CONSERVATION SCORECARD 2017-2018 1 SCORECARD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staff and Board STAFF AND BOARD he 2017-2018 legislature Traditionally, PNM has attempted represented a new page for to leverage huge lobbying resources Conservation Voters New Mexico T conservation issues in the New in the State Capitol to push their Mexico legislature. Worries about priorities through. Their legislative Family of Organizations losing a conservation champion strategy had been to simply out- CVNM Staff in Senate Majority Leader Michael muscle opponents by surrounding Sanchez were allayed by the ascension Demis Foster legislators and decision-makers with CVNM Staff of conservation champion Senator a slew of industry voices repeating Executive Director Peter Wirth to the Majority Leader Demis Foster, Executive Director the same message. What was RobertoRoberto Aponte,Aponte Operations Director post. In the House of Representatives, remarkable about 2018 is that not Deputy Director of Operations Santa Fe Representative Brian Egolf Ben Shelton, Political & Legislative Director only were we invited to the table to Molly Sanders took over as Speaker of the House. Allison Fabara, Development Director work with PNM on improvements to DeputyThomas Director Lawley, Business of Programs Administrator This legislature represented a the bill, but when those negotiations AllisonAviva Crichton, Fabara Development Associate SCORECARD new high water mark for pro- didn’t yield enough progress, we Demis Foster Roberto Aponte DevelopmentLiliana Castillo, Director Communications Manager CONTENTS conservation leadership, and its were able to stand together as an Molly Sanders, CVNMEF Program Director ability to support the conservation environmental community to make Ben Shelton 3. CVNM Staff and Board Demis Foster Roberto Aponte PoliticalTalia Boyd, & LegislativeCVNMEF Western Director New Mexico Organizer community to both stop anti- sure that an incomplete version of conservation bills and advance 4. Know the Score, the legislation didn’t get through. Liliana Castillo Take Action pro-conservation legislation. CommunicationsCVNM Board of Directors Director This session represents a new level 2017 was an exploratory year for Larry McDaniel, President 5. Stories and Themes of success for our work in the Capitol Helen Robertson introducing proactive legislation Noah Long, Vice President – the environmental lobby won’t be Business Administration Manager 6. Issue Spotlight: from CVNM and the environmental Charles de Saillan, Secretary bullied or out-muscled. Together Aviva Crichton Renewable Portfolio community. With the House David Cantor, Treasurer Development Associate Standard led by conservation champion with our conservation champions, Julia Catron, Director we’ve proven that we can stop Allison Fabara Thomas Lawley Leslie Barclay, Director 7. Issue Spotlight: Representative Brian Egolf, even the best-resourced anti- Molly Sanders Allison Fabara CVNMSteve Fischmann, Board of Director Directors Moving Toward proactive conservation legislation was back on the table, with the conservation measures in their NoahKent Salazar, Long | DirectorPresident Clean Energy tracks. Read more about PNM’s San solar tax credits, community solar, Kristina Ortez | Vice President 8. Vote Descriptions and Renewable Portfolio Standards Juan Coal Plant bill in our 2018 Issue CVNM Education Fund Staff Spotlight on page 7 in this Scorecard. David Cantor | Treasurer 11. About the Scorecard bills making appearances. While Demis Foster, Executive Director Larry McDaniel | Secretary those legislative pieces weren’t In 2019, with the possibility of a Allison Fabara, Development Director 12. 2017-2018 Senate successfully signed into law, real pro-conservation Governor at the CharlesThomas deLawley, Saillan Business | Director Administrator Scorecard progress was made on educating helm, the opportunities to move New ChrisMolly FordSanders, | Director Program Director 14. 2017-2018 House legislators on those issues. Molly Sanders Liliana Castillo Ben Shelton Liliana Castillo KentTalia Boyd,Salazar Western | Director New Mexico Organizer Scorecard The 2018 legislative session had all We’ve got our sights set on ambitious Liliana Castillo, Communications Manager Mexico forward will be significant. 18. Legislative Contact the hallmarks of a sleepy short budget legislation dealing with increasing CVNMVicente Garcia,Advisory Latino Council Organizing Director New Mexico’s investment in clean Information session going in. There appeared to Charmay Allred be an agreement on the budget, and energy like wind and solar, and CVNM Education Fund Board of Directors Kevin Dixon nobody was particularly eager to take advancing protections for clean air, Jon Goldstein, President clean water, and our vibrant New JonBernard Goldstein Ewell, Vice President going into an election season. That Mexico communities. Please use the JamesJavier Benavidez, Gollin Secretary on significant or complex legislation all changed in mid-December when Scorecard to make sure you know GaryMichael Goodman Casaus, Treasurer the Public Service Company of New who your legislator is, how they’re Helen Robertson Aviva Crichton MarlaCindy PainterPadilla, Director Mexico (PNM) introduced legislation performing on conservation issues Talia Boyd Vicente Garcia Sally Rodgers designed to release them from and to ensure that they know how their investment in the San Juan they’re doing representing you. John Scanlan power plant outside of Farmington. Generating Station, a large coal-fired This legislation catapulted CVNM to the middle of the most contentious 3 bill of the legislative session. Executive Director 2 3 Know the Score Take Action Join Conservation Voters New Mexico today! It’s never too late to say ‘thanks’! (or ‘no thanks’…) Tell your legislators that you We cantake only on tough win when fights we to workprotect together. New Mexico, Please but join these other efforts New in ‘Know the Score’ Mexicansthe State Capitol in becoming and around a Conservation the state require Voter financial today! Membership resources. is easy: just submit the enclosed envelope with your membership 2017-2018 contribution or join online at www.CVNM.org and click “Donate.” the voting records of your elected One of the best ways to influence Communicate with the Governor with them. If your legislators scored and your Legislators well,officials it’s isimportant to communicate to thank regularly them and to support them. If you feel you Whether you’re congratulating your legislators on their score or stories & themes weren’t well-represented by your expressing your disappointment, be direct, courteous and polite. • Legislation to address the Carlsbad • Another year, another strong vetoes, violating the New Mexico legislators’ votes, it’s important to The most important part of your communication is letting hold them accountable by letting them know that you are paying close attention to how they Brine Well sinkhole came up again message from the legislature that Constitution. In April, the New them know what you think about vote or, in the case of the Governor, what actions she takes during both the 2017 and 2018 tax credits for solar energy Mexico Supreme Court issued a their votes. on legislation that affects our air, land, and water. legislative sessions. The Carlsbad installations are important for New final judgment that the vetoes Brine Well is an abandoned salt Mexicans. Senate Bill 79 would have were invalid, and the bills If you don’t know who your Calling your legislator directly and sending letters cavern created by an oil and gas reinstated the solar tax credit that became law. Industrial hemp is a through regular mail remain by far the most effective legislators are, visit www.CVNM.org company on the verge of collapsing expired in 2016, making solar more versatile, fast-growing and drought- ways to communicate with your legislators. and click on the “Find your in the city of Carlsbad. The company accessible for more New Mexican resistant crop that requires little Legislator” link under the The Governor and Lieutenant Governor can always be contacted at the that created the sinkhole went families. Despite passing with strong pesticides or herbicides, and would “Legislation” drop-down menu. State Capitol. Except during the legislative session, state legislators should bankrupt before cleaning up their support in both the House and Senate serve to diversify New Mexico be contacted in their home districts, as listed on pages 18 and 19. mess (but not before they were able in the 2018 legislative session, the farmers’ cash crops. to donate $20,000 to Gov. Susana tax credits were pocket vetoed by Martinez’s campaign coffers from Governor Susana Martinez for the • In the 2018 session, CVNM 2010-20141). The measures sought second time in four years, showing introduced two legislative memorials CVNM Cycle of Accountability funding across a broad scope of that she is out of step with the values asking the Governor to allocate sources, including funds earmarked of New Mexicans. Gov. Martinez talks some of New Mexico’s Volkswagen for cleaning up leaking storage tanks, a lot about jobs, but when presented cheating scandal settlement capping oil and gas wells and funding with an opportunity to support one funds to begin electrifying school Conservation Goals Conservation Lobbying and water projects. While the legislature of the fastest growing, job-creating bus fleets in New Mexico and for the Legislature policy goals are Grassroots rejected these measures