The Legislative Session Is Over, But The Work Continues: 2 Ways to Take Action This Week!
- zoeyyucraft
- Feb 23
- 7 min read
Last Thursday, the 2026 New Mexico Legislative Session adjourned after a whirlwind 30 days of action.
From advocating for our priority bills, to linking arms with 26 partner organizations to bring 1,500+ community members into the streets on the Opening Day of the Session, to calling for critical amendments to build meaningful climate policy that reflects the needs of our communities, and opposing harmful legislation that would have advanced greenwashed false solutions, we've spent the past month organizing, mobilizing, and building power together.
While we were disappointed to once again witness industry influence at work - attempting to advance legislation that would put private profits over the people, and roll back hard-won protections for our air, lands, waters, and communities -- we fought back every step of the way.
And now, the fight continues – because our work to build collective power, advance a just transition away from extractive industry, and fight for the livable future we know is possible goes far beyond one Legislative Session.
Read on for a recap of what we accomplished together this Session, and scroll down for the latest on how you can plug into our fights against Blackstone's buyout of PNM and Project Jupiter's mega-emissions – starting with our virtual We Got Us Network Meeting at 5:30 pm MT this evening!
THE 2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAS CONCLUDED. HERE'S WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER.
BROUGHT 1500+ NEW MEXICANS INTO THE STREETS FOR
THE WE GOT US MASS MOBILIZATION
On January 20th, the Opening Day of the 2026 Legislative Session and the anniversary of Inauguration Day, YUCCA linked arms with 26 partner organizations from across movements and regions – including New Mexico Dream Team, Organized Power in Numbers, Indivisible Albuquerque, Millions for Prisoners New Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit, Southwest Coalition for Palestine, the New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition, and many more – to bring 1,500+ young people, community members, and leaders into the streets in Santa Fe for the We Got Us Mass Mobilization.
During the Mass Mobilization, we gathered with community at Santa Fe Plaza before marching through the streets to the Roundhouse, staging a powerful rally where organizers lifted up a shared vision for the world our communities are already building together: calling for real climate action that matches the scale of this crisis, investments in care instead of criminalization, economic justice that puts people over profits, and an end to the systems of violence harming our families at home and abroad.
SUPPORTED 5 CRITICAL CLIMATE, ENERGY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE BILLS
During the 2026 Legislative Session, we supported 5 critical bills to hold polluters accountable, advance energy justice, support community cleanup, and expand democracy and justice. While 4 of these priority bills failed to pass during the 2026 Legislative Session, we’ll keep fighting back against industry and corporate influence in the Legislature as we continue to organize for the just and livable future we know is possible:
S.B. 235 – The Microgrid Oversight Act: The critical S.B. 235 would have required that larger microgrids meet the same standards as regular utilities and fall under the oversight of the Public Regulation Commission, helping to fight mega-emissions from AI data centers like Project Jupiter, ensuring that future microgrids operating in New Mexico comply with Renewable Portfolio Standards, and requiring microgrids to achieve 100% electricity generation from zero carbon resources by 2045. (Died in the House Judiciary Committee)
S.B. 66 – Abandoned Uranium Mine Cleanup: S.B. 66 would have funded cleanup for abandoned uranium mining sites that have been left unremediated, detrimentally impacting the health and wellbeing of our communities and environment. (Died in the Senate Finance Committee)
S.M. 9 – Study State Purchase of Utilities: S.M. 9 called for a moratorium on Blackstone and Bernhard Capital Partners’ proposed buyouts of PNM and the New Mexico Gas Company while the state studies potential opportunities for the state’s purchase of utilities, and would have helped to keep New Mexico’s energy future in the hands of the people who live here – not out-of-state billionaires, private equity firms, and their wealthy investors. (Tabled in the Senate Rules Committee)
H.M. 6 – Private Equity Infrastructure Ownership: H.M. 6 called for the study of the impacts of public ownership vs private equity and control of essential utilities and critical infrastructure in New Mexico, a critical measure at a time when our state is facing proposed buyouts of essential utilities from out-of-state private equity firms including Blackstone Infrastructure and Bernhard Capital Partners. (Tabled in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee)
H.B. 9 – The Immigrant Safety Act: H.B. 9 prohibits New Mexico state and local governments from participating in federal civil immigration detention, banning public bodies from entering agreements with ICE, terminating existing contracts, and drawing a clear line: New Mexico will not use public land, money, or authority to cage our immigrant neighbors for federal civil violations. (Chaptered)
CALLED FOR CRITICAL AMENDMENTS TO ONE BILL
During the Legislative Session, YUCCA also called for critical amendments to S.B. 18, The Clear Horizons Act, which would have set important statewide emissions-reduction targets that comply with the Paris Climate Agreements, but fell short of rejecting net-zero emissions and including critical microgrid regulation that would help to protect frontline communities from the impacts of industry-backed priorities like Project Jupiter.
OPPOSED HARMFUL POLICIES: 4 BAD BILLS DEFEATED AT THE LEGISLATURE
During the 2026 Legislative Session, YUCCA and our allies opposed and defeated 4 harmful bills that together, would have advanced harmful false solutions like nuclear energy and produced water while making it more difficult for advocates to act as watchdogs and measure pollution:
H.B. 207 – Water Quality Control Commission Produced Water Rules: H.B. 207 is a dangerous bill that would have required the Water Quality Control Commission to adopt rules allowing for toxic fracking waste (otherwise known as "produced water") to be discharged, transported, stored, recycled, and applied off the oilfield. This bill was contrary to science, contrary to the Produced Water Act, and contrary to the strong rule that advocates won at the Water Quality Control Commission last summer, making an attempt to normalize the use of toxic fracking waste generated by extraction and override the strong environmental protections that advocates have spent the past 2 years fighting for. (Tabled in the House Agriculture, Acequias, and Natural Resources Committee)
S.B. 78 – Nuclear As Renewable Energy: New Mexico’s long standing history of nuclear disaster shows us that nuclear energy is a false solution to the climate crisis. Industry will tell us nuclear is safe, but it’s not – nuclear energy is not renewable, it is not safe, and it is not sustainable. (Tabled in the Senate Conservation Committee)
H.M. 45 – “Importance of Water in Taos”: H.M. 45 threatened the strong rule that advocates won at the Water Quality Control Commission this summer by asking legislators to affirm that scientific evidence proves that toxic fracking waste (“produced water”) is safe to discharge – even though science states the opposite – and requested that the Water Quality Control Commission hold a hearing about produced water re-use within 90 days upon receiving a petition, which would have opened a dangerous door for industry to push for the discharge of toxic fracking waste in rural communities across the state. (Tabled in the House Agriculture, Acequias, and Natural Resources Committee)
S.B. 136 – Unlawful Use of Unmanned Aircraft: S.B. 136 would have banned the use of drones over “critical infrastructure facilities”, including oil and gas operations, severely limiting advocates’ ability to act as watchdogs, find evidence of illegal dumping, and measure pollution. (Tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee)
BLACKSTONE OUT OF NEW MEXICO: JOIN THE FIGHT AND HELP US STOP BLACKSTONE'S BILLIONAIRE TAKEOVER!
Last week, we joined 100+ New Mexicans who made their voices heard at the Public Regulation Commission's Public Comment hearing to send a clear message: Blackstone is not welcome in New Mexico.
Together, during 6 hours of public comment from young people, community members, and advocates who stood united across movements and generations in unanimous opposition to Blackstone's buyout of PNM, we demanded an energy system that serves the people – not the world's largest private equity firm and its shareholders.
And now, More Perfect Union is telling the story of our community's overwhelming opposition to a billionaire takeover of our state's largest electric utility.
Just a few days ago, More Perfect Union dropped a video about our fight against Blackstone's attempt to take over PNM, joining YUCCA, the New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition, New Energy Economy, and Albuquerque Mutual Aid on the ground for recent Public Regulation Commission hearings, mass mobilizations, and mutual aid distributions to capture the organizers, young people, and community members taking action to care for one another, fight back against corporate control, and stop Blackstone's buyout.
WANT TO LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION?
Last week, the New Mexico Foundation for Civic Excellence also dropped a comprehensive report on Blackstone's power grab that details why the private equity firm's proposed acquisition of PNM is not in the public interest – from extreme rate increases, to exploitative corporate practices, to a lack of oversight and accountability and industry-backed projects like AI data centers.
You can read the full report by clicking here – and if you're alarmed by Blackstone's attempt to take over PNM, we need you in the fight with us.
Tonight at 5:30 pm MT, YUCCA will host our next virtual We Got Us Network Meeting, where we'll continue to strategize against Blackstone's takeover of PNM, help you plug into the fight, and share urgent calls to action around other critical environmental, economic, and social justice campaigns. Click here to register to join us on Zoom tonight and help us stop Blackstone's buyout!
STOP PROJECT JUPITER'S MEGA-EMISSIONS: TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Project Jupiter, a massive $165 billion AI data center, recently began construction in Doña Ana County, submitting two separate air quality permit applications that together request authorization to emit more than 13 MILLION tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year – more pollutants than Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe combined.
If the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) approves developers' applications, Project Jupiter's microgrids will create destructive climate impacts, worsen existing ozone pollution, and violate health standards in a community that will pay for unchecked industry emissions with their health and lives.
The New Mexico Environment Department is accepting written public comment on Project Jupiter's air quality permit applications until March 2nd, and with just 1 week left to make our voices heard, we need your help to send a clear message that we won't stand by while developers attempt to evade critical public health protections for the sake of profit.
📢 Click the link below to demand that NMED reject these permits outright and hold a public hearing that would allow impacted community members to learn about the risks and voice their concerns – and help us spread the word by sharing the form below with 5 friends.
Comments