5 Critical Bills Signed Into Law! Here's What Comes Next.

The fight for climate justice in New Mexico is far from over – but today, we're celebrating a major milestone. Five of YUCCA's priority climate and energy justice bills were signed into law by the Governor this week – a testament to the tireless advocacy of our communities and the power of our continued organizing.

Meanwhile, we've spent the past few weeks mobilizing, strategizing, and activating on all fronts: from sharing our knowledge with students and community members during last week's No False Solutions 102 Training and Legislative Report-Back at UNM, to speaking in Santa Fe to call on those in positions of power and privilege to step up to confront systemic injustice, to joining our movement allies to fight to stop produced water (liquid toxic fracking waste) during the Water Quality Control Commission's hearing this week.

Read on to learn more about what these legislative wins mean, what's next, and how you can stay plugged into the fight for meaningful action on climate and environmental justice.

NO FALSE SOLUTIONS 102 TRAINING AND LEGISLATIVE SESSION REPORT-BACK

Last week, we had a great time joining fellow members of the New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition, UNM LEAF, and ASUNM to hold a No False Solutions 102 Training and Legislative Report-Back at UNM!

From breaking down false climate "solutions" to reflecting on key takeaways from the 2025 Legislative Session, hearing from community members and students about their experiences, and breaking down our plan to continue the fight for bold climate action, we had a great time coming together with students and community members to share knowledge, build community, and strategize for the work that still lies ahead of us.

Did you miss the event but still want to learn more about the New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition? Head to the coalition's website by clicking the button below to explore our work, priorities, and how you can get involved to take action!

ICYMI: YUCCA CALLS FOR A BOLD, PEOPLE-POWERED MOVEMENT AT SANTA FE HANDS OFF! RALLY

Last week, we also joined thousands of New Mexicans and community members across the country who took to the streets on April 5th to protest the federal administration's attempts to reverse our progress, roll back our rights, and strip our communities of critical resources.

During the "Hands Off! Santa Fe Fights Back" rally, YUCCA Support Staff and Earth Care Co-Director Bianca Sopoci-Belknap spoke to the deep harm caused by corporate greed, the impacts of lawmakers' inaction, and the importance of moving beyond surface-level allyship to take meaningful action for justice.

During her speech, Bianca urged those in positions of power and privilege to step up to the plate to confront systemic injustice and disrupt the business-as-usual politics that have never prioritized our communities. She invited the thousands in the crowd to take action – not just through protest, but through deep, ongoing commitment – to help build the bold, people-powered movement that is necessary to meet the urgency of this moment.

BIG WIN: 5 YUCCA PRIORITY BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW THIS WEEK!

We have some exciting news to share this week: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed S.B. 21 (The Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act), S.B. 23 (Oil and Gas Royalty Rate Changes), S.B. 48 (The Community Benefit Fund), H.B. 91 (Public Rate Utility Structures), and H.B. 128 (The NMFA Local Solar Access Fund) into law! ✅

The Governor's signature of these five priority bills represents a huge, hard-fought win in the fight to advance a just transition to renewable energy, expand energy democracy, make meaningful investments in our communities, and protect waters across our state.

Read on to learn more about these important climate, energy, and environmental justice bills – and what they mean for our future! 🌎

S.B. 21, The Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act, will help to protect waters across our state by putting the power back into New Mexicans' hands as the federal administration continues its attempts to roll back critical environmental regulations. This bill allows us to have control over safeguarding waters across our state, including those that have lost federal protections.

S.B. 23, Oil and Gas Royalty Rate Changes, will help to ensure that the wealth extracted from our lands is reinvested back into our communities by raising our state’s top oil and gas royalty rate to between 20-25%, a rate that is already demanded by Texas and private landowners. 

S.B. 48, The Community Benefit Fund, is a reflection of YUCCA's long-standing calls for a just transition fund that marks an important first step in moving our state away from extractive industry and towards a sustainable clean energy future.

H.B. 91, Public Utility Rate Structures, will help to lower energy costs for communities across the state and create an energy system that is more fair, equitable, and accessible for New Mexicans by allowing for the creation of additional utility rate structures. 

H.B. 128, The NMFA Local Solar Access Fund, is the solution to our communities' calls for solutions to rising utility costs, unreliable energy infrastructure, and increasing climate-related disasters. By implementing a grant fund at the New Mexico Finance Authority which will issue planning and implementation grants to Tribes, counties, municipalities, school districts, and Land Grants for solar and storage projects, this bill will support our communities with the resources they need to implement renewable energy projects that will build our resilience for years to come.

After months of advocacy at the Roundhouse for over 2 dozen bills, we're proud that these 5 bills made it across the finish line this week – and will soon take effect to protect our environment and support community members across New Mexico. While we had hoped that more of our bills would make their way to the Governor's desk this year, these wins prove what is possible when we organize, show up, and fight for the future we deserve, together.

KEY UPDATE: WATER QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION HEARING ON WASTEWATER REUSE RULE

Over the summer, we wrote to you asking you to take action against the Water Quality Control Commission's proposed Wastewater Reuse Rule and joined our movement allies to deliver a petition of 1,100+ signatures to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Environment Department demanding that New Mexico reject plans to reuse toxic fracking waste off the oil field, endangering the health, lives, and futures of all New Mexicans.

We're writing to you today with an important update on the proposed rule – this week, the Water Quality Control Commission held a multi-day hearing to deliberate on the rule – and while we secured some major wins, there's still more work ahead.

✅ This week, the Commission prohibited the use of produced water for demonstration or industrial projects – a huge win in our work to protect our communities.

⚠️ However, we're deeply concerned and disappointed by the Commission's failure to adopt meaningful guardrails for pilot projects. As it stands, the rule only requires a notice of intent for produced water pilot projects – providing no avenues for community input or opposition and leaving the door open for projects that could move forward with no real community oversight or consent.

All of this is unfolding in the context of a larger, national effort on the part of the federal administration to expand the use of "produced water" (liquid toxic fracking waste) across the country. In a recent statement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said:

"EPA is playing a central role in delivering on President Trump's energy agenda. EPA will revise wastewater regulations from the 1970s that do not reflect modern capacity to treat and reuse water for good. As a result, we will lower production costs for oil and gas extraction to boost American energy while increasing water supplies and protecting water quality."

We need to be clear: Efforts to expand the use of "produced water" and create "new water" aren't about protecting water quality or the people – instead, it's about shifting the burden of the oil and gas industry's toxic waste problem onto our communities.

In the coming weeks, we'll continue to push for the strongest possible protections, and we're keeping a close eye on the Water Quality Control Commission as they prepare for a final ruling in the coming weeks – be sure to stay tuned for updates and upcoming opportunities to take action.