Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Legislators Talk about Successes and Disappointments As has become a PVA tradition, we invited our local NM legislators to the meeting to give us a summary of their experience at the Roundhouse during the session. We were happy to have four legislators able to attend: Representatives Micaela Lara Cadena, Nathan Small, and Rudy Martinez, and …
Legislative Response Team Rolls On February 2019 UNIFIED ACTIONSign up for the Legislative Response Team, Cont.Sponsored by the PVA Executive Committee, www.pva-nm.org Read about this Unified Action or sign up here. Health Security Act has a Real Chance this Year As a big picture, it’s known that the US spends way more by far, more …
“Ski” Szymanski, from Silver City, talked to us about the Proposed Diversion of the Gila River. In 2004 Congress passed the Arizona Water Settlements Act (AWSA) that authorized diversion of the Gila River if New Mexico agreed to buy water from Arizona to replace what we take out of the river. The AWSA provided $66M …
We need to raise the gross receipts tax Las Cruces City Manager Robert Garza explained why the 0.375 gross receipts tax (GRT) increase is needed to keep Las Cruces running normally. In 2004 the state legislature exempted food and medicine from taxation and promised to pay cities what they lost in revenues. In 2012 this …
Las Americas Works for Immigrant Rights Katie Hudak, executive director, described the work of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, which covers family-based immigration, victims of crime including battered women, asylum cases, human trafficking, and immigration fraud. The center, located in El Paso, can and does serve clients from everywhere. One client, Emilio Gonzales, is an …
Featured speaker, Ike Trevino, representing Health Securities for New Mexicans, spoke about the proposed New Mexico health plan and its relation to the Affordable Care Act. After 20 years of work on the health system for NM, it is much closer to fruition. This plan will not require an increase in taxes. Senate Bill 226 …
Special Election Is All About Safety for City and County County Commissioner Billy Garrett explained the upcoming special election. Voting will take place between July 2 and July 30. The special election involves bonds and a proposed gross receipts tax increase. You can read the official resolutions here and here. If approved, three of the measures would allow …
ProgressNow New Mexico Pat Davis, executive director of ProgressNow New Mexico, gave an overview of the nonprofit’s work to promote progressive causes such as the minimum wage, voting rights, immigration reform, conservation, and more. They promote progressive policy ideas, correct conservative misinformation, and hold elected officials and corporations accountable. The group has 120,000 subscribers. As …
Legislators Sum Up the 2013 Session–It Was a Little Surreal Three senators and two representatives were present to share their perspectives on the recently concluded legislative session at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Senator Bill Soules reported that his minimum wage bill is waiting to be signed by the governor. He passed the K-3 bill …
Unified Action THE ISSUE: The Legislative Response Team weighs in on critical issues under consideration during the legislative session in Santa Fe. Team members call or email legislators and make their positions known. Past issues have included minimum wage, early childhood education, the environment, energy policy, voting rights, foreclosure procedures, and DOMA (Defense of Marriage …