The New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue will be having an in-person dialogue on Thursday October 16th, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, Mormon Temple, located at 4500 7 Bar Loop Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114. Our speaker will be Rep. Jason Harper.  We look forward to an engaging dialogue about ” Religious Freedom and How to Effectively Influence Your Elected Leaders.”

Topics of my talk:

Religious Freedom – Even in a free government, our ability to worship can be affected – whether by a pandemic or debates over prayer in school. I’ll share perspectives from my time in the New Mexico Legislature during the pandemic, outline what our constitutional, court-tested religious freedoms actually are, and discuss how we can protect our right to worship and live our deeply held beliefs.

Influence – By the time a bill reaches committee, most legislators have already decided how they’ll vote. Public comment still matters, but it rarely changes outcomes. So, how do we truly influence our leaders? I’ll share the most and least effective ways to engage with local (NM) elected officials. Spoiler: the best approach is building a personal relationship – and I’ll show practical, surprisingly simple ways to do that.

Rep. Jason Harper

 I was born and raised in Rio Rancho and elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2012, where I served 12 years before retiring at the end of 2024. During my time in office, I focused on tax reform, education, and strengthening opportunities for New Mexico families. I helped save the Lottery Scholarship, ensured teachers weren’t penalized for taking sick leave, and sponsored many bills that became law.

Outside the Legislature, I’ve served in my church in roles ranging from Youth Pastor and Assistant to the Bishop, to Children’s Music Leader and Boy Scout Leader. Academically, I earned a B.S. at New Mexico Tech, an M.S. at Purdue, and a Ph.D. at UNM – all in Chemical Engineering. I’ve worked at Sandia National Laboratories for 21 years, serve on the Advisory Board for the Chemical Engineering Department at NMT, and sit on the Governing Council for the ASK Academy in Rio Rancho.

Hope to see you soon!