Grassroots Government Advocacy (GGAC)

The Senate on Wednesday passed the first broad energy bill since the George W. Bush administration, a bipartisan measure to better align the nation’s oil, gas and electricity systems with the changing ways that power is produced in the United States.

The bill, approved 85 to 12, united Republicans and Democrats around a traditionally divisive issue — energy policy — largely by avoiding the hot-button topics of climate change and oil and gas exploration that have thwarted other measures.

Its authors, Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate Energy Committee, and Maria Cantwell of Washington, the panel’s ranking Democrat, purposely stepped away from any sweeping efforts to solve or fundamentally change the nation’s core energy challenges.

Still, the measure, known as the Energy Policy Modernization Act, would respond to the rapidly transforming energy landscape. It includes provisions to promote renewable energy, improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and to cut some planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution.

It would also speed the export of domestically produced natural gas.

House and Senate negotiators will now try to forge a compromise between the Senate bill and a similar measure that passed the House last year.

Passage would represent the first time since 2007 that a significant energy bill reached the White House for the president’s signature.

“What we’ll be moving now is what was achievable in the Senate,” Ms. Murkowski said in an interview. “Most people thought we couldn’t achieve anything, but we have demonstrated that we can legislate — and we can even legislate, oh my gosh, in an election year.”

Since passage of the last major energy law, the United States has gone from fearing oil and gas shortages to becoming the world’s leading producer of both fuels. The use of wind and solar power is accelerating as those sources become cheaper than fossil fuels in some parts of the country. And President Obama’s environmental regulations are reshaping power systems as electric utilities close coal-fired power plants and replace them with alternative sources.

But the nation’s energy infrastructure has not kept pace with those changes.

The bill would promote renewable energy by requiring operators of electricity lines, transformers, and other elements of the electrical grid to upgrade the system, with a focus on large-scale storage systems for electricity to better accommodate the expanding production of wind and solar power. The bill would create and strengthen several programs devoted to improving energy efficiency in buildings.

It would also deliver a long-sought victory to conservationists by permanently authorizing the national Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program for protecting and maintaining national parks and wilderness sites.

It would give a victory to fossil fuel producers by requiring the Energy Department to accelerate approval of permits to build coastal terminals for shipping American natural gas abroad.

And it includes provisions to address the threat of cyberattacks on the nation’s electrical grid.

“There’s so much change going on in the energy sector now, we need to have an energy bill every year,” Ms. Cantwell said. “The speed of the transition in energy now is like telecom in the ’90s.”

The bill has drawn support from a wide range of business and environmental groups, including the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the Alliance to Save Energy and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

But some environmental groups offered only grudging responses to the measure.

“This bill is the V.H.S. tape of climate policy: tolerable in the ’80s or ’90s, but not in tune with the scientific realities of 2016,” said Jason Kowalski, the policy director for 350.org, an environmental advocacy group that led protests against the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States.

“We need Congress to get with the times and stop writing bills that prop up the fossil fuel industry that’s wrecking our climate,” he added.

Ms. Murkowski acknowledged that almost no one is completely happy with the measure.

“To have a bill that everybody likes is not only unusual, it’s just not going to happen,” she said.

The measure came to the Senate floor in January, but it stalled for three months after Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, sought an amendment to provide $600 million to aid the victims of lead poisoning in Flint. Mich., and deal with the ongoing water crisis there. Republicans opposed her.

Last week, Ms. Stabenow and a handful of other senators relented and lifted their blockade of the energy bill.

Ms. Stabenow said that she would continue to push for a vote on the Flint aid. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/us/politics/senate-passes-broad-bill-to-modernize-energy-infrastructure.html?_r=0    

A special election for Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016.

All registered voters within the Albuquerque Public Schools District boundaries, including Bernalillo County and The Village of Corrales in Sandoval County are eligible to vote.

School Mill Levy Ballot Question:

“Shall the Albuquerque Public School District continue to impose a property tax of $3.838 for residential property and $4.344 for non-residential property per each $1,000.00 of net taxable value of property allocated to the Albuquerque Public School District for the property tax years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 for the purpose of (1) erecting, remodeling, making additions to, providing equipment for or furnishing public school buildings; (2) payments made pursuant to a financing agreement for the leasing of a building or other real property with an option to purchase for a price that is reduced according to payments made; (3) purchasing or improving public school grounds; (4) administering the projects undertaken pursuant to sections 1 and 3 above, including expenditures for facility maintenance software, project management software, project oversight and district personnel specifically related to administration of projects funded by the Public School Buildings Act provided that expenditures pursuant to this section shall not exceed five percent of the total project cost?”

School Bond Ballot Question:

“Shall the Albuquerque Public School District issue $200,000,000 of general obligation bonds to erect, remodel, make additions to and furnish school buildings within the district, to purchase or improve school grounds, to purchase computer software and hardware for student use in public schools, and to provide matching funds for capital outlay projects funded pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act?”

Election Info

Voting Convenience Centers will be utilized for this election. There will be a total of 30 Election Day sites and five early voting sites. If you are an eligible voter for this election, regardless of which county (Bernalillo/Sandovol) in which you are registered, you will be able to cast a ballot at any of the Voting Convenience Centers.

Dates:

Jan. 5: Last day to register to vote.

Jan. 5: Absentee voting begins.  Absentee ballots will continue to be mailed through Friday, Jan. 29 for individuals who have filled out a properly completed application.

Jan. 8: Absentee in person only at the Voting Machine Warehouse. This will take place daily Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday, Jan. 29.

Jan. 13: Early Voting begins. This will take place daily Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Saturday, Jan. 30.

 

Sources: http://www.bernco.gov/clerk/current-and-upcoming-election-information.aspx and http://www.growingmyworld.org/the-election/

Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

Federal managers working to reopen a nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico have faced several setbacks in trying to increase air flow at the underground facility.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the Nuclear Waste Partnership has planned to improve air flow at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant with an interim ventilation system and a supplemental system since the plant closed following a radiation release in February 2014.

But a November federal status report found that the partially installed supplemental system could prove problematic when it comes to emergency access. The interim ventilation system, expected to be operating next year, is months behind schedule after its components were damaged.

Operations at the plant won't resume until air flow has improved to allow for more workers to be underground.

Source: http://kunm.org/

Associated Press

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has named Albuquerque City Councilor Brad Winter as the state's next secretary of state.

Winter fills the vacancy left by Dianna Duran, who was sentenced Monday for funneling campaign donations to personal accounts to fuel a gambling addiction. She resigned in October after pleading guilty to the charges.

The governor's office confirmed Winter's selection after reviewing a number of applications. Spokesman Chris Sanchez says Winter will begin working as New Mexico's top elections official starting Tuesday.

Winter will serve at least through November's general election, when New Mexico voters will elect a new secretary of state.

Elected in 1998, Winter is Albuquerque's longest serving city councilor. He worked with Albuquerque Public Schools for more than 20 years before being named an interim superintendent in 2014. 

Source: http://kunm.org/

Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

A University of New Mexico regent says he's retiring at the end of this year.

The Albuquerque Journal reported Monday that Jamie Koch is leaving to work at an insurance company in Santa Fe.

Koch has been on the UNM Board of Regents for 13 years.

Before that, he served in the state House of Representatives and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Koch also has served as state chair of the Democratic Party and authored New Mexico's Inspection of Public Records Act. 

Source: http://kunm.org/

City of Albuquerque Municipal Election

October 6, 2015
Unofficial Results
53 of 53 Vote Centers

City Council District 2

Candidate	Total	Percentage
Isacc Benton	2,631	100%

 

City Council District 4

Candidate	Total	Percentage
Israel Chavez	2,079	41.65%
Brad Winter	2,912	58.35%

 

City Council District 6

Candidate	Total	Percentage
Patrick M. Davis	2,894	67.38%
Hess "Hessito" Yntema	984	22.91%
Samuel P. Kerwin	417	9.71%

 

City Council District 8

Candidate	Total	Percentage
Trudy E. Jones	3,112	100%

 

Bond Question 1 - Public Safety

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	21,352	76.29%
Against	6,636	23.71%

 

Bond Question 2 - Senior, Family, Community Center, & Community Enhancement

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	21,409	76.33%
Against	6,639	23.67%

 

Bond Question 3 - Parks and Recreation

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	21,435	76.76%
Against	6,488	23.24%

 

Bond Question 4 - Energy and Water Conservation, Public Facilities, and System Modernization

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	20,701	74.14%
Against	7,219	25.86%

 

Bond Question 5 - Library

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	21,501	76.97%
Against	6,435	23.03%

 

Bond Question 6 - Street

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	22,181	80.10%
Against	5,511	19.90%

 

Bond Question 7 - Public Transportation

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	18,280	67.13%
Against	8,952	32.87%

   

Bond Question 8 - Storm Sewer System

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	21,781	78.66%
Against	5,909	21.34%

 

Bond Question 9 - Museum, Zoo and Biological Park, and Cultural Facility

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	21,243	75.65%
Against	6,839	24.35%

 

Bond Question 10 - Affordable Housing

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	20,123	72.05%
Against	7,806	27.95%

 

Bond Question 11 - Metropolitan Redevelopment

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	16,818	60.92%
Against	10,788	39.08%

 

Bond Question 12 - Reallocation

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	16,234	58.96%
Against	11,302	41.04%

 

Tax Ordinance - ABQ BioPark

Candidate	Total	Percentage
For	15,281	56.49%
Against	11,771	43.51%

                     

Source: http://app.bernco.gov/election/ 

By Anna Lande • Oct 7, 2015
http://kunm.org/post/low-turnout-municipal-election

Albuquerque voters went to the polls Tuesday to elect two city councilors for the Northeast Heights and Southeast Heights, and decide several bond issues to fund public transportation, the zoo and BioPark and and modernizing city water facilities.

Voter turnout in the city’s municipal elections is often low – KOB reported there was an 8.24% turnout in polling centers city-wide for Tuesday’s muncipal election.

UNM student Chandra Blue Hues suspects the UNM polling location was quiet because the election wasn’t publicized well.

“I saw some of the advertisements for councilors, I really only knew this election was happening because it was in the Alibi,” said Hues. “There was a woman walking around campus passing out the Alibi and saying there was an election and no one was talking about it,” she added.

Voters visiting the UNM polls believe voting in municipal elections is critical.

“Oh, those who turn up run the world,” said Albuquerque voter, Susan Remer, “Especially with the turnout in elections it’s important that everyone gets out and votes.”

There were fifty-three polling locations across Albuquerque, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  The next municipal election will occur in 2019.

Legislation requiring the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) to perform a cost benefit analysis and fiscal impact to local government for each building code change proposed for adoption failed to pass. The bill had passed the New Mexico House but was not considered by the State Senate before the legislature adjourned on March 22. It is unlikely the bill will be brought up in the 2016 “short session” of the legislature as bills considered at that time must be budget bills and those on the Governor’s call.

 

 Source: https://www.ashrae.org/government-affairs/government-affairs-updates/government-affairs-updates-09-04-2015

 

The upcoming 2015 Municipal Election to be held October 6, 2015 will be to elect Councilors in even numbered districts (2, 4, 6, and 8) and vote on bond questions. 
 
Find out more at http://www.cabq.gov/votingelections/election-information