Most of us were taught at a fairly young age the importance of cleaning up the messes we make. But unfortunately, many American industries are not held to the same standards we set for our children. Chief among these is the oil and gas industry. This GIF-splainer looks at why that is and what it costs us.
Albuquerque Journal--By creating a rental database, Albuquerque would be able to gather data about the city’s residential rental market, improve communications between the city and landlords, and protect the health and well-being of rental occupants.
Another Tax Day has come and gone, which makes it a great time to mention some of the improvements our state leaders have made to our tax system over the last several years. The big news is the creation and expansion of our Child Tax Credit, which we know is one of the best and most effective ways to help our families and their growing children.
Santa Fe New Mexican--Through the Opportunity Enterprise Fund, there is now $70 million available “to increase economic activity in the state by providing financing for new or existing commercial facilities to attract businesses to New Mexico communities and allow existing businesses to expand their operations.”
Santa Fe New Mexican--New Mexico’s greatest asset is its cultural, ethnic and racial diversity. Our people are the heart of our state, and now, our Legislature is recognizing that in a big way. It’s not an exaggeration to say the tax omnibus bill currently under consideration (House Bill 547) does more to improve economic opportunity and equity in our tax code than any legislation in our state’s history.
New Mexico is leading the way in providing all students with tuition-free higher education, and the Opportunity Scholarship has already shown results. That's why the Senate Finance Committee should fully fund the Opportunity Scholarship and keep it free of any guardrail language regarding its administration.
Las Cruces Sun-News--Court fines and fees are an inefficient way to raise revenue for the state, as collection often costs more than what's brought it. But there are other ways in which this juice isn't worth the squeeze.
Carlsbad Current Argus--Guns are the leading cause of death for kids in New Mexico, with the largest share of gun deaths being suicides. Legislators have the opportunity to protect our children from gun violence with common-sense regulations during this legislative session.
Rio Rancho Observer--New Mexico now leads the nation for something good: our expansion of child care assistance. The federal funding that paid for that expansion ends soon, and our state lawmakers need to replace it in order to ensure that our parents can work and their children are well cared for.
I met a group of women at the Roundhouse this week who had recently lost close family members to COVID, including one who had lost a child. Their stories were powerful, and their emotions were raw. Our brief encounter was a vivid reminder that we still have many health care challenges ahead of us. We must do better.