Legislative roundup.
Days remaining in session: 16 Bear and grin it: A character portraying one of New Mexico’s more famous residents — Smokey Bear — showed up Tuesday at the state Capitol. Lawmakers honored him for his efforts in preventing wildfires.
Last year marked Smokey’s 75th birthday. Many people know the story of a cub rescued from a wildfire in the Capitan Mountains in the 1950s, which was made a symbol of forest fire prevention by officials of the U.S. Forest Service.
But the Forest Service actually decided in August 1944 to use a fictional bear named Smokey to represent efforts to prevent wildfires. The real-life Smokey brought a new shot of publicity to the enterprise. According to the Forest Service website, the real Smokey died in 1976. If you want to visit his grave, he is buried at the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan.
Doctor training: The New Mexico Human Services Department on Tuesday announced it has secured $1.53 million for primary care physician training programs across the state. The funding is in part meant to increase the number of doctors in rural areas. The Graduate Medical Education program expansion was enacted last year. “We really want to improve the health of people in our state,” said Cabinet Secretary David Scrase.
Community solar surges ahead: Legislation to create a community solar program in New Mexico cleared the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday in an 8-5 party-line vote. Republicans opposed the measure.
House Bill 9, sponsored by state
Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero D-Albuquerque, House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, and two other lawmakers would appropriate $10 million to jump-start community solar gardens. Supporters say it will help the state shift to renewable energy.
But Public Service Company of New Mexico argues the measure would make it harder to meet a goal of 100 percent carbon-free electricity production. The company says inadequate battery technology still makes fossil fuel-based electricity necessary to maintain a reliable grid.
Budget vote likely: The House of Representatives plans to debate and vote Wednesday on House Bill 2, the $7.6 billion spending measure for fiscal year 2021. Egolf initially said the House would tackle the bill Tuesday afternoon but later announced some lawmakers wanted more time to study the bill.
The measure was approved Monday by the House Appropriations and
Finance Committee.
Earlier Tuesday, some Republican lawmakers argued at a House Rules and Order of Business Committee hearing that they and their constituents did not have enough time to prepare for discussions on HB 2 because of the short notice.
That committee voted along party lines, 11-5, to table the Republican-led House Resolution 3, which would require the House speaker to announce at least 24 hours in advance which bills he schedules for debate and consideration. That committee also voted 11-5 along party lines to reject another GOP-driven proposal, House Resolution 2, which would delay the speed with which bills move through the Legislature.
Rep. Jim Townsend, R-Artesia, who introduced both measures, told lawmakers HR 2 would give constituents more time to study and perhaps show up at the Roundhouse to advocate for those bills.
Canadian drugs: The full Senate passed Senate Bill 1 by a vote of 35-0 Tuesday. The legislation would allow New Mexico to import wholesale prescription drugs from Canada in an effort to reduce health care costs for families in the state.
“We all know how expensive it is to to buy prescription drugs in the United States,” said Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces. “We need to do more as a state to address these high costs.”
Looking ahead: One hundred years ago this month, New Mexico voted to ratify the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. On Thursday, Virginia Kase, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States, will join with members of local league chapters to celebrate the event.
Groups will present displays about the suffragist movement between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Roundhouse. Kase will deliver an address in the Rotunda at 12:30 p.m.
In addition, Fionnuala Moore and other students from Santa Fe Preparatory School will perform two songs from Moore’s musical, The Right to Vote, during the celebration. The presenters are encouraging those who attend to wear the colors of the suffragist movement: white, purple and gold.
Quotes of the day: “I couldn’t complain more.” — Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, after being asked by a legislative staff member how he was feeling.
“Now nobody heard what I said.” — Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, as she was talking at length in a committee hearing about how the Legislature was trying to be open and transparent by recording and streaming hearings. Her microphone was turned off during most of her comments.