Democrats not interested in protecting children
During this past legislative session, I, along with four other Republican House members, sponsored House Bill 121 to provide necessary reform to our state’s Children, Youth & Families Department. Thanks to Democrats, it was never considered.
This piece of legislation would have required CYFD to conduct a family assessment for any parent of a drug- or alcohol-exposed newborn who refuses to comply with their established plan of care.
The bill also required counseling, training and other services to address the factors that may endanger the safety and well-being of a child.
Along with this, the bill would have mandated that the department investigate the parent of a drug addicted newborn that declines these services after an assessment is conducted.
CYFD has shown time and time again that it is incapable of protecting our children. This is not due to a staffing shortage or unqualified staff, but rather because the liberal majority refuses to give CYFD the authority to hold parents accountable or give them the vital resources to help kids.
New Mexican children are dying and yet the left continues to turn their head the other way.
Ensuring CYFD has the necessary tools to protect our kids is a top priority of Republicans all across the state. But, we knew we could not fight for this alone.
That’s why Rep. Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, Rep. Jenifer Jones, R-Deming, and myself wrote a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham after we pre-filed HB 121. In this letter, we asked the governor that our bill be included in the public policy debate during the 30-day legislative session.
Our request fell on deaf ears, and we never heard back from the governor. Further proving that Democrats are not interested in implementing these common sense measures to protect our children.
I pose this question to our governor and Democrats across the state: If we fail to protect young New Mexicans, how can we expect a promising future for our state?
The left and the governor may not be in the business of guarding our youth and holding negligent parents accountable. But, me and my fellow Republicans are.
This is yet another roadblock from the Democrats. But the fight is not over. We will continue to advocate for policies that benefit our children and keep them safe.