Political

By Dan Lorimier
Chapter lobbyist

After 60 stressful days of committee hearings, floor sessions, caucuses and meetings, the First Session of the 51st Legislature drew to a close at noon March 16.

Hard lobbying by the Rio Grande Chapter and our ally organizations blocked all of the environmentally threatening legislative proposals put forth in 2013. We also successfully worked to pass several proactive bills and memorials.

The chapter Lobby Team was strengthened with support from Gaye Reese and Elliot Stern, who reinforced Legislative Chair Judith Bunney’s daily efforts. We also got analytical help from Legislative Committee members like Jack Sullivan and Ken Hughes. Chapter activists provided strong support for our priority bills.

By Dan Lorimier, Chapter Lobbyist

The 2012 New Mexico Legislative Session, the second half of our 50th Legislature, ended on February 16th after making very little environmental headway, but losing very little environmental ground.

Multiple attacks on clean air, water, climate at New Mexico Legislature session are all unsuccessful

By Dan Lorimier, RG Chapter lobbyist
During the last two years of Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration in New Mexico, key environmental and public health rules were adopted to protect New Mexico’s citizens and natural resources. Two examples are the carbon cap-and-trade regulations set to start in 2012 and the new dairy waste-discharge regulations that are ready to go into effect now.

To view a video click below on link to a KOB-TV video story on U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis' visit with Governor candidate Diane Denish on October 11 in Albuquerque.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1786721.shtml?cat=0

During the visit, Solis and Denish specifically praised the Sierra Club. The Secretary of Labor observed green building technology at the Sheet Metal Workers union hall in Southeast Albuquerque.

August 5 - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that a bill he introduced with Senator Tom Udall to transfer management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service has cleared its first hurdle. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed it.

The Chapter has been strongly supporting the effort by Caldera Action to transfer management of the Valles Caldera from the Valles Caldera Trust to the National Park Service, which has the experience and resources to better manage the Preserve. We are delighted to announce that on May 27, Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall introduced legislation to transfer the management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service.

President Barack Obama
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar

U.S. Senator Tom Udall

U.S. Representative Ben R. Luján (Dist. 3)

All three candidates that the Sierra Club endorsed in the Santa Fe Municipal elections of March 2, 2010 were re-elected. Congratulations to Mayor David Coss, Mayor Pro Tem/Councilor of District 2 Rebecca Wurzburger, and Councilor of District 1 Chris Calvert.

January 20, 2010 - The Albuquerque City Council unanimously passed a resolution to Leave No Child Inside. Spearheaded by Councilor Rey Garduño, this resolution shows the City’s commitment to getting active in the children and nature movement by joining the Leave No New Mexico Child Inside coalition.

In 1998, Rio Grande Chapter excom member Margot Wilson who lives in Southern New Mexico heeded the call to attend a scoping meeting on drilling for natural gas on Otero Mesa. Heyco Energy group, an oil and gas drilling company owned by the Yates family of Southeastern New Mexico had flooded the BLM with applications to drill on the pristine grassland so the agency called for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).