By Jessica Johnson, APV Chief Legislative Officer
Wednesday, Mar. 2, 2016
Another whirlwind of a state legislative session has come to a close, and several animal-related bills that passed the legislature still await action by Governor Martinez. Once we have a final outcome, we will publish a comprehensive look at what happened in the Roundhouse in the 2016 APV Scorecard in the spring. Until then, here’s a quick preview of what’s to come.
As you know, the 30-day “short sessions” occurring in even-numbered years are dedicated solely to budget issues, bills that receive a special message from the Governor, or bills that were vetoed in the prior session, so we began the 2016 legislative session with a goal to secure state agency resources for vital statewide programs helping both animals and people.
- The Animal Sheltering Board (ASB), which functions under the Regulation & Licensing Department, performs crucial work to enforce laws ensuring humane euthanasia in New Mexico’s animal shelters (including training and licensing technicians, instructors and facilities) and to further humane operational standards within shelters. It also administers funds to spay/neuter programs and is responsible for development of a statewide spay/neuter initiative to address rampant dog and cat overpopulation. But without funding in the near future, the ASB will no longer be able to operate.
- The Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE) program, functioning through a contract with the NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence and funded by the Children, Youth & Families Department, provides safe haven to the animals of domestic violence victims as they escape an abusive home. State funding of the program starting just 18 months ago has already led to lifesaving help for more than 100 New Mexico families as they get back on their feet and eventually reunite with their beloved animals. But as awareness of the program has grown over the past year, so has the number of calls for help—more support is needed to grow CARE’s capacity and meet the needs of victims.
- The Equine Shelter Rescue Fund (ESRF), managed by the New Mexico Livestock Board, provides much-needed support to our state’s network of licensed equine rescues, who take in, care for, and rehabilitate horses relinquished or seized by law enforcement without any government reimbursement. The more homes and hay that the ESRF can provide, the fewer equines end up in horrific slaughterhouses over the border.
- The Animal Care & Facilities Fund, administered by the Animal Sheltering Board, holds and disperses funds for spay/neuter initiatives, helping to address New Mexico’s companion animal overpopulation problem caused in large part by the unaffordability and/or inaccessibility of spay and neuter services in some areas of the state. We know that significant, sustained spay and neuter resources are necessary to adequately solve the issue.
But as state revenues plummeted, it became clear there would be little to no new money available, and many agency budgets would in fact be cut. Ultimately, additional appropriations for the abovementioned programs did not make their way into the final budget passed by the legislature. There is no question that these programs need and deserve additional support, so we will not give up on finding ways to provide it.
Other pro-animal efforts included a couple of memorials, which are not binding law but express the will of the legislative body:
- Bee Memorial: Senate Memorial 103 urged state agencies to protect declining bee populations and requested the governor to declare “Bee Aware Day” to promote education about the importance of bees to New Mexico’s economy and quality of life. (PASSED THE SENATE, NO GOVERNOR ACTION REQUIRED)
- Public Lands Memorial – Senate Memorial 11 recognized and honored the public lands legacy in New Mexico. Protection of public lands is important to the health and wellbeing of our state’s wildlife. (PASSED THE SENATE, NO GOVERNOR ACTION REQUIRED)
Beyond the Constitutionally required passage of a state budget, part of every legislative session seems to ultimately involve fighting bills that perpetuate cruelty to animals, and this year we were disappointed to see the return of harmful legislation.
- “Right to Farm” Bill: Senate Bill 72 will severely limit the ability of longstanding New Mexico residents, who watch as the small farm next door turns into a massive animal factory farm, to seek relief from the resulting pollution, odors and flies by filing a nuisance claim. Despite enormous outcry against the bill, Republican leadership in the Senate and House fast-tracked the bill through both chambers (notably, a small number of GOP Representatives supported an amendment to improve the bill and/or voted against the bill). (PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE, AWAITS GOVERNOR ACTION) (Update 3/3/16 – signed by Governor Martinez)
More information on legislative action impacting animals will be in the 2016 APV Scorecard—stay tuned to your email inboxes for the digital version this spring, and please donate and become a member to receive a hard copy in the mail. APV cannot continue to fight for New Mexico’s animals without your help.
Despite some of the disappointments so far this year, there is no time to be discouraged. APV knows that, with the hard work and dedication of New Mexico animal advocates, the trajectory of the animal protection movement is undeniably upward.
And in the wake of the 2016 session, we are reminded that humane laws are only possible with humane lawmakers. We advise our APV supporters to take any lingering frustration about legislative obstacles and channel it into the upcoming 2016 elections and, beyond that, the 2017 legislative session.
Participating in a voting bloc is by far the most effective way to ensure that the electorate choosing your State Senator and State Representative shares your animal protection values. Additionally, involvement with candidate campaigns allows you to make animal issues a priority issue and to hold elected lawmakers accountable.
Over the coming months, APV will work to support the best humane-minded candidates across the state—but we can’t do it alone. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and make a tangible difference for animals in New Mexico, join us!
