, biodiversity and human health as a result of the decline in populations of pollinator species can’t be overstated. In addition to building awareness, these memorials promote sustainability of pollinator species through the use of native pollinator-friendly plants in public landscaping projects. HM4 passed the House (67-0). SM9 passed the Senate (37-0). Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

HM21: Santa Fe Drinking Water Safety (Egolf)
HM21 recognizes concerns about the safety and quality of water available to Santa Fe from the Buckman Diversion project, and requests that the Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratories work with the Buckman Diversion Board to ensure strict safety standards and high quality for Santa Fe’s drinking water. HM21 passed the House (64-1). Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

HM34/SM30: Abandoned Uranium Mine Reclamation Funding (Jeff/Ulibarri)
HM34 and SM30 urge Congress to act quickly to authorize states to use funds available through the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 for reclamation of non-coal mines, such as abandoned uranium mines that are still causing significant public and environmental health problems. HM34 passed the House (62-0). SM30 passed the Senate (36-0). Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

HR1: House Webcasting of Video & Committees (Gardner)
HR2: Webcasting of Committee Hearings (Steinborn)
HR4: House Floor & Committee Meeting Webcasting (Arnold-Jones)
All of these measures improve the transparency and accessibility of the Legislature to New Mexicans around the state, by requiring expanded webcasting of legislative proceedings. HR1 passed the House. HR2 was substituted in House Rules Committee, and HR4 failed to pass the House Rules Committee. Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

HR3: House Roll Call Votes Online (Cook)
The state Senate already posts roll call votes from their floor sessions on the official legislative web site – usually within 24 hours. HR3 requires the state House of Representatives to do the same. HR3 passed the House. Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

SM21: Mid Rio Grande Conservancy District Elections (Feldman)
Unfortunatley, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District elections have raised questions and concerns about transparency, access, consistency, fairness – and even constitutionality. SM21 establishes a committee to thoroughly review the MRGCD’s election protocols and procedures, and make recommendations for improvement. SM21 passed the Senate. Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

SM39: Encourage Bicycle Riding & “Complete Streets” (Ryan)
SM39 recognizes the importance of planning street infrastructure with multiple uses (cycling, walking, public transportation, etc) in mind, and urges New Mexicans to cycle more for transportation and recreation. SM39 passed the Senate. Memorials and resolutions do not require action by the Governor.

Pro-Conservation Legislation That Didn’t Pass:

HB27: Recovery of Damages to Natural Resources (Egolf)
HB27 was crafted around the “polluter pays” principle, which holds that no one should be able to damage or destroy public resources without making compensation. This measure would have allowed the state Natural Resources Trustee to pursue, within limits, an entity that damages resources belonging to all New Mexicans. HB27 died in the House Energy and Natural Resource Committee.

HB39: Uniform Reporting for Certain Entities (Lundstrom)
By requiring the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority to submit annual reports to the New Mexico Finance Authority, HB39 would have improved transparency and oversight of a very powerful entity. HB39 passed the House Floor (66-0), but died in the Senate Finance Committee.

HB59: Plastic Bag Recycling Act (Giannini)
HB59 would have reduced plastic bag waste by requiring stores to provide a place for customers to deposit bags for recycling. This would have reduced litter and debris, wildlife habitat disruption, and petroleum consumption – all of which result from traditional plastic bag disposal. HB59 died in the House Rules Committee.

HB73: Taking of Certain Animal Species (Stewart)
As a result of a statutory change in 1997, New Mexico is the only state in the West that allows landowners to kill wildlife if they believe they might damage their property (including crops). The result has been instances of wholesale slaughter of wild animals – including incidents of 19 elk and 41 pronghorn antelope killed at a single time. HB73 would have repealed the 1997 amendment, while still allowing landowners to kill predators that threaten human life, livestock or family pets. HB73 died in the House Business and Industry Committee.

HB78: Environmental Board Climate Change Policies (Madalena)
HB78 was designed to give New Mexico’s businesses and industries a head start in benefiting from any regional or national climate change legislation. Under the bill, a completely voluntary emissions offset program would have been created, giving credit to NM businesses that reduce their emissions before they’re required to do so by law. HB78 died in the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

HB82/SB23: Develop Tax Expenditure Budget (El Chavez/Keller)
These measures would have required the state Taxation and Revenue Department to prepare an annual ‘tax expenditure budget’, detailing the real costs of all tax expenditures – including credits, exemptions, deductions, and more. With this information, the Legislature would have had the appropriate tool to make sound decisions about which tax expenditures are achieving their objectives, and which should be repealed. HB82 passed the House (65-0), and died in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. SB23 also died in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee.

HB84: Uranium Mining Liability (Rodefer)
This bill would have closed a loophole in New Mexico law that allows some uranium mining companies to avoid cleaning up the toxic and radioactive wastes they left behind. HB84 would have helped affected New Mexicans by reducing chronic exposure to radiation, heavy metals and contamination dusts, while relieving the burden on taxpayers to fund cleanup operations. HB84 died in the House Rules Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

HB123/SB161: Same Day Registration at Early Voting Sites (Trujillo/Sapien)
In an effort to increase voter participation, HB123 and SB161 would have allowed eligible but unregistered voters to register to vote at early in-person voting locations, and immediately cast a ballot. HB123 died in the House Voters and Elections Committee, and SB161 died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HB133: Disposable Carry-Out Bag Tax Act (Giannini)
By imposing a negligible tax on bag manufacturing and distribution, HB133 would have generated significant revenue for the state, while helping to reduce the environmental degradation caused by unchecked bag distribution and disposal. HB133 died in the House Business and Industry Committee.

HB134: Voltage Regulation Equipment Tax Credits (Giannini)
HB134 would have created a tax credit that would encourage homeowners, businesses and the agricultural industry to upgrade and/or install more efficient voltage regulation equipment. By making voltage delivery more consistent, energy consumption would have also been more stable, reducing the variability that results in wasted energy. HB134 died in the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.

HB141: Land Commissioner Financial Info Website (Cote)
This bill would have required the development of a website that provides public access to the State Land Office (SLO) budget, expenditures and other financial information – including on pending leases and land swaps. HB141 would have shone a great deal of sunlight onto the inner workings of the SLO. Much of these data are only currently available through a cumbersome public records request, if at all. HB141 died in the House Rules Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

HB161/SB110: Land Office Contractor Contributions (Steinborn/Fischmann)
These measures would have reduced the appearance of conflicts of interest by restricting contributions to candidates for Commissioner of Public Lands by State Land Office contractors or affiliated individuals. HB161 died in the House Judiciary Committee, and SB110 died in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB259: Private Action to Enforce Enviro Statutes (B Lujan)
HB259 would have afforded landowners or other affected parties a private right of action to pursue enforcement of environmental laws against violators directly, or against agencies who fail to enforce existing law. An example might be the case of a rural landowner whose groundwater is at risk of contamination by a polluting company; if the state refuses to require the company to stop polluting groundwater, the landowner would have recourse in court. HB259 failed to pass the House Floor (32-34).

HB272: Expand Legislative Webcasting (Gardner)
Similar to other memorials and resolutions addressing the need to expand legislative webcasting, except HB272 would have actually appropriated $75,000 to accomplish the task. HB272 died in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

HB276/SB115/SB285: Air Quality Control Permit Denial (Egolf/Nava/MJ Garcia)
Under every other major New Mexico environmental statute, the state has the authority to deny or revoke a permit for egregious violators of environmental laws – except under the Air Quality Control Act. The effect is that companies can contaminate our water, pollute our air and make our children sick, but we still can’t stop them from operating in our state. HB276 would have rectified this inequality in statute by authorizing the state to deny or revoke permits in instances where the applicant or permittee is guilty of specific bad acts. HB276 failed to pass the House Floor (32-33). SB115 died in the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee, and SB285 died in Senate Committee’s Committee.

SB36: Triple Bottom Line Accountability Study (Keller)
Triple-Bottom Line Accounting is growing in popularity as a more comprehensive way of measuring success – using a broader set of parameters than the traditional financial bottom line. SB36 would have authorized the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to accept contributions to fund a study of the implications of triple-bottom line accounting. SB36 died in the Senate Committees Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

SB38: Renewable Energy Tax Credit Generators (Cisneros)
SB38 would have increased the cap on the renewable energy production tax credit for solar facilities from 500,000 MWh to 1 million MWh, and amended the definitions of qualified energy projects to help ensure long-term stability and sustainability. SB38 died in the Senate Finance Committee.

SB42: Transparency in Government Act (Rue & Espinoza)
One of the most significant barriers to civic engagement is the inaccessibility of government information and operations. SB42 would have required the state to develop, operate and maintain a publicly-accessible internet database that contains extensive information on state government budgets, expenditures and other financial information. SB42 died in the Senate Public Affairs Committee, but a similar measure (SB195) passed both chambers and awaits the Governor’s signature.

SB50: Create Tax Expenditure Study Commission (E Griego)
SB50 would have established a commission of legislators and tax policy experts to study, report detailed findings, and make recommendations on the costs and benefits of each state tax expenditure. Such comprehensive information is vital if New Mexico is going to be successful at reforming our tax policy to serve the greater good and prevent abuse. SB50 died in the Senate Finance Committee.

SB83: Require New State Vehicles to Use Natural Gas (Sharer)
SB83 would have increased the total number of alternative-fueled state vehicles from 75% to 80% of new vehicle purchases. Of the total, 30% would have been equipped to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), a safer, cleaner-burning alternative to petroleum products. The measure would have been much stronger if it required that the vehicles actually run on CNG (as opposed to simply being equipped to use it). However, the language in the original statute treated alternative-fueled vehicles exactly the same – so they could meet the criteria, while still being fueled by conventional petroleum products. So the net result of SB83 would have been a 5% increase in the number of vehicles that are equipped to be cleaner. SB83 died in the Senate Committees Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

SB84: New School Sustainability Features (McSorley)
SB84 establishes a requirement that new schools receiving public school capital outlay grants shall specifically allocate 1% (to a maximum of $200,000) for sustainability features, such as solar panels, solar hot water heaters, passive solar heating, rain catchment barrels, or recycling receptacles. SB84 passed both the Senate (30-6) and House (68-0), and was pocket vetoed by the Governor for acceptable reasons.

SB125: Review Tax Exemptions & Credits Every 5 Years (Fischmann)
SB125 represents another crucial measure designed to critically evaluate the cost-effectiveness of various tax credits, exclusions, deductions and exemptions. SB125 died in the Senate Committees Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

SB303: The Farmer Protection Act (Pinto)
Currently, New Mexico’s small farmers can be prosecuted by biotech corporations for violating patent laws in the event that a genetically engineered plant or seed is accidentally carried onto their property by wind, insects, and animals. SB 303 would have protected farmers from unfair prosecution and established a more transparent and balanced process for the evaluation and court proceedings following patent violations. SB303 died in the Senate Conservation Committee.

HB197: Severance Fund Investment in Renewable Energy (Stapleton)
As introduced, HB 197 would have significantly bolstered the development of New Mexico’s renewable energy industry by requiring a minimum investment of 3% (maximum investment of 10%) of the state’s Severance Tax Permanent Fund into local renewable energy businesses. Unfortunately, the House Taxation & Revenue Committee amended the bill to remove the minimum threshold but maintain the cap. Although this weakens the bill dramatically, the state is not currently investing significantly in renewable energy industries, so the measure still sends an important message. HB197 passed both the House (63-0) and Senate (28-6), and was pocket vetoed by the Governor for acceptable reasons.

HJM15/HJM27: Webcast & Archive Interim Committee Meetings (Steinborn/Arnold-Jones)
Both of these measures would have improved the accessibility and transparency of the Legislature by ensuring that interim committee hearings are webcast for live audiences and archived for reference purposes. HJM15 passed the House (65-2) but failed to be heard on the Senate Floor. HJM27 died in the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee.

HM45: Oppose White Peak Land Swap (T Garcia)
The proposed swap by the State Land Office of prime wildlife habitat for fewer acres of lesser value has drawn fire from hunters, community members, conservationists, and good government advocates. HM45 expressed opposition to the swap and urged the Attorney-General to continue to delay the transaction until further analysis could be done. HM45 died in the House Health and Government Affairs Committee.

SJM2: State Energy Policy Inventory (Keller)
By requiring the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department to conduct an inventory of existing state energy policies, SJM2 would have provided a comprehensive understanding of state policy – an important step in building a sound and comprehensive energy plan for New Mexico. SJM2 died in the Senate Rules Committee.

SJM5: Electronic Handouts for Interim Committees (Sapien & Gardner)
SJM5 would have ensured that interim committee documents are available electronically to committee members and the public. SJM5 passed the Senate (36-0), but failed to be heard on the House Floor.

SJM17: Review Albuquerque-Bernalillo Water Authority (McSorley)
SJM17 requested that the Local Government Division of the Dept. of Finance & Administration convene a group of agency and citizen stakeholders to review the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and make recommendations to the appropriate interim committee by August 1, 2010. SJM17 died in the Senate Rules Committee.

SJM54: Interim Committee PRC Study (Lovejoy)
SJM54 requested the New Mexico Legislative Council to direct an interim legislative committee to study the structure and function of the Public Regulation Commission and hold a hearing by Nov. 1, 2010. The memorial cited recent ethics and criminal charges against various Public Regulation Commission Members and a PRC ethics survey in which staff noted ethics violations as a reason for study. SJM54 passed the Senate (38-0) but died in the House Judiciary Committee.

SM6: Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund (E Griego)
The Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund plays a critical role in protecting wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and scenic areas, and New Mexico has benefited greatly from the LWCF program. Unfortunately, the program is almost never funded at its statutorily-authorized level, although Sen. Bingaman is attempting to correct that. SM6 expressed support for Senator Bingaman’s efforts to secure full funding for the LWCF. SM6 died in the Senate Rules Committee.

SM12: LANL Electic Power Energy Flow Model (Fischmann)
By requesting that Congress and the Department of Energy invest funds in the Electric Power Flow Model developed by LANL, SM12 would have improved our understanding of the implications of proposed energy policies by making the model available to assist lawmakers in analyses of alternative energy projects. SM12 died in the Senate Rules Committee.

SR1: Expand Webcasting Cameras (M Sanchez)
Although it didn’t address the lack of webcasting from standing and interim committees, SR1 would have improved the live video feed of the Senate floor sessions by increasing the number of cameras providing coverage. SR1 failed to be heard on the Senate Floor.

Anti-Conservation Legislation that Passed:
A number of bills posed great risks to New Mexico’s natural resources – by subsidizing polluters, realizing regulations or encouraging activities that threaten our environment. We urged all of our Representatives and Senators to OPPOSE these measures, and we are proud to report that they were all DEFEATED.

Anti-Conservation Legislation that Didn’t Pass:

HB61: Prohibit Wolf Reintroduction (Bandy)
HB61 would have undercut an ongoing, federally-led Mexican wolf reintroduction program by prohibiting the state Department of Game & Fish or the Game Commission from cooperating with the program. However, the federal program will continue with or without state participation, so it seems advisable for the state to stay involved. HB61 died in the House Rules Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

HB88: Agency Noncompliance with Unfunded Mandates (Roch)
This bill would have had a sweeping impact on most, if not all, state agencies and innumerable projects they administer. The bill required no expenditure of funds if “The costs….are paid for by federal revenue.” The phrasing indicates that unless the federal government pays for the entire cost of administering the federal law or mandate, then the agency shall not expend money to comply. Essentially, NM would have lost all federal matching funds that affect the entire spectrum of social issues, not just environmental programs. HB88 died in the House Rules Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

HB192: Rescind Oil & Gas Pit Rules (Taylor)
There is a lot of misinformation being spread about the impact of the recently-adopted pit rules on NM’s oil and gas industry. The fact is that the state’s oil and gas rig count stayed level for six months after the effective date of the put rules; the rig numbers only started dropping when oil and gas prices fell sharply – and NM’s production has tracked other western states pretty closely since. So, given the unimaginable costs associated with contaminated aquifers, rescinding the pit rules would have achieved nothing in the short-term but could be disastrous in the longer-term. HB192 died in the House Rules Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

HB254/SB8: No Severance Tax Projects in Certain Counties (Gardner/Sharer)
In what can best be described as a creative way to ensure that local governments do not regulate activities that affect the health and welfare of their residents, SB8 and HB254 would have prevented the issuance of severance tax bonds for projects in municipalities or counties that have adopted regulations considered ‘onerous’ for extractive industries. HB254 was DEFEATED in the House Health and Government Affairs Committee. SB8 died in the Senate Committees Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

SB54: Taxpayer Protection Act & Expenditure Formula (Cravens), &
SJR3: Limit State Expenditure Increases, CA (Cravens)
These measures worked in tandem to limit the ability of the legislature to increase state expenditures. This approach would have severely hindered state agencies, such as critical public health and resource protection agencies, by preventing budget increases regardless of need. The legislative monitoring of proposed budget increases is better handled through robust review, performance evaluation, and scalpel-like scrutiny rather than a machete. SB54 died in the Senate Committees Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session. SJR3 was DEFEATED in the Senate Rules Committee.

SB131: Water Quality Control Commission Members (Ulibarri)
SB131 would have stripped the WQCC of any semblance of balance. Industry members would have outnumbered the lone environmental advocate, would not have to adhere to the same conflicts of interest provisions as the other members, and could participate in decisions on whether to uphold their employer’s permit appeals. SB131 died in the Senate Committees Committee when it was not ruled germane to the 30-day session.

SB248: Limit Certain Tax Credits and Deductions (Jennings)
Among a list of tax credits and deductions that SB248 would have limited was the renewable energy production tax credit, which played an enormous role in driving New Mexico’s clean energy economy. Although the state is facing a difficult budget situation, there are many better alternatives. SB248 was DEFEATED in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee.

HJM31/SJM55: Study Off-Highway Vehicle Use (Tripp/Beffort)
This memorial encouraging a study of the economics of Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) in New Mexico lacked any attempt at balance. The scope was restricted to surveying OHV users and studying the potential economic benefits, with no consideration of the enormous economic costs of OHV use, or inclusion of New Mexicans who have suffered as a result of irresponsible OHV use. HJM31 was DEFEATED in the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee. SJM55 was DEFEATED in the Senate Rules Committee.

HJM32/SJM31/SJM56: Enforce Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Act (Tripp/P Griego/Beffort)
As above, this memorial did not reflect the appropriate balance between the need for training youth on OHV safety, and educating parents and children about the dangers of OHVs -- the mortality and injury rates among youth riders in particular. Of greater concern is that the memorial sought to shift resources supporting a whole range of activities, including enforcement, to training programs that are already offered online and by most retailers. HJM32 and SJM56 were amended to address our concerns, and as a result CVNM no longer opposed these measures. HJM32 passed the House (57-0) but died in the Senate Rules Committee. SJM56 and SJM36 (?) both died in the Senate Rules Committee.

HJM35: Electrical Transmission Costs Group (Arnold-Jones)
HJM35 would have requested that the Public Regulations Commission (PRC) and Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) convene a stakeholder group to conduct cost-benefit analyses of interstate transmission and the impact of transmission on ratepayers. The objective is laudable; however the composition of the group was unlikely to produce a fair or balanced analysis. The membership of the stakeholder group should have been amended to include members of the environmental and clean energy advocacy communities. HJM35 was DEFEATED in the House Business and Industry Committee.

HJM41/HM53/SJM38: Nuclear Power as Clean Energy Policy (Heaton/Sharer)
Nuclear power is not clean, safe OR renewable; however, these memorials attempted to redefine nuclear energy in exactly that way. Nuclear power generates highly radioactive waste, causes increased cancer rates in nearby communities, and is fueled by uranium, a finite resource. HJM41 and HM53 were DEFEATED in the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee. SJM38 was DEFEATED in the Senate Rules Committee.

HJM38: Wolf Reintroduction Conflict Resolution (Bandy)
This memorial included misinformation about the impact of the wolf reintroduction program on ranchers, and appeared to assert that compensation is inadequate. In fact, Defenders of Wildlife has a very generous compensation program for known or suspected depredation that takes only six weeks to complete. HJM38 was DEFEATED in the House Health and Government Affairs Committee.

HJR1: Sovereignty for NM & Notice to Federal Gov’t (Roch)
This legislation was extreme in its philosophy of federal and state jurisdiction. The result of actions suggested by HJR1 would have been disastrous – socially, environmentally and financially. HJR1 was DEFEATED in the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee.

HJR4: Nullification of Executive Rules, CA (Nunez)
HJR4 posed serious constitutional questions because it would have created a conflict among all three branches of government. By law, rules must be adopted in accordance with delegated legislative authority. If the executive steps beyond its authority, those actions should be challenged in court. HJR4 would have allowed the Legislature to usurp the authority of the other two branches of government, which is unconstitutional. Moreover, the Legislature doesn’t have time to give appropriate consideration to rules that have involved days or weeks of testimony and thousands of pages of documentation. HJR4 was DEFEATED in the House Health and Government Affairs Committee.

SJM30: Wind Turbine Regulation Working Group (P Griego)
SJM30 requested that the PRC convene a multidisciplinary working group to evaluate the need for regulation of wind turbines that are 1MW or greater in size. While it is critical to consider the environmental, health, and economic implications of wind development, the composition of the working group lacked key representation from wildlife, clean energy, and public health advocates. SJM30 was DEFEATED in the Senate Rules Committee.