We are in the 2nd full week of the 2022 Legislative Session and things are moving fast on environmental and social justice fronts. Last week was a big week for our Energy/Climate/Environment priorities, from HJR2/Green Amendment unfortunately getting tabled in its first committee to the big bill, the Clean Future Act/HB6 getting passed to the next committee.
One of the things we're trying hard to contribute to a public policy process we sometimes struggle to have faith in -- is a call for a shift in power. We want energy and climate policy efforts to make space for young people, Indigenous and other frontline and disproportionately impacted communities AT THE CENTER. There are some proposals that are making space for leadership from the grassroots -- but we still have a VERY long way to go.
To set some standards for equity-based climate justice and raise up the voices of our movement leadership - YUCCA hosted the Energy Democracy Convergence. The purpose of this convergence was to hear from local movement leaders who have laid the foundation for environmental justice, principles of engagement, power shifting and those continue this work.
***If you are involved or have been involved in environmental movements and work we urge you to tune in and listen to the demands, frameworks, and resources the panelists provide regarding real consultation, real racial justice, and real power building and power shifting. The information, experiences and history shared during the convergence are so relevant to this legislative session.
This session adequate consultation with grassroots, frontline groups, Indigenous Nations, and community continue to be lacking. Critical scrutiny on big climate/environment bills has been scarce, ignored and happened way too late. During last Saturday’s hearing on the big bill, HB 6 Clean Future Act small and big environment groups poured out in support of the bill despite problematic provisions which we will highlight below. YUCCA, SWOP, PAA and others stood in opposition and voiced our concerns and amendment requests (see below for more info).
You can watch the recording on our website at [www.yuccanm.org/edc] & you can also check out the profiles of our panelists! We were joined by a group of amazing organizers and frontline community members who spoke to the moment we are in and what is needed for true solidarity and movement building. We are so thankful and appreciative of our panelists who took time to spend MLK Day with us and you all!
Click the underlined titles to view the websites/materials:
Session 1: Assessing our Movement Landscape w/ Crystal Huang (Energy Democracy Project), Alejandría Lyons (SWOP), Richard Moore (US Environmental Justice Advisory Council and Los Jardines Institute), Josue de Luna Navarro (NM Prospera & Institute for Policy Studies), Mario Atencio (Chaco Coalition & Diné CARE), Trenton DeVore (Pueblo Action Alliance), Cheyenne Antonio (Red Nation)
[00:00:00-1:38:00]
The Energy Democracy Project tour and resources & video about their work.
The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save the Earth
Session 2: Assessing the Path Forward, The False Solutions, Frameworks & Principles w/ Richard Moore, Janene Yazzie (Sixth World Solutions), Subin DeVar (Initiative for Energy Justice), Corn (PAA) [1:38:57-3:10:00]
Frameworks & Principles Shared that model what will pave the way towards liberation, justice, and equity, including the Jemez Principles, Climate Equity Platform, and Free, Prior and Informed Consent
Initiative for Energy Justice Scorecard
Institute for Policy Studies - People Powered: The Case for Renewable Energy Democracy in NM
False Solutions - PAA
Session 3: 2022 Legislative Agenda [3:10:39 - end]
OUR AMENDMENTS FOR HB 6 - CLEAN FUTURE ACT
Firstly, it feels important to say first that we support the intentions of this bill AND this bill even if amended would just be one piece of the climate action puzzle -- it will not reduce the extraction that threatens our communities and our futures.
We continue to be disappointed that our calls for the rapid ramping down of extraction through meaningful just transition legislation and investment go unheeded -- but hopefully we can work together to tackle that in the next long session. In the meantime, this bill COULD help reduce our state's domestic emissions, and that is a positive thing.
So at the moment we are not working to kill this bill but rather to have the bill tabled until amendments are made that we feel are imperative to make this bill meaningful and effective in achieving what it claims as its goals. Our leverage is to stand together and withhold our support until these changes are made. We hope you'll join us.
1. MOVING UP THE TIMELINE: The bill MUST be amended to put emissions reduction standards in place NOW in order to make it possible to achieve the stated 50% emissions reduction goals by 2030. Rulemaking should start immediately - as soon as the bill is passed into law. (Rules take two years to promulgate – right now the timeline in the bill has rulemaking initiated in 2025. That could mean rules aren’t in place for emissions reductions until 2027). We cannot realistically cut emissions by 50% in 3 years. The current timeline does not comport with the stated goals and is disingenuous.
2.REQUIRE REAL ZERO EMISSIONS NOT NET ZERO: Carbon capture and sequestration, carbon credits/offsets, and carbon markets – are all false solutions. These aspects of the bill need to be removed.
3. YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO PROPOSE CLIMATE SOLUTIONS ABOUT US, WITHOUT US. WE DEMAND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION, CONSULTATION, AND BENEFITS TO IMPACTED COMMUNITIES: While the bill does name “disadvantaged communities” in terms of prioritizing offsets that minimize impacts on these communities – the authors of this bill have not consulted with Tribal communities in adherence with the principles of Free Prior and Informed Consent nor environmental justice communities in adherence with the Jemez Principles, nor their own stated commitments under the NM Climate Task Force’s Climate Equity Principles. Not only does a one-week review period NOT qualify as meaningful engagement – it falls far short of consultation. Further, the feedback that was provided is not reflected in the bill. Had they listened to our communities - they would understand why the offset scheme proposed is so threatening and why it must be removed.
4. ADD DOWNSTREAM EMISSIONS FROM OIL AND GAS INTO THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. It's essential that we account for New Mexico's global impact on emissions including the emissions coming from burning the oil and gas extracted here in New Mexico. We want to see these emissions calculated and reported annually.
We continue to be so disappointed in the PROCESS by which the administration and groups that work the inside track with the administration are engaged in regarding the development of climate policy in our state. We are well aware of the conversations taking place behind the scenes and the ways in which BIPOC, frontline, and grassroots groups continue to be excluded. We remind everyone of the principles of Free Prior and Informed Consent, the Jemez Principles, and the Climate Equity principles that the administration and the organizations playing the inside game - allege that they support. We do not see that reflected in the lead up to this session or this bill.
We hope we can do better and extend a genuine invitation to dialogue with all groups willing to work to demand a better bill and build power together in a way that centers the leadership, needs, and demands of our frontline communities as we work toward a truly just transition.
Call and email committee members and sponsors to adopt our recommendations and amendments.
House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee Members
Chair: Georgene Louis (D). District 26 (Bernalillo). Room 306, (505) 986-4329. Email: georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov
Vice Chair: D. Wonda Johnson (D). District 5 (McKinley and San Juan). Room 413D, (505) 986-4435. Email: dwonda.johnson@nmlegis.gov
Member: Gail Chasey (D). District 18 (Bernalillo). Room 308, (505) 986-4411. Email: gail@gailchasey.com
Member: Daymon Ely (D). District 23 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 205A, (505) 986-4243. Email: daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov
Member: Doreen Y. Gallegos (D). District 52 (Doña Ana). Room 134, (505) 986-4780. Email: doreen.gallegos@nmlegis.gov
Member: Greg Nibert (R). District 59 (Chaves & Lincoln). Room 203EN, (505) 986-4467. Email: greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov
Member: Kristina Ortez (D). District 42 (Taos). Room 203CN, (505) 986-4254. Email: kristina.ortez@nmlegis.gov
Member: William “Bill” R. Rehm (R). District 31 (Bernalillo). Room 201B, (505) 986-4214. Email: bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov
Member: Martin R. Zamora (R). District 63 (Curry, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt & San Miguel). Room 203EN, (505) 986-4467. Email: martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov
To send group email, copy and paste this block: “Gail Chasey” <gail@gailchasey.com>, “Daymon Ely” <daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov>, “Doreen Y. Gallegos” <doreen.gallegos@nmlegis.gov>, “D. Wonda Johnson” <dwonda.johnson@nmlegis.gov>, “Georgene Louis” <georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov>, “Greg Nibert” <greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov>, “Kristina Ortez” <kristina.ortez@nmlegis.gov>, “William “Bill” R. Rehm” <bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov>, “Martin R. Zamora” <martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov>
Bill sponsors
Representative Nathan P. Small - (D), (505) 986-4319,nathan.small@nmlegis.gov
Speaker Egolf - (D), (505) 986-4782, brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov
Senator Siah Correa Hemphill - (D), (505) 986-4863, siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov
Senator Mimi Stewart - (D), 505) 986-4734 mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov
Representative Kristina Ortez - (D), (505) 986-4254, kristina.ortez@nmlegis.gov
Stay up to date with immediate calls to action for the next 30 days, sign up for our Google Group Alerts here. Visit our website for our legislative priorities www.yuccanm.org/edc
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