The legislators added their names to the Hunger Caucus document at a gathering in the Roundhouse a few weeks before the start of the 2022 session of the New Mexico State Legislature.
Here is the statement at the top of the document that legislators signed.
Below is the list of legislators (in alphabetical order) who added their names to the Hunger Caucus list this year. The legislators represent all corners of our state. Each legislator has a hyperlink leading to their page on the NM State Legislature, including an e-mail address (in case you want to send them a thank you note). One legislator--former Rep. Brittany Barreras--left the Legislature this year and is no longer listed on the Legislature's page.
House
Eliseo Alcon Anthony Allison Phelps Anderson Karen Bash
Kay Bounkeua Micaela Lara Cadena Gail Chasey Meredith Dixon
Daymon Ely Joanne Ferrary Natalie Figueroa Doreen Gallegos
Harry Garcia Miguel Garcia Joy Garratt Susan Herrera
Pamelya Herndon Day Hochman Vigil D. Wanda Johnson Raymundo Lara
Derick Lente Tara Lujan Willy Madrid Antonio Maestas
Javier Martinez Marian Matthews Roger Montoya Kristina Ortez
Andrea Romero Patricia Roybal Caballero Angelica Rubio Debbie Sariñana
Linda Serrato Nathan Small Candie Sweetser Christine Trujillo
Former Rep. Brittany Barreras
Senate
Gerald Ortiz y Pino Harold Pope Shannon Pinto
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez Liz Stefanics Bill Tallman
Other Senators who signed an earlier more informal document
Bill Burt Jacob Candelaria Carrie Hamblen
Stuart Ingle' Daniel Ivey-Soto Gay Kernan
George Muñoz Bill Soule Jeff Steinborn
Mimi Stewart Peter Wirth Pat Woods
The list includes former Sens. Carlos Cisneros, Jim White and Gabriel Ramos
Evolution of Hunger Caucus
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| 2019 State Legislature |
The concept of the Hunger Caucus has been around a few years. The House approved memorials in 2019 and 2020 supporting the creation of this special body within the State Legislature. "I think New Mexico for far too long has had hunger as part of our our social economic cultural fabric," said Rep. Phelps Anderson, speaking in favor of House Memorial 65 in the 2019 State Legislature. "I salute you for bringing this memorial to the front because we're all here to do good work. The work we do could not be better in this area, or more important.
An earlier effort in 2018, led by former Rep. Sarah Maestas-Barnes, created a hunger council--a partnership between non-governmental organizations and state legislators.
The current Hunger Caucus is the result of several informal meetings in recent years between legislators and representatives of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition, Roadrunner Food Bank, AARP New Mexico and other organizations and Rep. Ferrary. Among the legislators who contributed to the discussion over the years are Rep. Ferrary, Rep. Anderson, Rep. Anthony Allison, Rep. Natalie Figueroa, Rep. Karen Bash, Rep. Kristina Ortez, Rep. Rebecca Dow, Sen. Bill Tallman, Sen. Harold Pope, Sen. Carrie Hamblen, Sen. Liz Stefanics, among others.
Major Anti-Hunger Initiative in 2022
Because of their commitment to the Hunger Caucus, many legislators were aware of this year's broad Food, Farms and Hunger initiative, which promoted a long-term and wide approach to addressing hunger in New Mexico. Because of an effort by a broad coalition of non-profits, anti-hunger advocates, feeding agriculture organizations, and the governor's office, about $24 million was allocated in the FY23 budget for programs to address hunger in New Mexico this year.
The same advocates promoted a similar measure in the 2021 legislature via an omnibus bill. That measure did not contain funding allocations and did not reach the House floor. This year, the strategy was to include funding in the Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's budget proposal for HB2, the general budget.
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