The New Mexico State Legislature’s interim Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee (comprised of House and Senate members) has voted overwhelmingly (6-1) to bring an initiative on the Green Amendment to the legislative floor during the 2022 session.  The initiative was proposed in the 2021 session, but did not advance.  If passed, the resolution would implement a future public vote to adopt language to uphold environmental rights for all New Mexicans.  The initiative would  that would codify into the State’s Constitution the public’s right to a “healthy environment,” citing ongoing concerns for pollution and climate change.

“Giving the people of New Mexico an opportunity to vote to amend our constitution so as to protect our precious air, land, water, flora and fauna will be a powerful statement from ‘We, the People’ of New Mexico about our priority to preserve our beautiful and environmentally fragile state,  Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, a co-sponsor of the 2021 Green Amendment initiative, said in testimony to the committee. She is not a member of the committee.

Sens. Jeff Steinborn, Nancy Rodriguez and Brenda McKenna, and  Reps. Lee Alcon , Joanne Ferrary and Debra Sariñana voted to endorse the resolution. The lone dissenter was Sen. Christin Chandler, who argued that the initiative could potentially create  legal liability and subsequent financial burdens for state and municipal governments.

Read article in Carlsbad Current-Argus