Lobby team and lobby day
The AFSCME lobby team has completed their third day in Santa Fe, and is doing a terrific job of explaining our bills and fighting for our members' jobs. The member lobby team is comprised of four teams, each of which has responsibility to advocate for state jobs and benefits, and then also focuses on one bill where we're playing offense in one house. Here are the teams and their assignments:
Mary Gustin (Belen) and Magil Duran (Roswell), Arbitration bill, Senate
Paula Fisher (Albuquerque) and Zach Garcia (Los Lunas), Arbitration bill, House of Reps.
Donna Hill (Las Cruces) and Joel Villarreal (Albuquerque), Child care bill, House of Reps. (also working on NMSU/WNMU issues)
Kathy Ritz (Albuquerque) and Andrew Padilla (Albuquerque), Child care bill, Senate
We had tried to include more non-Albuquerque members, but several had to cancel at the last minute due to other union obligations. We hope that we will have many members from all over the state attend our lobby day and reception on Thursday, February 5. We are holding a press conference in the Rotunda of the Roundhouse at 1:15 p.m. and then hosting a legislative/member reception at the Inn at Loretto at 5:00 p.m.
Child care organizing bill (HB 245, Miguel Garcia and SB 402, Cisneros)
Jenn Shaw was our lead expert witness guiding the child care organizing bill through the House Labor Committee earlier today, winning a 4-1 vote on party lines. We received a rude shock when a new CYFD employee was sent over to support the bill but instead turned it into a personal platform of opposing it.
CYFD Secretary Dodson called immediately to personally apologize and guarantee that they will testify in support of the bill in future committees, and the Governor's legislative director said he'd make sure the word got back to CYFD that the administration is in support of the bill.
The bill will now go to the House Government Affairs Committee, which is going to be challenging. There are four solid Democrats, but three Republicans likely to vote against and one Democrat (John Heaton, Carlsbad) who is on the fence. Remember, if a bill ties, it dies, so we need lots of calls when the bill comes before Government Affairs. As we get closer, we will get you the list of those legislators.
Meanwhile, the Senate version will probably be heard sometime late next week in the Public Affairs Committee.
Arbitration bills (HB 15, Speaker Lujan and SB 164, Eric Griego)
Budget/layoffs/furloughs
The current plan to balance the FY '09 budget is primarily based on scaling back capital outlay projects, dipping into our healthy reserves, and cutting across all agencies and education. We are still avoiding layoffs and furloughs, a message that our lobby team has been bringing to legislators in both houses.
Carter Bundy
Political Action Representative
AFSCME International
1202 Pennsylvania St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 266-2177 ext. 13 (work)
(505) 266-3155 (fax)
