Tell Senators to support water security
for southwest New Mexico
House Bill 200 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Saturday by a vote of 6 - 2! The bill will now be voted on by the entire Senate, the last stop before it is signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Thank you so much for your help this session pushing HB200 through four committees and the House floor.
Now we need your support to pass HB200 on the Senate floor,
possibly as early as this afternoon!
Please help us make sure that this legislation passes the Senate floor by contacting your Senator TODAY and asking him/her to vote "YES" on HB200.
Click here to find the contact information for your Senator.
If you send an email, put in the subject line "Vote YES on HB200". If you call your Senator's capitol office or send an email, be sure to indicate that you are a constituent.
You can add a short message to your email such as the following:
HB200 fast-tracks NM Unit Funding to priority water projects, creating long-term water security and jobs in southwest New Mexico and prevents any more waste of funding on a Gila diversion project.
Background on HB200:
Under the Arizona Water Settlement Act, the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) determines how the New Mexico Unit Fund will be used “in consultation with the Southwest New Mexico Water Study Group or its successor.”
The NM CAP Entity claims that it is the "successor" group and wants to control how the $80 million remaining in the NM Unit Fund is allocated to water projects in southwest New Mexico. Although the state ended diversion planning last June, the Entity continues to prioritize development of a Gila diversion.
The NM CAP Entity’s lack of technical expertise, failure to get badly-needed funds into southwest New Mexico communities, and continued focus on pursuing a Gila River diversion show it is clearly not the right group to move this process forward.
HB200 (McQueen, Stewart, Small, Correa Hemphill) fast tracks NM Unit Funding to priority water projects, creating long-term water security and jobs in southwest New Mexico.
HB200 amends the NM Unit Fund Act (2011) by:
- Designating the Water Trust Board as the successor to the Southwest New Mexico Water Study Group to advise the ISC on how the NM Unit Fund is allocated to water projects in southwest New Mexico.
- Prohibiting expenditure of NM Unit Funds to evaluate, plan or construct a Gila River diversion project.
With $137 million in priority water projects in southwest New Mexico in need of funding, we can't afford to waste any more time and money. The ISC and the NM CAP Entity have wasted 15 years and $15+ million on the failed diversion planning process.
The Water Trust Board is the best entity to advise the ISC on allocation of the NM Unit Fund. The Water Trust Board has the diverse representation, organizational infrastructure, technical expertise in place, and experience to best advise the ISC on how to allocate the NM Unit Fund to critically needed water projects in our communities.
More information:
Fact sheets:
Thank you for taking action on behalf of our water future!
