For the third year in a row, the proposed bill seeking a four-year pause on fracking did not get much traction. Senator Joe Cervantes of Las Cruces pointed out why the bill did not make it out of committee.  

“The bill (SB 149) would cost 40 percent of the State’s budget. I insisted that if they want to cut 40 percent of the state’s budget they need to show me where they’ll raise taxes to replace that revenue,” he said. “We have a duty to responsibly balance the budget. It’s not a serious piece of legislation that could ever be passed.”

While we are relieved that this bill didn’t progress, we are certainly frustrated that it keeps resurfacing.  One point that probably needs to be made a lot more is that oil and gas is not just responsible for fuel. Conventional plastic is made from petroleum products, and a partial list of products made from petroleum includes dresses, tires, curtains, paint, perfumes, crayons, pillows, golf balls, shaving cream, bandages, telephones, tents, candles, speakers and footballs, just to name a few.  This lengthy list is one of the many reasons why a “transition” away from oil and gas is a long, long way away.  Let’s focus on safely obtaining oil and gas right here in New Mexico.

From the office of Mayor Dale Janway