Latest news with #HouseBill128
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass new bill to revolutionize access to low-cost energy: 'This will allow our communities to save money'
A newly passed bill in New Mexico is set to make it easier — and more affordable — for communities to access reliable, clean energy. The state House of Representatives recently approved House Bill 128, a bipartisan measure aimed at supporting solar energy projects in rural and tribal areas. The bill would establish the Local Solar Access Fund, with $20 million proposed in the 2025 state budget to help build solar and battery systems on key public buildings like fire stations, community centers, and water utilities, according to the Los Alamos Reporter. If signed into law, the bill would open the door to grant funding for school districts, counties, and tribal governments, helping cut utility costs while strengthening energy resilience by installing solar panels. The program is designed to prioritize communities that have been historically left out of clean energy upgrades, especially those on tribal lands or facing economic disadvantages. Beyond cutting energy costs and improving access, programs like this also reduce heat-trapping pollution, one of the key drivers of our planet's overheating, by replacing dirty energy sources with clean, locally generated power. New Mexico's approach mirrors a growing national push to ensure that the clean energy transition benefits everyone. Illinois recently approved a new grid modernization plan to support solar panels and battery storage in homes, while Maryland's Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 helps schools achieve similar savings and energy independence through solar. This kind of investment echoes similar efforts nationwide to help everyday people — not just large companies — benefit from the clean energy shift. These state efforts often work in tandem with national initiatives. The Inflation Reduction Act, for example, offers tax credits for solar panels and battery storage systems that help both households and communities lower their bills and boost climate resilience. Do you think your house could withstand a hurricane? No way Maybe a weak one I'm not sure It definitely could Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The Environmental Protection Agency has also launched the Solar for All program to help low-income households across the country access clean, reliable energy. "This will allow our communities to save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and equip community centers, water utilities, and fire stations with resilient and stable sources of power," said House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, one of the bill's sponsors, in the press release. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov Lujan Grisham signs electric grid, solar power and cannabis-enforcement bills into law
Gov. Lujan Grisham signed more than 40 more bills on April 8 ahead of an April 11 deadline. (Photo by Danielle Prokop/Source NM) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed 41 more bills into law Tuesday, including several to boost New Mexico's ability to install solar panels in small communities and allow utilities to seek rate changes for technology to improve electricity transmission. She has until April 11 to sign or veto legislation. House Bill 128 establishes a $20 million dollar fund to provide grants for solar energy and battery storage for tribal, rural and low-income schools, municipalities and counties. 'This fund is an investment in our infrastructure, our economy, and our future,' Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) one of the bill's sponsors, said in a statement. 'It fills crucial funding gaps for rural and underserved areas, ensuring that all communities — no matter their zip code — can implement solar projects that cut energy costs, lower emissions, and enhance our resilience during fires, blackouts, and intense storms. I'm proud that we passed it.' House Bill 93 will allow larger electric utilities to incorporate advanced grid technology projects into their grid modernization plans, and incorporate those plans into the ratemaking process before the Public Regulation Commission. Co-sponsor Kristina Ortez (D-Taos) told Source the alternative: building more transmission lines can be '100 times to 1,000 times more expensive' than using technologies that boost lines capacity to carry more electricity, and state law allows electricity companies to pass on those costs to customers. 'Advanced grid technologies are way cheaper for ratepayers,' Ortez said. 'These utilities now have incentives to try to make their existing lines more efficient rather than building a whole new one.' HB93 is limited to investor-owned utilities, such as Public Service Company of New Mexico Xcel Energy and El Paso Electric, and does not impact smaller electric cooperatives, she noted. The governor also signed : House Bill 10, which establishes a new enforcement division under the state's Regulation and Licensing Bureau to enforce state cannabis laws; House Bill 63, which proposes changes to the public school funding formula to generate more money for low-income, English-language learning students and students in seventh through 12th grades; andSenate Bill 19, which requires that members of university governing boards undergo 10 hours of training on ethics, student services and best practices. Four of the bills she enacted related to water treatment for ongoing climate impacts, addressing so-called 'forever chemicals' contamination and pollution control. Here's a full list of the bills the governor signed: House Bill 56: Medicaid Reimbursements for Birth Centers House Bill: Prohibit Discrimination Against 340B Entities House Bill 117: Death Certificate by Physician Assistant House Bill 171: Pharmacy Custodial Care Facilities House Bill 178: Nursing Practice Changes Senate Bill 120: No Behavioral Health Cost Sharing Senate Bill 122: Expand Prescription Drug Donation Program Senate Bill 249: Health Care Provider Gross Receipts House Bill 93: Advanced Grid Technology Plans House Bill 128: NMFA Local Solar Access Fund House Bill 137: Strategic Water Supply Act House Bill 140: 'Hazardous Waste Constituent' Definition House Bill 212: Per- & Poly-Flouroalkyl Protection Act House Bill 240: Drinking Water System Grants & Loans House Bill 295: Tax On Property Owned by NM RETA Senate Bill 21: Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act House Bill 19: Trade Ports Development Act House Bill 368: High Wage Jobs Tax Credit 'Threshold Job' House Bill 456: Architect & Engineering Services & Construction House Bill 63: Public School Funding Formula Changes House Bill 69: Loan Forgiveness Multiplier Act House Bill 89: Graduate Scholarship Act Changes House Bill 336: Certain Retirees Returning to Work Senate Bill 19: Boards Of Regents Training Requirements Senate Bill 146: Educational Opportunity for Military Children House Bill 10: RLD Cannabis Enforcement House Bill 24: Community Governance Attorneys Changes House Bill 113: Animal Welfare Program and Trust Fund House Bill 158: Military Base Planning & Impact Act House Bill 296: Public Accountant Licensure Requirements House Bill 398: HMO & Contract Provider Exam Time Lines House Bill 468: Retiring of State Flags Senate Bill 88: Medicaid Trust Fund & State Supported Fund Senate Bill 92: Horse Racing & Jockey Insurance Fund Senate Bill 126: Increase Rural Service Fund Allocations Senate Bill 159: Independent Theater Beer & Wine Licenses Senate Bill 221: Additional Unfair Insurance Claims Practice Senate Bill 267: Housing Application Fees Senate Bill 280: NMMI In Capital Outlay Act Senate Bill 290: Raise Marriage License Fees Senate Bill 357: Essential Services Development Act
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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 SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus forges ahead in ‘moment of deep uncertainty' for country
Ohio State Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus, speaks during a press conference celebrating Women's History Month and laying out legislative priorities for the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus, of which she serves as chair. (Screenshot photo courtesy of The Ohio Channel) In celebrating Women's History Month, the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus is recognizing those that came before them, and preparing themselves to continue to fight for issues that are still there after decades, like wage disparities and reproductive rights. 'We stand in a moment of deep uncertainty in our country,' said caucus chair state Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus. 'We see the fear in our communities, in the voices of our neighbors, in the policies being signed into law federally and right here in the Statehouse that tell us over and over again that our rights, our dignity and our futures are not a priority for those in power.' Using legislation targeting access to affordable health care, political engagement, domestic violence and child care, among others, the women of the caucus are planning to look forward and change strategies as they sit in what Abdullahi acknowledged as 'a superminority.' But the challenge to be heard in a legislature with a Republican stronghold on both chambers isn't a deterrent to building the Ohio they want to see, the legislators said. 'We will build a world where no woman, no person, fears for their safety in their home, in their workplace or in their community,' Abdullahi said during a press conference Tuesday with the caucus. 'And we will build movements that will outlast any speaker, any president or administration, or any attempts to erase our power.' Democrats are planning 'listening tours' in districts across the state to hear from constituents, and bring with them information about the legislation they want to see passed. 'This race is not a sprint, it's a marathon,' said state Rep. Meredith Lawson-Rowe, D-Reynoldsburg. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legislators listed several measures they are leading this General Assembly, including state Rep. Anita Somani's House Bill 128, which seeks to codify reproductive rights in the same way that the constitutional amendment passed in 2023 established reproductive rights like abortion and fertility treatments in the Ohio Constitution. The bill also aims to repeal state laws that sponsors say conflict with the amendment. 'When women are able to plan when and if they have children, they are able to achieve higher levels of education and as a result, higher financial security,' said Somani, D-Dublin. State Rep. Rachel Baker, D-Cincinnati, touted her bipartisan legislation with Republican state Rep. Cindy Abrams, House Bill 141, which looks to improve prescribed pediatric extended care centers for families of children with 'medical complexities.' With House Bill 60, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Latyna Humphrey and Republican Rep. Josh Williams, the legislators hope to see the use of campaign funds for child care expenses become state law. Lawson-Rowe plans to reintroduce the an equal pay act to prohibit sex-based wage disparities and bar retaliation in the workplace for speaking about pay, and state Reps. Crystal Lett, D-Columbus, and Tristan Rader, D-Lakewood, are heading up House Bill 136, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Part of their motivation and hope for this new General Assembly is new strategies to see the bills pass, even in a Republican supermajority, through bipartisanship and compromise. 'My tactic this GA … is to find folks across the aisle, maybe tweak a few things, maybe change messaging,' Abdullahi said. 'It takes a couple of conversations and maybe negotiating, but we are looking towards different tactics to make these bills pass.' But the legislators don't see the priority legislation they've presented as difficult measures to garner Republican (or independent) support. 'Everything we've talked about today, from child care to reproductive care to equal pay, is not a partisan issue,' Somani said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio Democrats seek to codify reproductive care, align state law with constitutional amendment
Ohio abortion rights demonstrators. (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) Ohio Democratic lawmakers will try to push back against existing abortion regulations and align state law with the state constitution in a new bill to codify reproductive care. State Reps. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, and Desiree Tims, D-Dayton, introduced House Bill 128 this month, which seeks to repeal 'archaic laws in our state that do not improve outcomes or access to care,' Somani said, laws that include 'unnecessary ultrasounds' and hospital transfer agreements that hinder physicians from conducting care at certain clinics or facilities that provide abortion care. 'They were passed to create roadblocks for those seeking abortion care and those providing that care,' Somani said. The bill is a reintroduction of a measure from the last General Assembly that only had one committee hearing, never received a vote and died with the end of a session run by a Republican supermajority which has in the past shown more support for anti-abortion measures than reproductive rights efforts pushed by the Democrats. 'I would hope that all of the stories of women dying because of restrictive abortion laws (nationwide) would help people understand what these restrictive abortion laws do,' Somani told the Capital Journal. Somani's previous bill, House Bill 343, sought to repeal legislation approved by the legislature in 2019 that banned abortion after six weeks of gestation, called the Heartbeat Act by supporters. That law spent most of its existence in court as abortion rights groups fought to have it rejected. The bill couldn't be enforced while it was tied up in multiple courts, and it was ultimately struck down by a Hamilton County judge last October. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In his decision, Judge Christian Jenkins cited the state's constitutional amendment, approved by 57% of Ohio voters in November 2023, which established rights to reproductive health, including abortion, miscarriage care, and fertility treatments. The fate of the 2019 law hasn't been decided yet, however, as Ohio Attorney General (and 2026 governor hopeful) Dave Yost has appealed the decision to the First District Court of Appeals. Yost has said he isn't planning to fight the six-week ban's rejection on appeal, instead aiming his arguments at other provisions of the law, saying not all state regulations that could be considered connected to abortion care can be eliminated. 'The state respects the will of the people regarding the six-week abortion ban, but the state is also obligated to protect provisions in S.B. 23 (the Heartbeat Act) … that the constitutional amendment does not address,' a spokesperson for Yost said when the appeal was filed. It's the idea of litigating law after law that drove Somani to the legislation she hopes to see considered in the new General Assembly. Before, during, and after the passage of the constitutional amendment, reproductive rights advocates went to court to fight laws regarding fetal and embryonic remains disposal, the 24-hour waiting period required before an abortion, a two-visit minimum for pregnant individuals before the procedure can take place, and virtual prescription of medication used for abortions, along with the six-week ban lawsuit. 'Our hope is to align legislation with the constitutional amendment, and not have to go through each piece of previous legislation,' Somani said. As an OB/GYN as well as a legislator, Somani said codifying the care established in the state constitution would also address maternal and infant mortality, issues the state has struggled with for years, particularly when it comes to Black infants and mothers. In recent research from Groundwork Ohio, the state was also one of the worst in the country for low infant birth weight among Medicaid enrollees, with premature birth rates also increasing since 2019. H.B. 128 would also add nondiscrimination, civil, and criminal protections for 'evidence-based care,' according to the bill sponsors. 'This legislation ensures that health care providers can focus on what matters most: providing high-quality, compassionate care to those who need it,' Tims said in a statement on the bill. The bill was referred to the Ohio House Health Committee on Wednesday, where it will be subject to testimony from supporters and opponents before the chamber can vote on the measure. The legislation faces an uphill battle, not only because a Democratic-led bill on reproductive rights is likely to struggle in the Republican supermajority Statehouse, but also because state operating budget negotiations have taken over much of the discussion as the July deadline approaches. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
