New Mexico Voices for Children Core Value: Human Rights Equality is not limited by one's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation; human dignity for all

New Mexico Voices for Children supports the recognition and civil rights of all persons and families, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender or gender identity. One way we do this is through our Race Matters work.

Issue Areas:
Racial Equity and Non-Discrimination
Immigration

Issue Area: Racial Equity and Non-Discrimination
(back to top) (NM Children’s Charter outcome #18: No one experiences disparities in education, health, economic opportunity, housing, civil rights, self determination or personal power because of their race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation)

Ongoing Policy Priorities:

• Ensure equal rights for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-gender persons.
• Ensure the right of gay and lesbian couples to make a life-long civil commitment to each other. Such commitment strengthens a family and studies indicate that children thrive in households with same-gender parents.
• Require a racial impact analysis on all legislation similar to the environmental and small business impact reports that are currently required.
• Strengthen human trafficking laws and create support programs for victims.

Current Policies We Support:

• Repeal of the death penalty, which has been shown to be administered much more often to black inmates than to white. Repealed in 2009.
• Prohibition of racial profiling by state law enforcement officials. Enacted in 2009.
• State and federal hate-crime legislation that add penalties to crimes committed on the basis of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
• The federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, ensuring that women and minorities receive equal pay for equal work. Enacted in 2009.
• The First Amendment separation of church and state which guarantees freedom of religion.
• Freedom of speech guarantees for university professors and students.
• Public access to the Internet and net neutrality.

Policies We Oppose:

• The federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws. Enacted in 1996.
• Any legislation or constitutional amendment that would prohibit marriage or civil commitments between same-gender partners.
• Practices and policies that, when implemented, create an advantage for white people and a disadvantage for people of color.
• English-only laws.

Issue Area: Immigration
(back to top) (NM Children’s Charter outcome #17: All New Mexicans are assured protection of their human rights and civil liberties)

Ongoing Policy Priorities:

• Enact a just and humane immigration policy that includes a path to citizenship.

Current Policies We Support:

• Issuing New Mexico drivers licenses to all qualified drivers, regardless of immigration status.
• In-state tuition rates for legal immigrants who qualify as New Mexico residents.

Policies We Oppose:

• State compliance of the federal Real ID act.
• English-only laws.
• Arizona-type laws that give immigration enforcement powers to the states.
• Making it a felony to be in this country without documentation or to render humanitarian aid to an undocumented person.