While you were sleeping: into the final Friday
Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) carried House Bill 128, which would create the local solar access fund to provide grants for solar energy systems, one of a slew of bills passed in the evening session Thursday. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM)
Thursday veered into Friday with the New Mexico Senate remaining on the floor until nearly 1 a.m. The House, after a long night and a nine-hour floor session, tapped out just before 10 p.m.
In the evening session, the Senate passed House Bill 128, which would create the local solar access fund to provide grants for solar energy systems; House Bill 296, which would make it easier for out-of-state public accountants to practice in New Mexico; House Bill 101, which would permit law enforcement to carry firearms at polling places; House Bill 93, which would allow utilities to apply for grid improvement projects to the Public Regulation Commission; House Bill 439 which would require emergency dispatcher training for Telecommuter CPR training; House Bill 140, which would update the definition of Hazardous Waste to include PFAS from firefighting foams, and allows the New Mexico Environment Department the authority to mandate cleanup; and House Bill 178, which would make a series of changes to state laws related to nursing, such as clarifying the scope of practices and expanding the Board of Nursing powers.
One bill that did not clear the floor, House Bill 255, would have allowed 14 to 18-year-olds to be prosecuted as adults for voluntary manslaughter, in an amendment by the House Judiciary committee, and increased sentences for children in secure facilities.
The debate on the bill, which stretched towards 1 a.m. followed a March 19 news release from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham imploring the Legislature for failing to pass 'any substantive legislation to deal with juvenile crime.' Her message followed and cited the high profile arrests of teenagers accused or murder in the hit-and-run death of a cyclist last year. Earlier in the day, Sen. Linda López (D-Albuquerque) removed herself from sponsoring the bill on the floor. She introduced an amendment to strike voluntary manslaughter from the bill, which failed.
HB255 failed in a 13-24 vote.
The House, after hitting the three-hour debate limit, passed Senate Bill 83, a bill which would employ $10 million dollars —split across seven state agencies — to address climate change; and Senate Bill 23, which would raise royalty rates for oil and gas for the first time in nearly five decades.
'New Mexico is home to some of the most sought-after natural resources in the world, yet we're currently charging well below even the standard market rates,' sponsor Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo) said on the floor. 'By simply charging what our state's prime mineral interests are actually worth, we can increase payments to our schools, hospitals, and universities by hundreds of millions of dollars.'
The bill would raise an additional estimated $50 to $75 million each year. If signed, the increases would only apply to new oil and gas leases on certain tracts of land in July 2025.
The House also passed Senate Bill 37, which would create a separate fund to allow the state to purchase water rights or leasing, without those funds expiring for the Strategic Water Reserve.
The Strategic Water Reserve, established in 2005 is a program that allows the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission to buy, lease or accept donated water to keep flows in New Mexico's rivers for two purposes: to send downstream and comply with interstate stream compacts; or to benefit endangered species.
SB37 would allow a third purpose: to ensure that water can help recharge aquifers; and would allow the state to prioritize water that could have supplementary benefits, such as recreation or cultural uses, if it meets one of the three primary purposes.
Advocates celebrated the bill's passage and urged the governor to sign the bill.
'New Mexico's waters are becoming increasingly difficult to manage under the impacts of climate change,' Conservation Voters New Mexico Conservation Director Zoe Barker said in a statement.'This modernized Strategic Water Reserve will help keep streams flowing for the benefit of wildlife, recreation, cultural resources and downstream deliveries.'
BTW, the Strategic Water Reserve should not be confused with the Strategic Water Supply, House Bill 137, the once contentious bill that now addresses brackish water development. The bill is still awaiting a full hearing in the Senate.
Strategic Water Supply slides over to Senate
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