OPINION: In New Mexico, we take care of our own

Here in New Mexico, we take care of our families, our communities, and our unique way of life. It’s who we are. From the acequias that feed our fields to the small businesses that anchor our towns, New Mexicans know that when one of us is struggling, all of us step up. That spirit is what has sustained us through fires, floods, droughts and economic hardship and it’s the same spirit we need now as we confront the growing costs of a warming climate.

Because the truth is undeniable: Climate change is already reshaping daily life in New Mexico.

In the last fiscal year alone, our state spent more than $256 million responding to climate-driven disasters — from wildfires to flooding — through emergency executive orders, and this year the trend has been no different. Scientists and fiscal experts recently warned lawmakers that if we fail to act and prepare, climate-related losses could reach one-third of New Mexico’s annual budget by 2040. That would mean fewer dollars for the things we care about most: our children’s education, future infrastructure needs like roads and drinking water systems, affordable health care and the essential services that keep communities safe.

These aren’t abstract projections, they’re lived experiences happening today.

In Mora and San Miguel counties, the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire burned for nearly five months, destroying more than 630 homes and causing over $4 billion in damages. In Ruidoso, families endured the worst wildfire in their history, only to be hit again by catastrophic flooding that damaged hundreds more homes. Our ranchers have watched 20% of the state’s grazing lands disappear to heat and drought since the 1970s, and homeowners and communities statewide are facing double-digit insurance increases and dried out wells as the impact of extreme weather expands.

But New Mexicans don’t back down from big challenges. We meet them with resilience, responsibility and a commitment to protect what we love. That’s why we must commit to an economy-wide path to addressing the pollution that is causing our climate to change at a rate that’s outstripping our ability to adapt.

We’ve already taken strong steps. Our state passed the Energy Transition Act, adopted nation-leading methane rules and expanded renewable energy production. Thanks to these efforts, New Mexico is now a national leader in wind and solar, with clean-energy job growth outpacing the rest of the economy.

But our current goals to cut climate-damaging pollution rely on an executive order that can change with political winds. Families, workers and businesses deserve stability they can count on.

The Clear Horizons Act, introduced this year, provides that certainty. It codifies our 2050 net-zero targets into law, ensuring we have a real plan to reduce harmful pollution and protect the health, safety and economic security of New Mexicans. It gives state agencies the tools they need to track progress, address gaps and hold the largest polluters who emit over 10,000 tons of harmful pollution a year accountable.

Just as importantly, it positions New Mexico to attract billions in clean energy investments flowing to states with strong, consistent climate rules. That means new opportunities for working families: from solar installation and battery storage to energy-efficient construction, manufacturing and land restoration projects.

Next legislative session, let’s come together — urban and rural, northern and southern, conservative and progressive — and choose once again to take care of each other and our future by passing the Clear Horizons Act.

 Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, represents District 17 in the New Mexico Senate.