Legislative Notebook: Green Amendment gets first green light Walter Rubel LAS CRUCES - A proposed constitutional amendment making clean air, water and land a fundamental right for all residents of the state, both current and future, has cleared its first hurdle with a 7-4 vote Monday, Feb. 8, in the Senate Rules Committee. Senate Joint Resolution 3, the Green Amendment, would flip the default position now in place when establishing legal priorities, and ensure the protection of the environment gets top priority, said Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, one of the sponsors. “The right to a healthy environment is paramount. Without a planet to live on, all other rights are irrelevant,” said Kevin Bixby, executive director of the Southwest Environmental Center in Las Cruces and an advocate for the amendment. SJR3 now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee. If passed by the Legislature, it would still need to be approved by the voters in 2022.