2021 ROUND HOUSE REVIEW
End of Week 4
We are roughly halfway through the 2021 legislative session. Priority legislation is pushing full steam ahead. This past week the Senate passed their controversial abortion bill and the House’s version of the bill is scheduled to be heard on the House floor on Tuesday. This issue is one of the Governor’s top priorities and, given the lack of Republican legislators, the passage of this bill is a foregone conclusion.
Legalizing recreational cannabis is also a primary focus of the 2021 session and that debate kicked off Saturday in the House Health and Human Services Committee. But there is a small shadow of uncertainty surrounding this discussion. Given New Mexico’s profoundly serious problem with illegal drug use, which directly contributes to our dangerously high crime rate, this bill may get more push back than the sponsors were expecting.
For the most part wildlife related legislation was quiet this week. The anti-trapping bill has yet to be scheduled for its second committee hearing and that is perfectly fine by with us! The atrocious display of anti-tourism that is SB 312 has also not made it into committee yet. However, there is a good chance the bill will magically appear on the committee schedule later this week or early next week. Stay tuned for any Call-to-Action emails signaling it’s time to rally the troops.
On the rare positive side of the pendulum, Senator Jacob Candelaria introduced a bill that would help NM fishing outfitters to recoup a small amount of their losses incurred by the 2020 State Park closure. Every little bit helps, and we are grateful for Senator Candelaria’s efforts to help our fishing outfitters!
Gun legislation seems to be gaining a bit of momentum. NMCOG will continue to follow NRA’s lead on which bills to oppose and when. We will forward any communications from the NRA lobby team to our membership as we receive them.
LEGISLATION OPPOSED BY NMCOG (UPDATED 2/15/21)
SENATE BILL 312 – GAME & FISH & WILDLIFE CHANGES (*Quota Bill*)
SPONSORS – Sen. Steinborn (D-Dona Ana), Rep. Small (D-Dona Ana)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Conservation Committee (Hearing Date 2/16/21 – But likely to be rolled)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would establish a straight 90/10 quota, eliminate the outfitter pool, repeal the Jennings Law (step-one in dismantling EPLUS), increase nonresident bull elk licenses, change the purview of the Game and Fish to include all wildlife species, and change the name of Game and Fish to the “Wildlife Conservation Department”.
NMCOG’s TAKE – The NMWF is championing this bill as providing 1,000 tags back to resident hunters. The truth of the matter is it would provide 1 or 2 tags per hunt code back to residents. Draw odds would increase by less than 0.5%. However, what they fail to recognize is that those 1,000 tags will cost the state of NM over $4 million in tourism revenue generated by the outfitting industry. It would cost the Dept. $500,000 in lost license revenue (a cost the bill conveniently tries to offset by increasing nonresident bull elk tags), $300,000 in lost gross receipts taxes, $120,000 in lost FS and BLM special use permit fees (which outfitter pay to operate commercially on federal lands), and some outfitters who operate primarily on public land (especially in the Gila) would go out of business which would have a crippling effect on the rural communities that depend on the employment and other business income facilitated by the outfitting industry.
NMCOG’S STANCE – STRONG OPPOSE
SENATE BILL 293 - REFUND & WAIVER OF CERTAIN BUSINESS LICENSES
SPONSOR – Sen. Candelaria (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION - Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill provides for the refund and waiver of license fees to certain businesses whose operations were restricted by the executive orders made pursuant to the COVID-19 public health emergency response act. Translation, fishing outfitters in NM State Parks would be eligible for concession permit refunds and waiver of permit fees for 2022 and 2023.
NMCOG’S TAKE – Our poor NM fishing outfitters were devastated in 2020 by the closure of NM State Parks. This bill takes a small step in right direction and we are grateful to Senator Candelaria for taking the initiative to help NM small business owners.
NMCOG Stance – SUPPORT
SENATE BILL 224 - CRIME OF FAILURE TO SECURE FIREARM
SPONSOR – Sen. Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would mandate that all firearms be stored in a locked gun safe when not in use. It would also make it a crime for a parent to allow a child under the age of 12 to use a firearm. This provision is in direct conflict with the NMDGF hunter safety program.
NMCOG STANCE - OPPOSE
SENATE BILL 32 - WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & PUBLIC SAFETY ACT (*The Anti-Trapping Bill*)
SPONSORS – Sen. Gonzales (D-Taos), Sen. McKenna (D-Sandoval), Rep. McQueen (D-Torrance), Rep. Chandler (D-Los Alamos)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Conservation Committee (Do Pass, 7-2 vote)
Senate Judiciary Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would end trapping on ALL public lands in NM. The bill prevents leghold traps, body-gripping traps, snares, cage traps, and wildlife poison. The trapping ban would not apply to trappers who are working under contract for state or federal wildlife agencies. But it would ban all trapping conducted under landowner/trapper agreements on public land agricultural lease acreage. Violators of the Act would be guilty of a misdemeanor and each trap would be considered a single violation. All Indian reservation lands are exempt from the Act as well as any individual who is a member of an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo.
NMCOG’S TAKE AWAY – This bill flies in the face of wildlife management. Trapping is an effective method of protecting endangered species, restoring species in decline, and controlling destructive invasive species. Most, if not all, State and Federal wildlife management agencies utilize trapping in their management efforts. The bill sponsor seems to understand this at some level because both wildlife agencies and Indian reservations are exempt from the ban. However, the bill ignores the fact that recreational trapping is also a cost-effective way for private landowners to manage predators on private land and public lease land. Despite the bill proponent’s claims that traps are cruel and archaic, trapping is in-fact one of the most advanced and humane wildlife management practices. Not to mention NM Game Commission just amended the Trapping Rule in 2020 to mitigate perceived conflict between trappers and hikers in heavily utilized recreational areas.
NMCOG’S STANCE – STRONG OPPOSE
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 3 – ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
SPONSORS – Sen. Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo), Sen. Soules (D-Dona Ana), Sen. Ferrary (D-Dona Ana),
Sen. Pope (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Rules Committee (Do Pass Committee Substitute, 7-4 vote)
Senate Judiciary Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the constitution to provide the people of the state with “environmental rights including the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to the preservation of the environment. The passage of this bill would result in the issue going to the voters. All constitutional amendments must be approved by the voters.
NMCOG’S TAKE AWAY – In the first committee the sponsors of this bill introduced a committee substitute that is more damaging to the outfitting industry than the first version of the bill. The committee substitute attempts to reserve the usage of natural resources for
NMCOG’S STANCE – STRONG OPPOSE
HOUSE BILL 78 - TIERRA AMARILLA TRADITIONAL USE LAND MGMT.
SPONSORS – Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION – House Local Government, Land Grants & Cultural Affairs Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would transfer the Sargent, Humphries, and Rio Chama Wildlife Management areas from the NMDGF to the control of the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant. Hunting licenses associated with these WMA would be transferred for land grant membership usage along with many, many other provisions (including extractive use of lands). The bill also provides a small appropriation of $200,000 to go to the NMDGF as a form of payment for the transfer.
NMCOG’S TAKE AWAY – The Sargent, Humphries, and Rio Chama were purchased decades ago with federal restoration dollars. To transfer these lands to the TA Land Grant would cost the state of NM (not the NMDGF) upwards of $50,000,000. Not to mentions that a transfer would be considered, by the feds, as a diversion of funds and NMDGF would lose all the matching funds received annually under the Wildlife & Sportfish Restoration Program. There is simply no way under the sun that this can be allowed to happen. This bill is so amazingly terrible it is almost laughable.
NMCOG’S STANCE – OPPOSE
LEGISLATION MONITORED BY NMCOG (no official position determined)
House Bill 20 – HEALTHY WORKPLACE ACT – Sponsor (Chandler)
House Bill 37 – PAID SICK LEAVE ACT – Sponsor (Rubio)
House Bill 51 - ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASE ACT – Sponsor (Chasey)
House Bill 69 – UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM & PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS – Sponsor (Hochman-Vigil)
House Bill 98 – OMNIBUS TAX BILL – Sponsor (Martinez)
House Bill 57 – PRESCRIBED BURN ACT – Sponsor (McQueen)
House Bill 166 – CREATE NEW FIREARMS CRIMES (Committee Sub) – Sponsor (Lujan)
House Bill 258 - MOVE STATE PARKS TO TOURISM DEPT. – Sponsor (Strickler)
House Bill 193 - EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDER CHANGES – Sponsor (Ely)
Senate Bill 103 - RESTRICTING USE OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDE – Sponsor (Stewart)
Senate Bill 251 - ANATOMICAL GIFT OPTION ON LICENSE – Sponsor (Ortiz y Pino)
We encourage everyone to contact your legislators and voice your opinion on any of the bills you feel would have an impact on you or your livelihood. Click HERE to find your legislators and call or email your legislators directly. When emailing a legislator remember to list the bill number and your position (oppose/support) in the Subject line. If the legislator represents your district do not forget to tell them that you are their constituent.
Legalizing recreational cannabis is also a primary focus of the 2021 session and that debate kicked off Saturday in the House Health and Human Services Committee. But there is a small shadow of uncertainty surrounding this discussion. Given New Mexico’s profoundly serious problem with illegal drug use, which directly contributes to our dangerously high crime rate, this bill may get more push back than the sponsors were expecting.
For the most part wildlife related legislation was quiet this week. The anti-trapping bill has yet to be scheduled for its second committee hearing and that is perfectly fine by with us! The atrocious display of anti-tourism that is SB 312 has also not made it into committee yet. However, there is a good chance the bill will magically appear on the committee schedule later this week or early next week. Stay tuned for any Call-to-Action emails signaling it’s time to rally the troops.
On the rare positive side of the pendulum, Senator Jacob Candelaria introduced a bill that would help NM fishing outfitters to recoup a small amount of their losses incurred by the 2020 State Park closure. Every little bit helps, and we are grateful for Senator Candelaria’s efforts to help our fishing outfitters!
Gun legislation seems to be gaining a bit of momentum. NMCOG will continue to follow NRA’s lead on which bills to oppose and when. We will forward any communications from the NRA lobby team to our membership as we receive them.
LEGISLATION OPPOSED BY NMCOG (UPDATED 2/15/21)
SENATE BILL 312 – GAME & FISH & WILDLIFE CHANGES (*Quota Bill*)
SPONSORS – Sen. Steinborn (D-Dona Ana), Rep. Small (D-Dona Ana)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Conservation Committee (Hearing Date 2/16/21 – But likely to be rolled)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would establish a straight 90/10 quota, eliminate the outfitter pool, repeal the Jennings Law (step-one in dismantling EPLUS), increase nonresident bull elk licenses, change the purview of the Game and Fish to include all wildlife species, and change the name of Game and Fish to the “Wildlife Conservation Department”.
NMCOG’s TAKE – The NMWF is championing this bill as providing 1,000 tags back to resident hunters. The truth of the matter is it would provide 1 or 2 tags per hunt code back to residents. Draw odds would increase by less than 0.5%. However, what they fail to recognize is that those 1,000 tags will cost the state of NM over $4 million in tourism revenue generated by the outfitting industry. It would cost the Dept. $500,000 in lost license revenue (a cost the bill conveniently tries to offset by increasing nonresident bull elk tags), $300,000 in lost gross receipts taxes, $120,000 in lost FS and BLM special use permit fees (which outfitter pay to operate commercially on federal lands), and some outfitters who operate primarily on public land (especially in the Gila) would go out of business which would have a crippling effect on the rural communities that depend on the employment and other business income facilitated by the outfitting industry.
NMCOG’S STANCE – STRONG OPPOSE
SENATE BILL 293 - REFUND & WAIVER OF CERTAIN BUSINESS LICENSES
SPONSOR – Sen. Candelaria (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION - Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill provides for the refund and waiver of license fees to certain businesses whose operations were restricted by the executive orders made pursuant to the COVID-19 public health emergency response act. Translation, fishing outfitters in NM State Parks would be eligible for concession permit refunds and waiver of permit fees for 2022 and 2023.
NMCOG’S TAKE – Our poor NM fishing outfitters were devastated in 2020 by the closure of NM State Parks. This bill takes a small step in right direction and we are grateful to Senator Candelaria for taking the initiative to help NM small business owners.
NMCOG Stance – SUPPORT
SENATE BILL 224 - CRIME OF FAILURE TO SECURE FIREARM
SPONSOR – Sen. Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would mandate that all firearms be stored in a locked gun safe when not in use. It would also make it a crime for a parent to allow a child under the age of 12 to use a firearm. This provision is in direct conflict with the NMDGF hunter safety program.
NMCOG STANCE - OPPOSE
SENATE BILL 32 - WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & PUBLIC SAFETY ACT (*The Anti-Trapping Bill*)
SPONSORS – Sen. Gonzales (D-Taos), Sen. McKenna (D-Sandoval), Rep. McQueen (D-Torrance), Rep. Chandler (D-Los Alamos)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Conservation Committee (Do Pass, 7-2 vote)
Senate Judiciary Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would end trapping on ALL public lands in NM. The bill prevents leghold traps, body-gripping traps, snares, cage traps, and wildlife poison. The trapping ban would not apply to trappers who are working under contract for state or federal wildlife agencies. But it would ban all trapping conducted under landowner/trapper agreements on public land agricultural lease acreage. Violators of the Act would be guilty of a misdemeanor and each trap would be considered a single violation. All Indian reservation lands are exempt from the Act as well as any individual who is a member of an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo.
NMCOG’S TAKE AWAY – This bill flies in the face of wildlife management. Trapping is an effective method of protecting endangered species, restoring species in decline, and controlling destructive invasive species. Most, if not all, State and Federal wildlife management agencies utilize trapping in their management efforts. The bill sponsor seems to understand this at some level because both wildlife agencies and Indian reservations are exempt from the ban. However, the bill ignores the fact that recreational trapping is also a cost-effective way for private landowners to manage predators on private land and public lease land. Despite the bill proponent’s claims that traps are cruel and archaic, trapping is in-fact one of the most advanced and humane wildlife management practices. Not to mention NM Game Commission just amended the Trapping Rule in 2020 to mitigate perceived conflict between trappers and hikers in heavily utilized recreational areas.
NMCOG’S STANCE – STRONG OPPOSE
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 3 – ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
SPONSORS – Sen. Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo), Sen. Soules (D-Dona Ana), Sen. Ferrary (D-Dona Ana),
Sen. Pope (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION – Senate Rules Committee (Do Pass Committee Substitute, 7-4 vote)
Senate Judiciary Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the constitution to provide the people of the state with “environmental rights including the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to the preservation of the environment. The passage of this bill would result in the issue going to the voters. All constitutional amendments must be approved by the voters.
NMCOG’S TAKE AWAY – In the first committee the sponsors of this bill introduced a committee substitute that is more damaging to the outfitting industry than the first version of the bill. The committee substitute attempts to reserve the usage of natural resources for
NMCOG’S STANCE – STRONG OPPOSE
HOUSE BILL 78 - TIERRA AMARILLA TRADITIONAL USE LAND MGMT.
SPONSORS – Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Bernalillo)
BILL LOCATION – House Local Government, Land Grants & Cultural Affairs Committee (Hearing Date TBD)
BILL SUMMARY – This bill would transfer the Sargent, Humphries, and Rio Chama Wildlife Management areas from the NMDGF to the control of the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant. Hunting licenses associated with these WMA would be transferred for land grant membership usage along with many, many other provisions (including extractive use of lands). The bill also provides a small appropriation of $200,000 to go to the NMDGF as a form of payment for the transfer.
NMCOG’S TAKE AWAY – The Sargent, Humphries, and Rio Chama were purchased decades ago with federal restoration dollars. To transfer these lands to the TA Land Grant would cost the state of NM (not the NMDGF) upwards of $50,000,000. Not to mentions that a transfer would be considered, by the feds, as a diversion of funds and NMDGF would lose all the matching funds received annually under the Wildlife & Sportfish Restoration Program. There is simply no way under the sun that this can be allowed to happen. This bill is so amazingly terrible it is almost laughable.
NMCOG’S STANCE – OPPOSE
LEGISLATION MONITORED BY NMCOG (no official position determined)
House Bill 20 – HEALTHY WORKPLACE ACT – Sponsor (Chandler)
House Bill 37 – PAID SICK LEAVE ACT – Sponsor (Rubio)
House Bill 51 - ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASE ACT – Sponsor (Chasey)
House Bill 69 – UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM & PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS – Sponsor (Hochman-Vigil)
House Bill 98 – OMNIBUS TAX BILL – Sponsor (Martinez)
House Bill 57 – PRESCRIBED BURN ACT – Sponsor (McQueen)
House Bill 166 – CREATE NEW FIREARMS CRIMES (Committee Sub) – Sponsor (Lujan)
House Bill 258 - MOVE STATE PARKS TO TOURISM DEPT. – Sponsor (Strickler)
House Bill 193 - EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDER CHANGES – Sponsor (Ely)
Senate Bill 103 - RESTRICTING USE OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDE – Sponsor (Stewart)
Senate Bill 251 - ANATOMICAL GIFT OPTION ON LICENSE – Sponsor (Ortiz y Pino)
We encourage everyone to contact your legislators and voice your opinion on any of the bills you feel would have an impact on you or your livelihood. Click HERE to find your legislators and call or email your legislators directly. When emailing a legislator remember to list the bill number and your position (oppose/support) in the Subject line. If the legislator represents your district do not forget to tell them that you are their constituent.