VOTER GUIDE

Senate Conservation Committee to Hear Key Initiative on Tuesday, Jan 28

New Mexico Legislature Faces Urgent Calls to Further Address Climate Change in 2025 Session

Pro Tem Mimi Stewart’s Suite of Bills Seek to Address Extreme Weather Now and For Future Generations

[Santa Fe, NM] – Today, a coalition of environmental, social justice, and conservation advocates from 25 organizations across New Mexico expressed their strong support for Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart’s suite of bills that will take action on climate change: the Clear Horizons Act, the Community Benefits Fund, and the Innovation in Government Act. The Clear Horizons Act will be heard in the Senate Conservation Committee on Tuesday, January 28.

“The Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefit Fund, and Innovation in Government Act reflect the bold and moral leadership New Mexico needs. We all have a sacred responsibility to protect this place and the promise it holds for all generations to come. Let us lean into this moment and lead from a place of courage and hope with legislation for a livable, healthy, just, and flourishing future for all our many diverse communities – a future we have, in equal measures, the right and the responsibility to protect.”  –Rev. Clara Sims, Assistant Executive Director of New Mexico & El Paso Interfaith Power and Light. 

The 2024 Conservation in the West poll found that 59% of New Mexicans consider climate change a very or extremely serious issue. This is unsurprising given the various ways climate change impacts New Mexicans, including more severe wildfires and floods, extended droughts that limit water supplies, and more extreme weather events and heat. In fact, 183 out of 221 – 83% – of Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2024 executive orders were related to emergency funding to address the impacts of climate change. In addition, Governor Lujan Grisham called on the legislature to codify in state law the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 this session in her State of the State speech on the opening day of the legislature.

“Right now, we’re helping to lead a national energy transition. We’re cleaning up our communities, reducing our carbon footprint, and making good on our commitment to reduce emissions. In fact, let’s make this the session in which the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 becomes the law of the land,” Governor Lujan Grisham said.

The Clear Horizons Act, Senate Bill 4, would create a regulatory framework that aligns state and industry pollution goals, paving the way for New Mexico to build a more innovative and sustainable economy. Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets exist in Governor Lujan Grisham’s executive order 2019-003 and will serve New Mexico in the long-term when codified in law.

The Community Benefits Fund, Senate Bills 48 and 49, would invest $340 million in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change, providing resources for renewable energy projects, energy efficiency upgrades, and other projects that reduce carbon pollution.

The Innovation in Government Fund, Senate Bill 83, would provide $10 million in funding to state agencies to support efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

“Pro Tem Stewart’s bills are bold and necessary steps forward in addressing the climate crisis and the direct impacts, such as more severe wildfires, extreme heat and drought, that communities are already experiencing,” says Ona Porter, MA, Founder Emerita and Clean Energy Leader, Prosperity Works. “We are already paying for the impacts of climate change. These bills ensure that we address the root causes of climate change while simultaneously investing in a cleaner, healthier future for all New Mexicans.”

“New Mexicans want to keep our state beautiful, protect our cherished ways of life, and create new opportunities statewide for our families now and in the future. The Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefit Fund, and Innovation in Government Act will help our environment, our economy, and our communities for generations to come, and I urge my fellow legislators to join me in supporting these bills.” says Senate Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart.

The coalition of advocates from 25 organizations supporting Pro Tem Stewart’s bills include: 350 New Mexico, Center for Civic Policy, Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, Coalition of Sustainable Communities New Mexico, Conservation Voters New Mexico, E2 – Environmental Entrepreneurs, Earthworks, Environmental Defense Fund, GreenLatinos, GRID Alternatives, Healthy Climate New Mexico, Moms Clean Air Force New Mexico chapter, Natural Resources Defense Council, New Mexico & El Paso Interfaith Power and Light, NM Native Vote, NMVC Action Fund, ProgressNow New Mexico, Prosperity Works, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, Sovereign Energy, SWEEP (Southwest Energy Efficiency Project), the Semilla Project, Western Environmental Law Center, Western Leaders Network, and Western Resource Advocates.

Learn more about why advocates are supporting these critical bills below:

“The New Mexico oil and gas industry routinely touts their achievements in reducing emissions, producing ever cleaner barrels of oil and being environmentally responsible. The Clear Horizons Act provides NM oil and gas producers with a perfect opportunity to codify the efforts they highlight with enforceable standards for ever cleaner and more responsible production. 350 New Mexico looks forward to the enthusiastic support of the oil and gas industry and their legislative allies for this important legislation,” says Tom Solomon, co-coordinator, 350 New Mexico.

“Our families and communities deserve to be treated with respect and care, especially by companies and industries that can afford to do more to reduce pollution and create a healthier environment. With a regulatory framework and critical investments in long-term resiliency, we can create more good jobs and training programs for a diversified economy,” says Michael Leon Guerrero, Sustainable Economy Policy Advisor for the Center for Civic Policy. “We are proud to support the Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefits Fund, and Innovation in Government Act because we know that together, these bills will bring new economic opportunities, investments, and help meet urgent climate goals for the future of New Mexico.”

”We want to thank Senate Pro Tem Stewart for bringing these bills forward,” says Charles de Saillan, attorney representing Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy. “The Clear Horizons Act will codify the greenhouse gas reduction targets of the Governor’s executive order and the Paris Climate Accords. More importantly, the bill will require State regulators to adopt enforceable rules to require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico to help meet those targets. You could say that the reduction targets are the soul of the bill, while the rulemaking requirements are its heart. This legislation is essential if we are to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.”

“The suite of bills sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart have come at a critical moment, when federal policies and programs dealing with climate change are being shredded and states must step up”, says Demis Foster, CEO for Conservation Voters New Mexico. “The Clear Horizons Act, the Community Benefit Fund and the Innovation in Government Act are a comprehensive response to climate change and the extreme events it helps create and amplify in New Mexico: fires, floods and long-term drought. The bills will make necessary investments in the energy transition and protect communities and New Mexico’s air, land, water, and wildlife.”

“At this crucial juncture, it is more important than ever to take meaningful action to reduce emissions and fight climate change,” says Andrew Forkes-Gudmundson of Earthworks. “This suite of bills will help New Mexico actually meet its emission reduction goals and hit its climate targets. Passing these bills is a necessary step towards our energy transition and to preserve New Mexico’s clean air and healthy environment.”

“The Clear Horizons Act provides the critical framework, tools and resources New Mexico needs to hold polluters accountable and protect communities from the worst impacts of climate change.” says Michael Bueno, Senior Manager, State Climate Policy and Strategy at EDF Action. “New Mexicans are looking to state leaders to drive local solutions that put community needs first, protect precious water resources, and deliver clean air and good-paying jobs they and their kids can rely on. Passing the Clear Horizons Act is a foundational next step in the state’s climate leadership that will promote a thriving, transformative economy that protects New Mexicans for generations to come. We thank Senate Pro Tem Stewart for her leadership.”

“New Mexico has been considered a ‘sacrifice zone’ in order to benefit extractive industries. Our people are deserving of protection from the damage to our beautiful environment that these industries bring in order to create more shareholder value and profit for the wealthy. We are grateful to Senate Pro Tem Stewart for supporting the right to clean air, pure water, and healthy soil for our families, our neighbors, and our future generations. The Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefits Fund, and The Innovations in Government Act will all move us towards a better life for ourselves and our descendants,” says Carlos Matutes, New Mexico Community Advocate with GreenLatinos.

“As health professionals, we know firsthand how extreme weather and climate change events are harming our patients and communities. No community is immune. These bold proposals will help protect the well-being of all New Mexicans, especially our most vulnerable populations. Grateful to all who are working to reduce climate pollution and invest in solutions to save lives now and for the future,” says Shelley Mann-Lev, MPH, Executive Director of Healthy Climate New Mexico.

“As moms, we know that clean air is essential for the health and future of our kids. The Clear Horizons Act provides New Mexico with the tools to reduce harmful pollution, address the climate crisis, and build a sustainable future”, says Giovanna Rossi with Moms Clean Air Force, New Mexico chapter. “We thank Senate Pro Tem Stewart for her leadership in protecting our kids and communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.”

“The Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefit Fund, and Innovation in Government Act reflect the bold and moral leadership New Mexico needs,” says Rev. Clara Sims, Assistant Executive Director of New Mexico & El Paso Interfaith Power and Light. “We all have a sacred responsibility to protect this place and the promise it holds for all generations to come. Let us lean into this moment and lead from a place of courage and hope with legislation for a livable, healthy, just, and flourishing future for all our many diverse communities – a future we have, in equal measures, the right and the responsibility to protect.”

“Our indigenous communities are experiencing the most drastic effects of climate change. Our lands are hotter than ever. The continual drought impacts our farmers while extractive developments built near us put our community health at risk. It’s time to pass legislation to require industry to take the next steps to reduce their climate pollution so this and next generations have a chance to thrive,” says Ahtza Dawn Chavez, Executive Director of NM Native Vote.

“The Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefit Fund, and Innovation in Government Act clear the path forward for thriving communities, a robust economy, and sustainable growth in New Mexico,” says Alexis Mena, New Mexico Policy Director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Now it’s up to the legislature to pass this critical suite and safeguard the future of our state for generations to come.”

“When we talk about ‘energy’ in New Mexico it’s so much more than just an industry or tangible resources. It’s also the feeling about what New Mexico is and who our people are. The Clear Horizons Act and supporting bills create a level playing field for industry while ensuring that we’re protecting the things that give NM its energy,” says Lucas Herndon, Energy Policy Director at ProgressNow New Mexico.’

“While we most often think of extreme climate events as fires and floods, think now about those suffering with huge energy bills that they are unlikely to be able to pay as we endure the deepest and longest extreme cold that we have seen in decades,” says Ona Porter, Founder Emerita and Clean Energy Leader at Prosperity Works. “With the Community Benefits Fund we will be able to more fully fund the Community Energy Efficiency Block Grant (CEED) that provides deep energy efficiency retrofits in the homes of our most vulnerable residents’ homes. Thank you, Senator Stewart!”

“At The Semilla Project, we firmly believe that the suite of bills introduced by Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart are a pivotal step towards our shared goals for a sustainable future,” says Jared Berenice Estrada, Advocacy and Programs Director for The Semilla Project. These bills resonate with our commitment at The Semilla Project to engage and prepare young people for leadership in a green economy. We stand with this effort to transform our state into a leader in climate action, ensuring our youth inherit a healthier, more resilient New Mexico.”

“New Mexico has the workforce, the innovation and the leadership to protect our people from the devastating impacts of fires, floods, drought and extreme heat. With the federal attempts to roll back the urgent work we need to do to slow down the outsized impacts of global warming on New Mexico, our state is going to have to do more than ever,” says Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director.

“These bills exemplify Pro Tem Stewart’s bold leadership on climate and clean energy policy,” says Alex Eubanks, New Mexico Representative for SWEEP. “By prioritizing clean energy, innovation, and community benefits, these measures will help reduce emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and strengthen New Mexico’s economy. We encourage the Legislature to pass them and solidify New Mexico’s role as a climate leader.”

“We applaud Senate Pro Tem Stewart and her team for crafting such a thoughtful approach to climate and just transition action in New Mexico,” says Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Executive Director at the Western Environmental Law Center. “These bills position New Mexico to open new doors to a thriving, resilient future where our state is a leader in the fight against the climate crisis, better protects its rich natural heritage, and actively builds a strong, diversified economy powered by renewable energy.”

“As elected officials and their communities contend with the impacts of climate change, the Clear Horizons Act, Community Benefit Fund and Innovation in Government Act meet the moment by promising a more resilient climate future for all New Mexicans,” says Jessica Pace, Interim Executive Director at Western Leaders Network. “These bills would put New Mexico on track to reach state climate goals, hold polluters accountable, invest in the clean energy transition and protect our air, waters and lands. We commend Senate Pro Tem Stewart for her commitment to climate action by sponsoring these critical bills and urge the legislature to support them.”

“Now more than ever, it’s critical that states take the initiative and craft strong policies to address climate change,” says Cydney Beadles, senior attorney and New Mexico Clean Energy Manager at Western Resource Advocates (WRA). “With these bills, our state leaders are sending a powerful message that the right of all New Mexicans to clean air and healthy communities is a priority worth fighting for. This is the kind of action that will advance the clean energy transition in New Mexico.”

Advocacy in the 2025 NM Legislature: Lifting Up Our Sacred Waters

By Rev. Clara Sims
Assistant Executive Director
IPL New Mexico & El Paso

As the legislative session begins this week, we are highlighting several opportunities to advocate for a more responsible and just relationship to water — water who is among our most precious sibling and a sacred caretaker of all Creation.

The political landscape of water in New Mexico is multifaceted and complex. We extend great gratitude to organizations such as Amigos Bravos and NM Water Advocates for providing guidance and leadership for the 2025 session.

Here’s what we are paying attention to

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is proposing $75 million for the Strategic Water Supply which would fund unproven and risky processes of produced water reuse from oil and gas operations, brackish water extraction, and desalinization.

Along with the undersigned 53 organizations, New Mexico & El Paso IPL shares deep concern for the implications of the Strategic Water Supply. We understand it to be a risk to public health and our already scarce freshwater resources, as well as a publicly funded subsidy for the oil and gas industry’s waste disposal problem.

Instead, we join others in asking our leaders to focus on a responsible and just path in water management through the following key areas.

Focus on funding good legislation that has already passed, like the 2023 Water Security Planning Act! In this spirit, New Mexico Water Advocates and the state appointed Water Task Force reccomend $62 million in one time appropriations in HB2 (the overarching funding bill) for the following:

Water Security Planning Act Implementation

Allocate $30 million over three years to fund the 2023 Water Security Planning Act which passed unanimously. This would fund regional water planning that is robust and based on reliable data. It would include funding grants to regions to coordinate and conduct community-driven planning to address water scarcity and prepare for reduced aquifer recharge and streamflow by identifying, vetting, and prioritizing programs, policies, and projects to improve water supply security for current and future generations of New Mexicans. This would include establishing regional water planning entities, providing grants to stand up entities, preparing work plans, and doing the work by finding dedicated staff and expert(s) help for each region.

Water Agency Modernization

Allocate $30 million over three years for the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) and the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) to modernize their equipment, software and processes so these two offices can do their jobs more effectively, fulfilling the data-related mandate of the 2019 Water Data Act and the 2023 Water Security Planning Act outlined above.

Active Water Resource Management (AWRM)

Allocate $2 million over two years to prepare for Active Water Resource Management (AWRM) to the Middle and Lower Rio Grande for water rights enforcement — promulgate rules to implement priority administration with water banks in the Lower and Middle Rio Grande

That’s a lot of information! How can you advocate for all these moving pieces?

Start with New Mexico Water Advocates guide, which includes a pre-written letter that you can edit and send to your legislator(s) via email. If you do so, remember how powerful it is to uplift that you are writing as a person of faith and conscience!

To learn more, you can also check out NM Water Advocates speaker series focusing on these three areas of legislative action.

And wait, there’s more…

Responding to the loss in federal protections for New Mexico waterways

There are two very important bills that would create much needed state regulatory protection of our waters given our recent loss in federal protections. After the Sackett supreme court decision in 2023, over 96% of New Mexico waterways lack protection under the EPA’s Water Quality Act. Because of this decision, the group American Rivers named ALL of New Mexico’s rivers as the most endangered rivers of 2024.

Given this, we need strong state-level protections of our rivers, tributaries, wetlands, including and especially those that flow only seasonally.

The following two pieces of legislation are intended to be passed in tandem.

Water Quality Act Changes (SB 22)

Sponsored by Senator Wirth and Rep. Ortez, this first bill proposes amendments to the Water Quality Act that will enable the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to build a state surface water permitting program for waters no longer federally protected.

NMPDES Primacy Bill (SB 21)

Sponsored by Senator Wirth and Rep. Duhigg, this second bill will enable NMED to take primacy from EPA of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System surface water discharge permits. In other words, it will give the state authority to take over permitting from the EPA — thereby creating a more streamlined process and ensuring NM’s waters are managed by local experts.

To learn more, you can also check out Amigos Bravos educational fact sheet focusing on these two related bills, as well as their press release.

If you want to be kept up to date more regularly on committee hearings and additional opportunities to raise your voice for our sacred waters and more, we can add you to our advocacy list. To be added, please contact our advocacy chair Ruth Striegel (ruthstriegel@gmail.com) and our assistant director Clara Sims (clara@nm-ipl.org).

Join Us for a Forum on Water Advocacy in the Coming State Legislature

How to Advocate for Water Funding from the NM Legislature

Water is Life! Join the Green Justice team at First Congregational UCC and co-sponsor IPL-New Mexico El Paso to learn about how New Mexico’s water supply is dwindling at an alarming rate and how you can advocate for robust water funding during the 2025 New Mexico Legislative session.

Sunday, January 12, 11:45
First Congregational UCC,
2801 Lomas Blvd. NE  Albuquerque
(in the Music Room)

Guest Speaker Norm Gaume
President of NM Water Advocates

Norm has spent his career managing water in New Mexico and is a former director of the Interstate Stream Commission. He is now the president of NM Water Advocates, educating and organizing citizens of NM to participate in shaping our water future. He was involved n the creation of the 50-Year Water Action plan.

Contact Rev. Clara Sims, clara@nm-ipl.org for Zoom link if you can’t attend in person.

On Tuesday, June 30, Faith in Public Life and Interfaith Power & Light released a voter reflection guide endorsed by prominent national faith groups and religious leaders. The guide, Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election, addresses urgent issues in the election, including voting rights, climate change, systemic racism in the criminal justice system, healthcare and immigration. The guide, which will be distributed across the country for discussion in diverse faith communities, includes topics for reflection and sample questions to ask candidates  Download Full Guide Here

Download Spanish-language version of the guide, Democracia, Valores y las Elecciones de 2020

Issues and Questions

Democracy and Voting Rights (Page 1)

This election is more than a choice between parties and ideologies. An even more fundamental question is at stake: Can we preserve democracy in the face of serious threats to fair elections and fundamental rights?

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How do you see democratic values at risk today?
  2. How do systemic barriers to voting undermine our most sacred democratic values?
  3. How can your faith community better advocate for stronger voter protections at the state and local level?
  4. As a candidate, what are your specific plans for protecting and strengthening voting rights?

Protecting God’s Creation Climate Justice for our Children and World (Page 2)

As people of faith, we believe that responding to the urgent threat of climate change is essential to caring for God’s creation and loving our neighbors. Human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels for energy, has thrown
nature out of balance, polluted the air, driven thousands of species of God’s creatures to extinction, intensified catastrophic events such as wildfires and hurricanes, and threatened the lives and livelihoods of our most vulnerable brothers, sisters and neighbors around the world. Scientists tell us we have less than a decade to avoid even more catastrophic consequences.

The United States has a unique responsibility to show moral and political leadership:

  • Transitioning our economy away from polluting fossil fuels toward 100% clean energy.
  • Honoring the emissions-reduction commitments our nation made at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris in 2015, and taking additional actions needed to avert catastrophic global warming.
  • Assisting developing nations— who are least responsible for climate change but most impacted by it — in coping with threats such as increased droughts, disease, and sea-level rise by sharing technology and financial support.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. What does your faith teach about our responsibilities for the Earth and to others? How are they interdependent?
  2. Has your faith community made an effort to cut emissions, save energy, or practice environmental stewardship?
  3. As a candidate, what specific policies do you support to protect God’s Creation and secure a safe climate for our children and future generations?

Loving Our Immigrant Neighbors (Page 4)

Scripture repeatedly makes clear that immigrants must be treated with dignity. Policies that rip children from their parents’ arms, lock people away in inhumane conditions, and ban desperate families from entering the country
should keep us awake at night. As people of faith, we believe that the way we treat our immigrant neighbors is a sign of how we treat God.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can we replace immoral immigration policies that tear families apart and cause trauma with an immigration system that values families and affirms the dignity of allv people?
  2. What can we do to heal the wounds inflicted on immigrant communities by political rhetoric that portrays them as a dangerous “other?”
  3. If there are immigrants in our community who are feeling isolated and under threat, how can we show support and build connections?
  4. As a candidate, what will you do to defend the dignity of all immigrants, and how will you further policies that keep families together?

The Last Shall Be First An Economy of Inclusion (Page 5)

Our economic systems should work for all Americans, not only the wealthiest few. This is a matter of justice and
human dignity. All religious traditions recognize that charity is essential to care for the most vulnerable, but helping our neighbors in poverty also compels us to address its root causes. “Charity is no substitute for justice withheld,” St. Augustine observed centuries ago.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. What can we do to ensure that all Americans are able to provide for their families and live with security and dignity?
  2. How do we create a just tax system that is fair to all Americans, including working families who are trapped in poverty?
  3. Why does the United States lag behind most developed countries when it comes to providing paid sick leave and paid family leave?
  4. As a candidate, what are your specific plans to ensure workers have living wages and economic security while the coronavirus pandemic continues, as well as for the long term?

More Health Policies in a Time of a Pandemic  (Page 7)

Despite our nation’s stated values of life and equality, the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not guarantee its residents universal access to health care. This is a failure of political and moral imagination – especially in a time of pandemic.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can people of faith be most effective in using our stories, congregations and power to advocate for health care reform?
  2. What do you struggle with the most when it comes to our healthcare system?
  3. How has the COVID-19 crisis impacted your community? What policy solutions can keep us all safe and remedy racial and economic inequalities in your community?
  4. As a candidate, what are your specific plans for making sure that quality,
    affordable health care is available for all?

Restorative Racial Justice (Page 9)

Justice and redemption are at the very heart of faith. Restorative justice begins with listening to and empowering communities that have been exploited, excluded and denied equal representation and freedom. The evil ideology of
white supremacy shaped our nation from its founding and continues to impact policies and communities today, especially in the criminal justice system. The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and so many other Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color, has provoked a growing, multi-racial moral movement for accountability and systemic reforms for racial justice.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can we dismantle the evil ideology of white supremacy in our culture and political systems?
  2. What can be done to end racial profiling and police violence against people of color?
  3. What steps can be taken to ensure formerly incarcerated people have voting rights and fair access to employment?
  4. As a candidate, what will you do to ensure racial justice is prioritized in the criminal justice system?
  5. How do we build safe communities for everyone, particularly people of color?

Made in the Image of God: Respecting the Dignity of LGBTQ People (Page 11)

All people have inherent dignity because everyone is created in the image of God. Our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender family members, neighbors and co-workers deserve equal rights, and to live without fear or discrimination.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can your faith community more fully support the equal dignity of LGBTQ people in your state and local area?
  2. What are the greatest threats to LGBTQ people in your community and the nation?
  3. As a candidate, what are your specific plans to ensure that LGBTQ people have equal rights and are treated with dignity

The Global Common Good:  We’re All in This Together (Page 12)

What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves in a globalized world? The health and future of our country and
communities are interconnected to the health and security of other nations. Our  fates are bound up in what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., called “an inescapable network of mutuality.”

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. What policies do you think are most important for creating security for your family and community?
  2. What role should the United States play in the world to help build global peace and security?
  3. How can your faith community advocate for policies to create a more peaceful world?
  4. As a candidate, what programs and policies would you prioritize to help build secure communities and a peaceful world?