2024 session must focus on meaningful investments in NM
Over the last several years, New Mexico has planted the seeds for generational change with family-driven policy wins like raising the minimum wage, passing one of the most generous child income tax credits in the nation, creating a constitutional right to early childhood education, and making higher education tuition-free. These are transformational policies, but it will take time to see the results, and we do not have time to waste.
Despite our significant progress in recent years, we know that too many of our neighbors have trouble making ends meet at the end of the month. Too many of our kids struggle in school. Too many of our loved ones cannot afford the health care they need. Too many of our families worry about the safety of their communities.
Our focus in the upcoming budget session must be on making investments that will truly make a meaningful difference, for this generation and the next. New Mexico has once again been blessed with record revenues, which means we have an incredible opportunity to address longterm challenges. We also have a responsibility to make a difference for New Mexicans today.
Now is the time for bold leadership and thoughtful, sustainable investments.
If we make the kind of short-sighted investments favored by those who govern by election cycle, we will squander this moment. At the same time, if we let fear drive us to stash money under the mattress — beyond the robust reserves we know we need to weather rainier days — we will fail the New Mexican families who are counting on us to deliver now.
The best investments we can make, for today’s generation and the next, are in teachers, schools, and students across New Mexico’s diverse communities. Education is not only the foundation of our children’s success, it’s the foundation of our longterm priorities like ending generational poverty, preventing crime, and building a more resilient, sustainable future.
In addition to continued investments in early childhood, K-12, and higher education, we need to fund workforce development, particularly for critical professions like health care, clean energy, and social work. This will help us staff our front lines today, solve tomorrow’s challenges, and make sure New Mexicans have good-paying jobs to support their families for decades to come.
By making necessities like housing and health care affordable and accessible, we can help New Mexico’s working families make ends meet. By passing a Paid Family & Medical Leave policy, we can ensure that New Mexicans do not have to choose between caring for a loved one in a time of need or keeping their job. These investments will not only benefit working families now, they will make our state a more attractive place for both workers and businesses down the line.
We also have to make our communities safer. That means passing common-sense measures now to reduce violent crime, including gun violence, making sure our law enforcement officers have the tools and resources they need to keep us safe, and investing in evidence-based solutions that address the root causes of crime, like behavioral health care and substance use treatment.
If we use today’s resources wisely, we can prepare for tomorrow’s challenges, while making life better for families now. Now is not the time to kick the can down the road. This generation is depending on us.