Anti-Hunger Initiatives Moving Foward in 2020 Legislative Session

The 2020 Session of the New Mexico State Legislature is almost halfway over. Like most 30-day sessions, legislation is moving through committees very quickly. For those of us involved in anti-hunger efforts, this session has brought many encouraging developments.  Without going much into detail, I would like to highlight a number of bills and one memorial that have moved forward in just two weeks.

Coalition Celebrates Passage of HM6 and HB75

A Shared Effort
A broad coalition of organizations and foundations, brought together by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, has looked at short-term goals and also considered the long-term vision, which is to create omnibus legislation (similar to the federal farm bill) that makes connections among the different factors that address hunger. That proposal is something that we will promote fully in the 2021 session.

HB253: A Good Precedent
An important bipartisan omnibus bill co-sponsored by three Republicans (Rep. Rebecca Dow, Rep. Gail Armstrong and Rep. Kelly Fajardo) and two Democrats (Rep. Stansbury and Rep. Candy Sweetser) was introduced in the current legislative session.

The initiative, House Bill 253 and a companion measure proposed by Sen. Pete Campos (Senate Bill 177), supports a broad range of agricultural programs via an allocation to New Mexico State University. While the measure is not as broad as the one we envision for 2021, this bill brings together many related elements into one legislative initiative.

 "New Mexico First, the NM Food & Agriculture Policy Council, and a coalition of organizations and agencies worked diligently over a weeks time to create a budget comprised of a dozen agriculture related programs that will benefit farmers, ranchers and consumers," the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council said in relation to HB253.

See Full Document

Priorities for 2020 Session
The effort to address hunger in New Mexico in a coordinated manner was the result of weeks and months of consultation by various is initiative was the result of joint efforts by members of our coalition. To prepare for the 2020 legislative session, we put together a document listing three areas of work during the 2020 session. Because of the short nature of the session, our important bills had to be pre-filed.

At the top of our list were House Memorial 6 and House Bill 75.  The two measures are actually related to the first priority, which was to ensure that we obtained data-informed decision-making to guide our plans to address hunger in New Mexico. HM6 asks the Secretary of Human Services convene a task force to assess data and recommend was to remove barriers to food acces.  HB75 appropriates the funds for the Human Services Department to conduct the task specified in HB6.

On Jan. 31, the Health and Human Services Committee approved HM6 and HB75 on a Do Pass basis, which is an affirmative recommendation to move the measure to the next committee or to the floor of the full House.

Supporting Local Food Systems, Low-Income Families
The second set of priorities proposed funding for different programs that would enhance our local food systems and promote resiliency in local agriculture. The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association and others offered recommendations on this set of proposals.

The third set of priorities proposed funding for measures that would increase the monthly food budget for low-income families in our state. New Mexico Voices for Children, the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty and New Mexico Appleseed offered recommendations in this area.

Sen. Nancy Rodriguez poses with coalition members

Gleaning Unharvested Produce
There was also some activity in the Senate. Senate Memorial 3, which was supported by the NFAPC and the New Mexico Assocation of Food Banks. requested that the Department of Agriculture covene a working group to develop recommendations  on gleaning unharvested farm produce as another means to address food insecurity in New Mexico.

SM3, which was proposed by Senator Nancy Rodriguez, was approved by the Senate Rules Committee on Jan. 31.  

Design Adapted by Brenda Sinfield

Hunger Caucus a Reality
The Interfaith Hunger Coalition first proposed the idea of a Legislative Hunger Caucus at the End Hunger Summit  in 2017.  Former Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes and three other legislators (including Rep. Joanne Ferrary) introduced a Memorial in 2018 that proposed a hunger council comprised of legislators and community organizations. A Memorial in 2019, proposed a separate Legislative Hunger Caucus and reaffirmed the existence of the Hunger Council.

Which brings us to the 2020, session, when the Hunger Council is finally becoming a reality.  Several legislators, mostly members of the House, attended the first meeting of the Hunger Caucus on Friday, January 31.  The meeting was convened by Rep. Ferrary and Rep. Melanie Stansbury.

Rep. Phelps Anderson, Rep. Daniel Barrone,  Rep. Karen Bash, Rep. Natalie Figueroa and Sen. Bill Tallman were the other legislators who attended the meeting.

Other legislators who expressed support for the caucus but were unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts included Rep. Rebecca Dow, Rep. Gail Armstrong, Rep. Debbie Armstrong, Rep. Liz Thomson, among others. Sen. Michael Padilla, Sen Liz Stefanics, Sen. Pete Campos and Sen. Nancy Rodriguez have also supported the goals fo the caucus.  We have no doubt that the list of legislators participating in the caucus will grow.

While Friday's meeting represented  a first step for the caucus to become a reality, the actual public launch date will occur on Thursday, Feb. 6, as part of the awards ceremony hosted by the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council's Food and Farms Day in the Rotunda of the State Capitol Building.