Update 1/29/18
To find an issue that you care about, here are some tips!
- Find your legislator (click here)!
- Search for bills on issues you care about using keywords (click here)!
- Contact your legislators using phone, email, or simply dropping a letter or, even better, a hand-written note at the legislator’s office.
- Once you have found a bill online, you can click on the “Analysis” button if there is a number 1 by it and learn more about it.
HOT Legislation to keep an eye on and consider contacting your legislators (hold mouse over bill number and click to see more)
Here are some bills you might consider when researching what issue to write about. Click on the bill number to see background info on the bill (the text, the analysis, where it is scheduled):
HB36/HB87 and SB79 – Solar Tax Credit – These bills take different approaches to restoring the tax credit for residents and businesses, up to 10% of the cost of the solar system. These bills have proven to increase the amount use of solar power and create jobs in the solar industry by making it cheaper to install solar power systems.
HB77 – Energy Storage Tax Credit –This bill provides up to 30% tax credits for the purchase and installation cost of qualified storage systems, up to $5,000 for residents and $75,000 for businesses.
HJM6 – VW Settlement Funds for Electric School Buses – An $18 million dollar payment by VW for evading vehicle emission standards goes to New Mexico. This memorial asks the governor to use this funding to buy electric schools buses.
HB127 and SB 72 – Funds for non-diversion projects as alternative to diverting the Gila River – The bills directs the Interstate Stream Commission to use funding on non-diversion projects including water pipelines and other water infrastructure.
HB80 – Energy Redevelopment Bond Act – The original draft of this bill narrowly focuses on protecting the investment of PNM shareholders during the closing the San Juan coal-fired power plant. Considerations for the communities of people surrounding the plant, mostly Navajos, are not included. It appears this bill may be revised to address this concern — keep posted.
HB72/SB12 – Public Utility Title Conveyance – Allows a utility company to sell a coal plant for $1 as long as it gets used again to generate coal-fired electricity and requires additional studies before shutting down coal-fired power plants.
SB134 – Transferring Federal Public Land to New Mexico State and Land Grants – This bill proposes that federal land be transferred to the State of New Mexico or land grants and develops a committee to make that happen. If passed this bill would result in less federal lands being available for the public
HB 73 – Economic Impact of Utility Abandonment – The bill requires the Public Regulatory Commission which regulates energy providers to place heavier emphasis on economic impacts from closing power facilities.
Other bills:
HB109 – Public Corruption Act – The bill creates the first Public Corruption Act and provides penalties for politicians who are proven to be corrupt. Convicted officials would lose their pension benefits as a result of this bill. This bill is in response to a history of public corruption in New Mexico and even when officials are found guilty, they continue to get paid a pension.
