Next week, New Mexico’s House of Representatives will hear detrimental bills to the public, including the anti-gun H.B. 12, which expands New Mexico’s red flag law, the business-crushing paid family and medical leave legislation, H.B. 11, and the anti-oil and gas H.B. 33 and H.B. 35.
Constitutional Rights-Grabbing Anti-Gun Red Flag Bill
On Tuesday, the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC) will consider the red flag change, sponsored by Reps. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque), Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), Sens. Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque), and Heather Berghmans (D-Albuquerue), which forces those accused in a red flag situation to immediately give up their firearms instead of the previous 48-hour allowance.
It also adds on who can petition for such an order to take away one’s constitutional right to a firearm that “a law enforcement officer may also file a petition based on credible information that the officer collected while carrying out the officer’s official duties.” It is unclear what “credible” means, further eroding constitutional rights.
Please show up and testify at 1:30 p.m. for the HCPAC and email legislators.
To show up physically, visit Room 317 at the Capitol in Santa Fe or to testify via Zoom, please use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89876224491
For phone participation, please use the following information: Phone one-tap: +16694449171,,89876224491#
Webinar ID: 898 7622 4491
To see the members of the committee to contact them, visit this link.
Business-Crushing Paid Family and Medical Leave Bill
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) and Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo-Senate President Pro-Tempore), involves the creation of a state-run fund paid into by both employers and employees. It will be heard on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 307 of the state Capitol.
Under the prior proposal, employees would contribute $5 for every $1,000 they earn, while employers would be forced to match it with $4 for every $1,000 in payroll. Workers would be eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid leave to address personal health issues, care for sick loved ones, or even adjust to the arrival of a new child.
The reality of PFML is far from rosy for New Mexico’s small business community. Mandating these contributions amounts to a payroll tax hike, hitting employers where it hurts most — their bottom line. For many small businesses already operating on razor-thin margins — and still recovering from Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s brutal COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns — this could mean cutting employee hours, freezing hiring, or even closing their doors entirely.
To join the meeting, use the following information:
You are invited to a Zoom webinar! Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86178202695 Phone one-tap: +16694449171,,86178202695# US Webinar ID: 861 7820 2695
To contact the members of the committee, please click here.
Economy-Crushing Anti-Energy Bills
The anti-energy bills, H.B. 33 by Rep. Debbie Sariñana (D-Albuquerque) and H.B. 45 by both Sariñana and Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces) will be heard in the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in Room 317.
The legislation, both aimed at harming the oil and gas industry and targeting specific places in the state, with H.B. 33 mandating that law “shall prohibit the construction of a new source relating to oil and gas production in a county where the environmental improvement board or the local agency determines that emissions from sources in a county within the environmental improvement board’s jurisdiction or the local authority’s jurisdiction cause or contribute to ozone concentrations in excess of the primary national ambient air quality standard for ozone as promulgated pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act or its subsequent amendments and successor provisions”
H.B. 35 aims to create a “buffer zone” to effectively ban all oil and gas production within one mile of a school, crushing entire communities, especially in the oil-patch southeast corner of the state and the energy-rich northwest corner of the state. The idea is unconstitutional and targets specific counties.
To join the meeting, the login details are below:
You are invited to a Zoom webinar! Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89512433827 Phone one-tap: +17193594580,,89512433827# US Webinar ID: 895 1243 3827
To contact members of the committee, please click here
Good Bill Being Heard: Protecting Children from Harmful Materials
H.B. 44 by Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) to ensure age verification for children on explicit online websites, legislation similar to many other states to protect the most vulnerable, will be heard on Friday in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Please show up to testify in support:
Friday, January 31, 2025 – 1:30 PM – Room 317
Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84498420158 Phone one-tap: +16699009128,,84498420158# US (San Jose) +17193594580,,84498420158# US Webinar ID: 844 9842 0158
To contact the members of the Commerce Committee, they can be found here.
Other Horrible Bills Being Heard in Committees, As Scheduled:
Senate Conservation Committee on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 – 9:00 am – Room 311
S.B. 4 — CLEAR HORIZONS & GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
S.B. 21 — POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM ACT
S.B. 22 — WATER QUALITY & POLLUTION
S.B. 23 — OIL & GAS ROYALTY RATE CHANGES
For public participation and to register for the Zoom Webinar send email to SCONC.Zoom@nmlegis.gov. To attend meeting via Zoom Webinar click the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82404382748 Webinar ID: 824 0438 748, Zoom Call: 1-669-900-9128
New Mexico continues to be out of step with the rest of the nation.
The truly insane politicians in Santa Fe must have received their education at New Mexico’s deficient public schools.
These people have learned nothing.
They will do whatever it takes to destroy NM… Evil runs wild in the Roundhouse and New Mexicans need to wake up and vote these people out of office. They cannot take away our rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. I think people should sue the heck out of those so called law makers…
But it seems like the people here in NM keep their heads in the sand and pay no attention of what is happening in our state.
IF EITHER ONE OF THOSE BILLS IMPACTS MY MINERAL RIGHTS I WILL BE SUING UNDER INVERSE CONDEMNATION, AS ALL MINERAL RIGHTS HOLDERS SHOULD. IT WOULD DEPLEAT NM RESERVES AFTER A FEW SUITS.