I came to know what environmental justice was because of the environmental injustice that my family has faced living in our state for generations and struggling with poverty.

Big steps must be taken in order to curb the effects of climate change and extractive industries on our families. It’s my position that the state should be responsible for protecting the people of New Mexico, specifically communities most affected by oil and gas operations. As a legislator I would work to:

• Transition the budget from reliance on oil and gas to a more diversified base, including a shift to renewable energy. 

• Ensure more oversight and greater accountability provisions for the oil and gas industry- specifically require higher insurance bonds and greater penalties for spills and toxins, including the groundwater pollution as a result of fracking.

• Ensure there are setback provisions for oil and gas wells for schools, communities and wildlife. 

• Uplift and fund the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund that is a future-forward approach to sustaining investments in land and wildlife conservation.