NM Senate Finance Retaliates Against Air, Land, Water Protections

This is alarmingly childish and damaging: As reported in today's Albuquerque Journal: "The budget (HB 2) by the Senate Finance Committee ... would cut money and legal staff for two state agencies that have drawn criticism from some legislators for proposed tougher regulations on the oil and gas industry and vehicle emission standards."

Governor Richardson's blog also weighs in on the cuts: "The Senate Finance Committee tucked cuts into its version of the state budget that would essentially punish state agencies that have the audacity to hold oil and gas companies accountable for protecting New Mexico’s environment. The budget cuts look like an effort to retaliate against tough but fair rules and regulations implemented by the Richardson Administration to protect the environment."

Conservation Voters of New Mexico released the following statement today on the clearly retaliatory actions by Senate Finance, which is chaired by Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat:

SANTA FE – Conservation Voters New Mexico and many of its ally environmental organizations are calling for the reinstatement of $500,000 in cuts against important positions in the Environment Department and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) by the State Senate Finance Committee. The cuts remove four staff attorneys from the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and two staff attorneys from the Environment Department. Those staff positions serve as important resources to agencies such as the Environmental Improvement Board and the Oil Conservation Division, who under the authority of state statue, have been working to strengthen protections against environmental and health threats such as vehicle emission air pollution and ground water contamination throughout New Mexico.

“These agencies have worked diligently to protect the health and well being of New Mexicans -- and as a result they’re being punished by a handful of legislators,” said Sandy Buffett, Executive Director of Conservation Voters New Mexico. “I imagine these legislators have kids and grandkids who depend on clean air and clean water. It’s truly baffling what would motivate them to put the interest of polluters ahead of our childrens’ health and the well-being of the environment that they will inherit.”

With this action, the resources for these six staff attorneys will be diverted to positions within the Attorney General’s Office. “This re-shuffling appears to be in direct retaliation for the environmental and energy agencies doing their job,” adds Buffett. 

Conservation Voters New Mexico is organizing constituents in each of the related legislator’s districts to call upon them to reverse this action and return funding for the six FTEs into House Bill 2. A conference committee of the House and Senate Leadership is expected to take the matter up later this week.

For more information, please contact Sandy Buffett, Executive Director of Conservation Voters New Mexico, at 270-5743.