In every session, CVNM identifies bills that impact the air we breathe, the water we drink, our public lands and treasured wildlife, and our diverse communities. We evaluate each conservation-related bill and determine our top priority bills, other bills we’ll support, and any we oppose.
Wednesday, February 26th 2026, Conservation Voters New Mexico released the New Mexico delegation’s scores for the League of Conservation Voters’ 2025 National Environmental Scorecard highlighting our state’s leaders’ work to protect our environment despite an unprecedented year with a record number of attacks on our environment and democracy. Our delegation fought against climate deniers in Congress who repeatedly chose loyalty to the Trump administration and Big Polluters over making life more affordable, safer, and healthier for their own constituents. The result has been higher energy costs for working families, lost jobs and economic opportunities, the selling of tens of millions of acres of public lands and waters to Big Polluters, fewer clean air and water safeguards, and increased pollution.
Tuesday, February 17th 2026, the New Mexico state legislature passed SB 264 Election Rights and Troops at Elections on a party-line vote of 41-26. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Angel Charley and Joseph Cervantes, and Representatives Katy Duhigg, Heather Bergmans, and Cindy Nava, makes election interference by ICE officials or the federal government through military directive a fourth-degree felony.
Tuesday, February 17th 2026, the New Mexico House of Representatives gave final legislative approval to the Driver Privacy and Safety Act (SB 40) by a vote of 42-22, sending the landmark privacy bill to the governor for her signature. This legislation establishes New Mexico’s first statewide regulations for Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) data, ensuring that location information isn’t weaponized against residents for seeking legal healthcare, exercising constitutional rights, or for federal immigration enforcement.
Tuesday, February 17th, the Senate passed HJR 5 Legislative Compensation, CA on a vote of 23-19. The measure would provide state legislators with a salary for the first time, equivalent to the median salary for New Mexico residents. New Mexico is the last state in the nation with a fully-volunteer legislature, which serves as a substantial barrier for community members that are not independently wealthy to represent their communities in office.
Wednesday, February 18th 2026, the New Mexico Senate passed HB 153 Industrial Carbon Reduction Act on a vote of 30-6. The legislation creates a voluntary mechanism for producers of construction materials, like cement and steel, to create more climate-friendly products. Companies that opt in would have to label the carbon emissions of their products, and would be eligible for a tax rebate if their products are below the average emissions of products in the region. Construction materials are responsible for nearly one-third of all climate change emissions. Companies are also increasingly looking for environmentally-friendly alternatives for building construction. In response, CVNM Legislative Director Zoe Barker issued the following statement:
CVNM worked tirelessly to pass the Energy Transition Act in 2019, committing the state’s electricity to be 100% clean energy by 2045. This was a landmark policy when passed, and resulted in the shuttering of one of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation – San Juan Generating Station. Thanks to the passage of the ETA, and subsequent policies incentivizing the renewable energy economy, in 2026 New Mexico is now a majority renewable energy state for the first time in our history. However, in May 2025, private equity firm Blackstone Infrastructure Partners announced a $11.5 billion deal to acquire the state’s largest utility, Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM). CVNM is opposed to the Blackstone acquisition for the following reasons:
Today, the Trump Administration rescinded the Endangerment finding, which eliminates the Environmental Protection Act’s requirement to protect people from the pollution that causes climate change. The finding, instated in 2009, is the legal underpinning for nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for vehicles, power plants, and other pollution sources. In response, CVNM Chief Executive Officer Demis Foster issued the following statement:
CVNM strongly supports this legislation because we know that global heating and climate change impacts everyone, and is a predominant contributing factor to driving human migration. Equity and climate justice require that all climate migrants–whether U.S. residents moving internally or international climate migrants crossing the border into the U.S.–be treated with respect and dignity.
CVNM strongly supports this legislation because we know that global heating and climate change impacts everyone, and is a predominant contributing factor to driving human migration. Equity and climate justice require that all climate migrants–whether U.S. residents moving internally or international climate migrants crossing the border into the U.S.–be treated with respect and dignity.
