CVNM Releases 2022 Conservation Scorecard

CVNM News:

SANTA FE — Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM) released its Conservation Scorecard Friday for the 2022 regular legislative session.

The Scorecard is a report on the votes cast by legislators on the most critical issues affecting New Mexico’s air, land and water and connects New Mexicans with their legislators’ environmental records.

The Scorecard includes an executive summary, Scorecard data in a collection of easy-to-read charts displaying scoring trends over the past decade, behind-the-scenes stories and an issue spotlight.

During the 2022 session, CVNM tracked and advocated on 39 different pieces of legislation ranging from climate action to water policy, and more. Two bills featured on the scorecard passed into law: creation of a program for energy efficiency home upgrade grants for low-income homeowners (HB 37 – Community Energy Efficiency Development Grants), and a policy to address legacy uranium mining waste in partnership with impacted communities (HB 164 – Uranium Cleanup). 

“The passage of HB 37 and HB 164 represent years of hard-fought advocacy by community and nonprofit leaders to bring the issues to the forefront,” said CVNM Political and Policy Director Ben Shelton. “A bright spot in an otherwise challenging session, we are thrilled that legislators prioritized enacting both policies into law. Although more work needs to be done, they are a strong first step for both legacy pollution and energy efficiency issues.” 

CVNM also highlights the significant consequences and impacts of climate inaction throughout the Scorecard. During the 2022 legislative session, legislators failed to pass one of the most sweeping climate policies introduced to date, HB 6 – The Clean Future Act. HB 6 would have addressed climate pollution economy-wide, ensuring New Mexico achieves net-zero climate pollution by 2050. The bill ultimately stalled in the House when it failed to be scheduled for a full floor vote. 

The importance of legislation like HB 6 has been further underscored by the state’s recent catastrophic wildfires, leaving hundreds of New Mexicans and entire communities in the balance. New Mexico’s wildfires are the latest in a pattern of new extremes, including record drought and heatwaves, that are a direct result of the ongoing climate crisis.  

“The urgency to move quickly and boldly to address the climate crisis was great [during the 2022 session], and is even greater now,” CVNM Executive Director Demis Foster writes in the 2022 Scorecard Executive Summary. “Our hearts continue to go out to all the people and communities devastated by the deep drought and fires raging across the state. This is and will continue to be catastrophic and devastating for families, communities, wildlife, and water resources for years to come.”

The legislative votes and score averages reflected in the 2022 Scorecard also reflects a growing partisan divide on environmental issues.

The 2022 legislative session by the numbers include the following highlights: 

  • In 2021/2022, average scores for both the Senate and the House is 64 percent;

  • In the Senate, Democrats currently have an average score of 93 percent, up from 90 percent in 2019/2020. Republicans have an average score of 16 percent, down from 32 percent in 2019/2020; 

  • In the House, Democrats have an average score of 91 percent, up from 87 percent in 2019/2020. Republicans have an average score of 15 percent, up from 10 percent in 2019/2020; and

  • In 2021/2022, the House has a record number of 100 percent’ers, with 20 Representatives receiving 100 percent on the Scorecard. The Senate has 10 100 percent’ers.

CVNM is also pleased to acknowledge the following legislators that received 100 percent on the 2022 Conservation Scorecard: 

Northeast New Mexico: 

  • Sen. Pete Campos, District 8 – 100 percent

Northwest New Mexico: 

  • Sen. Shannon Pinto, District 3 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Benny Shendo Jr., District 22 – 100 percent

Santa Fe Area/North Central New Mexico: 

  • Sen. Leo Jaramillo, District 5 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, District 24 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Elizabeth Stefanics, District 39 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Susan Herrera, District 41 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Tara Lujan, District 48 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Matthew McQueen, District 50 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Andrea Romero, District 46 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Linda Serrato, District 45 – 100 percent

Southwest New Mexico: 

  • Sen. Joseph Cervantes, District 31 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Carrie Hamblen, District 38 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill, District 28 – 100 percent 

  • Sen. William Soules, District 31 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Jeff Steinborn, District 36 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Joanne Ferrary, District 37 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Doreen Y. Gallegos, District 52 – 100 percent 

  • Rep. Angelica Rubio, District 35 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Nathan Small, District 36 – 100 percent 

Southeast New Mexico: No 100 percent’ers

Albuquerque/Central New Mexico: 

  • Sen. Katy Duhigg, District 10 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Martin Hickey, District 20 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, District 15 -100 percent

  • Sen. Linda Lopez, District 11 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Brenda McKenna, District 9 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Bill O’Neill, District 13 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, District 12 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Harold Pope Jr., District 23 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Antionette Sedillo Lopez, District 16 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Mimi Stewart, District 17 – 100 percent

  • Sen. Bill Tallman, District 18 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Deborah A. Armstrong, District 17 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Karen C. Bash, District 68 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Kay Bounkeua, District 19 – 100 percent 

  • Rep. Gail Chasey, District 18 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Art De La Cruz, District 12 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Natalie Figueroa, District 30 -100 percent

  • Rep. Joy Garratt, District 29 – 100 percent 

  • Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil, District 15 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Georgene Louis, District  26 – 100 percent 

  • Rep. G. Andrés Romero, District 10 – 100 percent 

  • Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, District 13 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson, District 24 – 100 percent

  • Rep. Christine Trujillo, District 25 – 100 percent

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