We change the laws to change their lives.

We are now more than three weeks into the 2017 New Mexico legislative session and riding high on the energy and partnership behind many of our priority bills. You can join the momentum in-person at APV’s Animal Protection Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 22^nd as we make our collective voices howl throughout the Capitol!

When you attend Animal Protection Lobby Day, you’ll receive up-to-the minute detailed news about pro and anti-animal legislation, meet and mingle with like-minded community and animal leaders from across the state, learn tips and best practices for lobbying your legislators, enjoy a free nourishing vegan lunch and snacks, attend a powerful press conference in the Capitol rotunda, and cap it all off with a reception at the APV office. Join us in Santa Fe for the whole day or pick which events you’d like to attend. A detailed schedule of events can be found on our Facebook or our Animal Protecion Lobby Day registration page.

Plan Your Trip Now!

Traffic and public parking can be problematic during the session. If you are coming from outside of Santa Fe we strongly encourage you to take the Railrunner to the Santa Fe Depot, then shuttle to the PERA building. Plus, with ID proof, folks 62 and over can ride the train free on Wednesdays through April. OR, find participants in your area to carpool with through the Lobby Day Facebook event page and park at the free public parking at the South Capitol Railrunner station – more details to come.

We’ve been working at a furious pace to make sure pro-animal legislation has the best chance of being passed and to speak out against legislation that is harmful for animals and communities in New Mexico. Please take action on the bills below by clicking on the title links and calling your legislators that will hear these bills next.

Some key highlights from the session so far:

House Bill 123 Expand Statewide Spay/Neuter Services Funding

Sponsored by Rep. Carl Trujillo (D-Santa Fe) in direct response to legislators’ request for a sustainable funding mechanism to address the problem of companion animal overpopulation and high euthanasia rates in our shelters. Working closely with many volunteer stakeholders from around the state, the New Mexico Veterinary Medical Association, Animal Sheltering Board members, and animal shelter directors, we lobbied legislators, submitted expert testimony and encouraged our community to take action through letters and phone calls in support of this bill. HB 123 passed the House Business & Industry Committee by a 7-4 vote. It was then heard by the State Taxation and Revenue Committee on 2/3, attended by citizens from throughout the state who spoke passionately about the need for and effectiveness of low-cost Spay/Neuter programs and was passed by a 11-4 vote on 2/7. Next, HB123 will be voted on by the entire House.

Senate Bill 268 End Horrific Coyote Killing Contests

This bill has been introduced by sponsors Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) and Sen. Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque) and referred to the Senate Conservation Committee. You may have seen some of the many strong media pieces surrounding this bill, including our press release. Animal Protection Voters is part of a robust coalition of partner organizations working to pass this bill, and together we have been phone-banking, sending action alerts, and encouraging people to share this issue through social media. If your Senator sits on the Senate Conservation Committee, please call and urge them to support SB 286, which has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. Your actions will be part of the tidal wave that will stop these unethical and counter-productive competitions that only serve to glorify violence and detract from our state tourism and economy.

 Senate Bill 286 Ban Cruel Traps and Poisons on Public Lands

This bill is being carried by bi-partisan sponsors Senators Pete Campos (D-Las Vegas) and Gay G. Kernan (R-Hobbs) and has been referred first to the Senate Conservation Committee. Though the bill is not yet scheduled for a hearing, if your Senator sits on this committee, call them to urge a ‘yes’ vote on SB 286. The TrapFree New Mexico coalition has been lobbying, promoting the bill throughout the state’s communities, and activating citizens by encouraging them to write and call their legislators. Among the many media highlights, the Albuquerque Journal published a strong editorial endorsing SB286.

We’re also working hard to make sure our state’s stray, abused and wild equines have options other than to be sold at auction, which is often a pipeline to the slaughterhouse. A bill we first opposed, Senate Bill 126, that would have unintended and negative consequences for wild horses captured on private land, is scheduled to be heard again in the Senate Conservation Committee on 2/9. By working with the bill’s sponsor, Senator Pat Woods, Animal Protection Voters was able to help find a solution that will protect private property while making sure wild horses can be moved back on to public lands, adopted, or in the case of disease or injury, humanely euthanized.

We’re proud of the amount of traction and support our bills have received this early in the session, and the way our community has mobilized to take action for our state’s animals! We’re grateful to have your partnership in this honorable work, and will keep you updated as we continue to fight for animal protection legislation in New Mexico.

We hope to thank you in-person and celebrate together

at Animal Lobby Day on February 22^nd!