#NewMexico House Committee Backs Plan to Create Hunger Council

Screenshot of Rep. Ferrary, Rep. Meastas Barnes, Ellen Buelow

The Interfaith Hunger Coalition is deeply grateful to Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes of Albuquerque for her leadership in carrying our proposal to create a unit to develop an integrated and long-term strategy to address hunger in New Mexico.

Rep. Joanne Ferrary of Las Cruces was a co-sponsor of the measure, as was Rep. Debbie Armstrong of Albuquerque, who is co-chair of the House and Human Services Human Services Committee.

The proposal to create a Hunger Council, contained in House Memorial 90, was introduced on Monday, February 5, and was the subject of hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday, February 12.  Ellen Buelow, chair of our Advocacy Committee, represented the IHC at the hearing.  Follow this link to see a video of the hearing. (The above image is only a screenshot) The discussion about the Hunger Council runs for about 17 minutes.

In her introduction of the measure, Rep. Maestas Barnes alluded to correspondence she received from Samuel Chu, synagogue organizer for Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, about working to address hunger in our state. Mazon is working on some issues with the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, an endorsing partner of the IHC. Members of the committee Rep. Armstrong (chair), Rep. Ferrary,  Rep. Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences, Rep. James Armstrong of Artesia, Rep. Liz Thomson of Albuquerque, Gail Chasey of Albuquerque,  offered valuable comments. The committee approved the initiative without dissent.

Several allies spoke on behalf of the measure, including the New Mexico Association of Food Banks, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico (an endorser of the IHC), and the National Association of Social Workers-New Mexico.