March 12, 2007

The Final Stretch

The state legislative session has less than a week to go – as all final deal making, arguing and voting comes to a close at noon on Saturday. We've had some great victories, but many of the key bills we've been supporting are still up in the air. This week will be a critical one so we really need your support. Here's a rundown on what's happened (and what's not):

Certain Victories

These bills are on the governor's desk awaiting his signature (which he has promised):

• Cockfighting ban We backed the banning of this blood "sport" because witnesses to violence are also victims of that violence – and far too many of them are children
• Medicaid funding is in the budget bill that's now on the governor's desk. The budget includes most of the Medicaid funding we had hoped for.

Not-So-Certain Victories

These bills are on the governor's desk awaiting his signature (which he has not promised). Please call the governor's office to urge him to sign the following bills. You can reach the governor at 476-2200 or email him from an form at http://www.governor.state.nm.us/emailchoice.php?mm=6 

• Childcare expansion funding helps parents pay for quality childcare so they can afford to go to work. Ask Governor Richardson to approve all childcare funding in the budget.
• Native American Youth Suicide prevention With a distressingly high rate of suicide among our Native youth, this bill is absolutely essential and represents a fraction of the budget. Ask Governor Richardson to approve this $50,000 line item in the Dept. of Health budget.
• Dee Johnson Clean Indoor Air Act would make it illegal to smoke in most work places.

Still Ahead & Need Your Help!

This bill was passed in the House and is being considered by the full Senate. Please call your Senator and ask him/her to vote for the House bill with no further changes.

• Raising the minimum wage New Mexicans making the minimum wage will get a raise to $6.75 an hour next January and another raise to $7.50 an hour in January 2009. There is no automatic cost of living increase, and cities and counties are preempted from increasing their minimum wages until 2010. This was a compromise bill.

You can find out who your Senator is and how to contact her/him here: http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/legislatorsearch.asp

These bills are still in play in various committees. Please call your representatives if they are in the following committees and urge them to pass these bills to the floor for a full vote:

 Senate Finance Committee:

• Working Families Tax Credit (HB436 and SB317) creates a state-level earned income tax credit at 7.5 percent of the federal credit to lift working families out of poverty.
• Low Income Tax Exemptions (HB 1254) increases exemptions for low- and middle-income families, so their personal income taxes will be lowered.
• Unemployment Insurance reform (HB 247) increases benefits to workers who are between jobs.

Sen. Tim Jennings, Co-Chair, 986-4362

Sen. John Arthur Smith, Co-Chair, 986-4363, john.smith@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Carlos Cisneros, Vice-Chair, 986-4863, carlos.cisneros@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Joseph Carraro, Ranking Member, 986-4387, joecarraro@aol.com

Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, 986-4395, sue.beffort@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Pete Campos, 986-4311, petecampos@newmexico.com

Sen. Carroll Leavell, 986-4278, leavell4@leaco.net

Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson, 986-4703, lee.rawson@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, 986-4264

Sen. Bernadette Sanchez, 986-4267

 

Senate Judiciary Committee:

• Repeal of the death penalty (HB 190) While there are many reasons to repeal this practice, one that comes to the forefront thanks to our Race Matters work is the fact that the death penalty has been used in a very discriminatory way. It remains in the Senate Judiciary Committee after a hearing last Wednesday in which there weren't enough votes to move it to the Senate floor.

Sen. Cisco McSorley, Chair, 986-4485, cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Richard C. Martinez, Vice Chair, 986-4389, richard.martinez@nmlegis.gov

Sen. William H. Payne, Ranking Member, 986-4276, william.payne@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Rod Adair, 986-4385, radair@dfn.com

Sen. Kent Cravens, 986-4391, klcravens@alphagraphics.com

Sen. John Grubesic, 986-4260, john.grubesic@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Clinton Harden, 986-4369, charden@theosogroup.com

Sen. Linda M. Lopez, 986-4737

Sen. Lidio G. Rainaldi, 986-4310

Sen. Michael S. Sanchez, 986-4727, senatormssanchez@aol.com

Senate Corporations Committee:

• Predatory lending (HB 92) places some controls on the payday loan industry; not as harsh as we'd like, but it's a start.

Sen. Shannon Robinson, 986-4856, shannon.robinson@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, 986-4380, jortizyp@aol.com

Sen. Diane Snyder, 986-4375, hdsnyder@spinn.net

Sen. Mark Boitano, 986-4366, boitanom@aol.com

Sen. Dianna J. Duran, 986-4701, dianna.duran@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Phil A. Griego, 986-4861, senatorgriego@yahoo.com

Sen. Stuart Ingle, 986-4702

Sen. Cynthia Nava, 986-4834. cynthia.nava@nmlegis.gov

Sen. James G. Taylor, 986-4862, jamesg.taylor@nmlegis.gov

Senate Public Affairs Committee

• Domestic partnerships (HB 603) has passed the House and is now in the Senate Public Affairs Committee. The following are considered swing votes in the Senate:

Sen. Ben Altamirano, 986-4733

Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, 986-4395, sue.beffort@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Pete Campos, 986-4311, petecampos@newmexico.com

Sen. Carlos Cisneros, 986-4863, carlos.cisneros@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, 986-4726, maryjane.garcia@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Tim Jennings, 986-4362 

Sen. Lynda Lovejoy, 986-4859

Sen. John Ryan, 986-4373, johnchrisryan@yahoo.com

Sen. Bernadette Sanchez, 986-4267 

Sen. John Arthur Smith, 986-4363, john.smith@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Diane Snyder, 986-4374, hdsnyder@spinn.net

Sen. David Ulibarri, 986-4265

Also Still Ahead 

Tax transparency is still in play. It would require the state to look at all the tax exemptions it's handed out over the years and decide if they're having the economic benefit they were supposed to have.

Disappointment

While it had some key support, combined reporting is dead until next year. It would have required multi-state corporations like Wal-Mart to pay corporate income tax on the profits they make doing business here.

Taking it on the Road
And now for something completely different. The New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women had such success during their Year of the New Mexico Girl with their Believe in NM Girls 2006 town hall series that they're taking it on the road

Girls ages 15 to 18 are invited to attend the town halls to voice their concerns about the problems facing them and their communities, share their thoughts on solutions to these problems, and represent their community and peers.

Save the dates:

• Tuesday, March 27 in Deming
• Thursday, March 29 in Las Vegas
• Tuesday, April 17 in Gallup
• Also in April: Carlsbad and Albuquerque

For more information, contact Kathi Brown at kathi.brown@state.nm.us or Kathy Chavez at kathym.chavez@state.nm.us

Fame & Shame Awards

This annual Oscar-style event takes Hollywood to task for its shameless promotion of cigarettes and smoking. Join the teens from our Youth Link program and a host of other coalitions to shame Hollywood and celebrate the youth advocates of the year. The red carpet rolls out in front of Albuquerque's KiMo Theater at 4:30pm on Saturday, April 14. If you’d like to attend, polish up your best rhinestones and RSVP here: kperea@nmvoices.org.

Amy Biehl Youth Spirit Awards

Join us in honoring New Mexico youth who take community service to the extreme at our Amy Biehl Youth Spirit Awards Ceremony with keynote speaker is Carol Cassell, the author of "Swept Away" and "Straight from the Heart: How to Talk to Your Teenagers About Love and Sex." The awards ceremony is Friday, April 20, in Albuquerque. Call 244-9505 ext. 10 or visit http://www.nmvoices.org/abysa.htm for more information and to purchase tickets.

Free Tax Help

Don't forget that if you are over the age of 65 or have an annual income under $36,000 you can get free tax preparation through TAX HELP New Mexico. Offices are open statewide and some offer services in Spanish and Navajo. TAX HELP NM is a program of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). Get more information here: http://www.cnm.edu/taxhelp/.