2022 ROUND HOUSE REVIEW
END OF WEEK 2 (February 2, 2022)
The 2022 Session of the NM State Legislature is halfway over. NM flip flops between 30 and 60-day sessions every other year. 2022 is a 30-day session. Because legislation introduced during a 30-day must be related to the state budget, that rules out many of the extreme environmental and anti-hunting bills. So far, it’s been a typical 30-day session for the hunting/fishing industry. Which means NMCOG has been mostly monitoring legislation and putting out small fires here and there.
This week is the deadline for Legislator's to introduce legislation. As usual we expect to see a high number of bills introduced just prior to the deadline. As of today, 490 pieces of legislation have been introduced this session. NMCOG is following 17 items, 2 of which have been tabled and 1 that has yet to be deemed germane.
Things will really pick up between now and the end of the session with bills being heard in committee 7 days a week. NMCOG continues to monitor a manageable level of legislation. We will continue to follow the NMDGF budget in the General Appropriations Act throughout the end of the session and by the time this email hits your mailbox we hope to have successfully tabled HB 156 (summarized below).
HB 156—POSSESSION OF LARGE CAPACITY GUN MAGAZINE
NMCOG STANCE—OPPOSE
SUMMARY—The title of this bill is misleading as it appears to only regulate the sale of large capacity magazines however, the term is very broadly defined as a “magazine, box, drum, tube, feed strip or other container that is capable of holding more than fifteen rounds of ammunition”. Since all ammunition is sold in a box of more than fifteen rounds this bill is essentially an outright ban of ammunition. This bill will be heard in the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee on Feb 1st. We hope to have killed this bill by the time you are reading this email. If the bill continues to gain momentum we will send a Call to Action to our members. UPDATE—HB 156 was TABLED in committee last night. The vote was unanimous! Interestingly NMCOG, NRA, NM Cattle Growers, and the Sheriffs Association were the only organizations who spoke in opposition to the legislation. New Mexico's so called "sportsmen organizations" (NMWF and BHA) were no-where to be found.
HB 2— GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT 2022
NMCOG STANCE—Monitor
SUMMARY— This bill is the most recent version of the proposed state budget. The other bills titled General Appropriations Act (HB 107 & SB 154) will likely no longer continue to move forward. NMCOG typically monitors and supports the NMDGF budget however, this year we are following the budget closer than usual. That’s because the bill includes a sizable general fund request for the NMDGF to acquire land.
This request is rumored (and basically verified) to be the purchase of the L Bar ranch, a 36,000 deeded acre tract of prime elk country located west of Albuquerque in Sandoval county. This request has been embroiled in shady, back-room efforts since the beginning. And while NMCOG is not necessarily opposed to the purchase, we are hesitant to jump fully onboard given the suspicious methods and motives surrounding the effort. If the NMDGF purchases the L Bar ranch it would essentially make the property a Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Hunting opportunity on WMA’s is statutorily required to be resident only however, the outfitting industry is not necessarily negatively impacted by a movement of the ranch from private to public. We’re keeping a close eye on this one.
An additional aspect of HB 2, as it relates to the NMDGF, is that all of the general money originally intended to be RAWA matching funds for species of conservation concern has been stripped from the current version of HB 2. Does that mean the legislature is no longer confident that the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) is going to pass Congress; which would fail to provide the federal funds that require the need for state matching funds? No, probably a more likely scenario is that the round house whispers of the Governor planning another special session is more reality than rumor. Meaning, the powers that be feel like they have time in the future to request the matching funds and also that they have more pressing matters to focus their sites on this session (i.e. the L Bar purchase).
HB 36— NATURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION ACT AMENDMENTS
(Sponsored by Rep. McQueen & Rep. Ortez)
NMCOG STANCE—MONITOR
SUMMARY— This bill would amend the current Natural Heritage Conservation Act to allow the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Dept. to acquire land through partnership with a “conservation entity” for the purposes of “protect the state's natural heritage, customs and culture “. This bill is stalled in the House Rules Committee and has not yet been deemed
germane.
HJR 2, SJR 2— ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS, CA
(Multiple Sponsors in House & Senate)
NMCOG STANCE—OPPOSE
SUMMARY—These pieces of legislation would create a ballot initiative proposing an amendment to the state constitution to include “the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to protection of the environment”. To many this may sound like a perfectly reasonable human right. However, inserting this statement into the constitution would do nothing but incentivize endless environmental lawsuits related to anything and everything. The House version of this bill was TABLED in committee last Saturday (Thank you Rep. McQueen!). We don’t anticipate the Senate version to get a committee hearing.
SB 7— STATE EMPLOYEE MINIMUM WAGE
(Sponsored by Senator Sedillo-Lopez)
NMCOG STANCE—MONITOR
SUMMARY— This bill establishes a minimum wage of $15 per hour for state and higher education employees as well as for employees of any contractor that contracts with the state or a higher education institution. Because there is no definition of “contract” in the bill NMCOG is unsure of whether or not this requirement would apply to outfitter special use permits on State Trust Land (the EO for federal contractors clearly applies to outfitter/guides so we assume this bill would as well). This bill is stalled in the Senate Finance Committee
NMCOG also monitors all legislation that contains the word “wildlife”, “hunt”, “fish”, “firearm” and “outdoor recreation”. We are following several bills that contain these keywords but have not yet been identified as having a direct impact on the industry. Those bills are as follows:
This week is the deadline for Legislator's to introduce legislation. As usual we expect to see a high number of bills introduced just prior to the deadline. As of today, 490 pieces of legislation have been introduced this session. NMCOG is following 17 items, 2 of which have been tabled and 1 that has yet to be deemed germane.
Things will really pick up between now and the end of the session with bills being heard in committee 7 days a week. NMCOG continues to monitor a manageable level of legislation. We will continue to follow the NMDGF budget in the General Appropriations Act throughout the end of the session and by the time this email hits your mailbox we hope to have successfully tabled HB 156 (summarized below).
HB 156—POSSESSION OF LARGE CAPACITY GUN MAGAZINE
NMCOG STANCE—OPPOSE
SUMMARY—The title of this bill is misleading as it appears to only regulate the sale of large capacity magazines however, the term is very broadly defined as a “magazine, box, drum, tube, feed strip or other container that is capable of holding more than fifteen rounds of ammunition”. Since all ammunition is sold in a box of more than fifteen rounds this bill is essentially an outright ban of ammunition. This bill will be heard in the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee on Feb 1st. We hope to have killed this bill by the time you are reading this email. If the bill continues to gain momentum we will send a Call to Action to our members. UPDATE—HB 156 was TABLED in committee last night. The vote was unanimous! Interestingly NMCOG, NRA, NM Cattle Growers, and the Sheriffs Association were the only organizations who spoke in opposition to the legislation. New Mexico's so called "sportsmen organizations" (NMWF and BHA) were no-where to be found.
HB 2— GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT 2022
NMCOG STANCE—Monitor
SUMMARY— This bill is the most recent version of the proposed state budget. The other bills titled General Appropriations Act (HB 107 & SB 154) will likely no longer continue to move forward. NMCOG typically monitors and supports the NMDGF budget however, this year we are following the budget closer than usual. That’s because the bill includes a sizable general fund request for the NMDGF to acquire land.
This request is rumored (and basically verified) to be the purchase of the L Bar ranch, a 36,000 deeded acre tract of prime elk country located west of Albuquerque in Sandoval county. This request has been embroiled in shady, back-room efforts since the beginning. And while NMCOG is not necessarily opposed to the purchase, we are hesitant to jump fully onboard given the suspicious methods and motives surrounding the effort. If the NMDGF purchases the L Bar ranch it would essentially make the property a Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Hunting opportunity on WMA’s is statutorily required to be resident only however, the outfitting industry is not necessarily negatively impacted by a movement of the ranch from private to public. We’re keeping a close eye on this one.
An additional aspect of HB 2, as it relates to the NMDGF, is that all of the general money originally intended to be RAWA matching funds for species of conservation concern has been stripped from the current version of HB 2. Does that mean the legislature is no longer confident that the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) is going to pass Congress; which would fail to provide the federal funds that require the need for state matching funds? No, probably a more likely scenario is that the round house whispers of the Governor planning another special session is more reality than rumor. Meaning, the powers that be feel like they have time in the future to request the matching funds and also that they have more pressing matters to focus their sites on this session (i.e. the L Bar purchase).
HB 36— NATURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION ACT AMENDMENTS
(Sponsored by Rep. McQueen & Rep. Ortez)
NMCOG STANCE—MONITOR
SUMMARY— This bill would amend the current Natural Heritage Conservation Act to allow the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Dept. to acquire land through partnership with a “conservation entity” for the purposes of “protect the state's natural heritage, customs and culture “. This bill is stalled in the House Rules Committee and has not yet been deemed
germane.
HJR 2, SJR 2— ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS, CA
(Multiple Sponsors in House & Senate)
NMCOG STANCE—OPPOSE
SUMMARY—These pieces of legislation would create a ballot initiative proposing an amendment to the state constitution to include “the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to protection of the environment”. To many this may sound like a perfectly reasonable human right. However, inserting this statement into the constitution would do nothing but incentivize endless environmental lawsuits related to anything and everything. The House version of this bill was TABLED in committee last Saturday (Thank you Rep. McQueen!). We don’t anticipate the Senate version to get a committee hearing.
SB 7— STATE EMPLOYEE MINIMUM WAGE
(Sponsored by Senator Sedillo-Lopez)
NMCOG STANCE—MONITOR
SUMMARY— This bill establishes a minimum wage of $15 per hour for state and higher education employees as well as for employees of any contractor that contracts with the state or a higher education institution. Because there is no definition of “contract” in the bill NMCOG is unsure of whether or not this requirement would apply to outfitter special use permits on State Trust Land (the EO for federal contractors clearly applies to outfitter/guides so we assume this bill would as well). This bill is stalled in the Senate Finance Committee
NMCOG also monitors all legislation that contains the word “wildlife”, “hunt”, “fish”, “firearm” and “outdoor recreation”. We are following several bills that contain these keywords but have not yet been identified as having a direct impact on the industry. Those bills are as follows:
- HB 6 — CLEAN FUTURE ACT
- HB 9 — UNLAWFUL ACCESS TO FIREARM BY MINOR
- HB 68 — CRIMINAL CODE CHANGES
- SB 32 — OUTDOOR LEARNING PROGRAM FUNDING
- SB 81 — STATEWIDE ORGAN DONOR REGISTRY
- SB 89 — URANIUM MINE CLEANUP & RECLAMATION
- SJM 2 — NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY
- SB 188— HUNTER SAFETY TRAINING FOR FILM EMPLOYEES