Early Childhood Care and Education
Children’s Health Care and Safety
Federal Health Care Reform
Taxes, Budgets, the Economy, and Economic Development
Family Economic Security (Wages, Work Supports, Poverty, and Predatory Lending)
New Mexico KIDS COUNT
Good Government (Legislative Advocacy, Voting Issues)
Legislative Briefings
Annual Reports
Viewpoint Newsletters

Early Childhood Care and Education

PowerPoint: “Learning Begins at Birth: So Should Our Investment in Education” This presentation, created for the Invest in Kids Now! initiative, makes the case for why New Mexico should invest more in early care and education as a way to improve school outcomes and child well-being, and why the Land Grant Fund is the best–and most responsible–way to fund such programs.

PowerPoint: “Transforming Education: From Birth to Success” PowerPoint on why investing in the early years is key to K-12 success, presented to the Legislative Education Study Committee.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Dec. 2010; 25 slides with notes; pdf)

Portrait of New Mexico’s Current Investment in Young Children All early care and education programs in New Mexico combined receive less than 1 percent of the general fund budget. This brief makes a case for why the state needs to devote more funding and from a sustainable source for these most important years in a child’s development.

  • Download the report (Updated Oct. 2010; 3 pages; pdf)

Early Childhood Supports in New Mexico: Challenges and Opportunities A concise look at the challenges New Mexico’s youngest residents face, as well as some of the support programs already in place. Includes some demographic and budgetary data. (Updated Dec. 2010; 4 pages)

PowerPoint: “The Foundation for a Thriving New Mexico Economy: Success Begins at Birth” Why early care and education are necessary investments that more than pay off in the long run.

  • Download the PowerPoint (May 2008; 22 slides; pdf)

Improving Infant and Toddler Care and Education in New Mexico Although the vast majority of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of four, the vast majority of our public investment in education doesn’t begin until the age of five. Children who don’t get quality early care and education in environments that are safe, stimulating and nurturing are less likely to succeed in school.

  • Download the report (June 2006; 32 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “The Importance of Early Childhood Education A promising way forward for New Mexico”

  • Download the brief (2006; 8 pages; pdf)

FAQ: “Spending by Child Age on Education and Development” Illustrates that even though the vast majority of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of four, the vast majority of our public investment in child education doesn’t begin until age five.

Policy Brief: “The Invisible Caretaker Grandparents as Parents in New Mexico”

  • Download the brief (2004; 8 pages; pdf)

The State of Public Education in Northern New Mexico Presents socioeconomic and public education data for the seven counties of northern New Mexico that are most impacted by the presence of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and seeks to characterize the learning environments encountered both inside and outside the classroom by public school students in these counties.

  • Download the report (Sept. 2002; 37 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Investing in Early Childhood Education”

  • Download the brief (Dec. 2001; 5 pages; pdf)

Children’s Health Care and Safety

Policy Brief: “Covering All Kids: A Good First Step Toward Universal Health Care” This policy brief shows what it would cost to cover all eligible kids under Medicaid (it’s less than you might think), and what the economic benefits would be.

Maximizing Medicaid: Reaching and Retaining All Eligible Children By enrolling all kids who are eligible in Medicaid, we could extend health care to nearly 50,000 more children.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2008; 4 pages; pdf)

The Crisis in Health Care and the Reauthorization of S-CHIP in the 2007 Congress Created for our S-CHIP Town Hall, this publications looks at re-authorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program – a task undertaken by the 110th Congress in 2007.

A Public Health Response to Youth Gun Violence Every day in America, eight children and adolescents die from gunfire. With firearms both prevalent and accessible in American households, gun safety locks are the best and most effective way to keep children safe.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2003; 8 pages; pdf)

PowerPoint: “Kids and Guns” New Mexico’s data collection system for tracking children’s firearm injury deaths.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Oct. 2001; 42 slides; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Insuring Parents Improves Health Outcomes for Children”

  • Download the brief (Sept. 2001; 5 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Medicaid Look-Back Periods are Barriers to Health Insurance for Children”

  • Download the brief (Nov. 2000; 4 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Mail-In Medicaid Enrollment: Reducing Barriers to Health Insurance for New Mexico’s Low-Income Children”

  • Download the brief (Aug. 2000; 4 pages; pdf)

Federal Health Care Reform

The Tax Revenue Benefits of Health Care Reform in New Mexico The companion piece to our report “The Economic Benefits of Health Care Reform in New Mexico,” this report estimates the amount of tax revenue the state will collect as a result of the economic activity generated by the federal funding that will flow into New Mexico when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented.

  • Download the report (August 2011; 8 pages; pdf)
  • Download the companion report, The Economic Benefits of Health Care Reform in New Mexico (Updated August 2011; 8 pages; pdf)

The Economic Benefits of Health Care Reform in New Mexico As federal health care reform (the Affordable Care Act) in fully implemented over the next several years, millions in federal dollars will be injected into the state. The result will be billions of dollars in economic activity and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

  • Download the report (Updated August 2011; 8 pages; pdf)
  • Download the companion report, The Tax Revenue Benefits of Health Care Reform in New Mexico (August 2011; 8 pages; pdf)

Taxes, Budgets, the Economy, and Economic Development

Winners and Losers: The Single Sales Factor Formula in New Mexico The Martinez administration is considering asking the Legislature to implement a different formula for determining corporate profits for income tax purposes. This paper explains how the formula works and why it would be bad for New Mexico business.

  • Download the report (December 2011; 4 pages; pdf)

Funding Public Schools in New Mexico in the Great Recession An updated and expanded version of previous reports on funding public schools, this report looks specifically at the effect the recession has had on New Mexico’s ability to fund its public schools.

  • Download the report (October 2011; 8 pages; pdf)

Property Taxes and Funding Public Schools A primer on New Mexico’s property tax beneficiaries, rates, and limitations.

  • Download the report (Nov. 2010; 2 pages; pdf)

New Mexico’s Land Grant Permanent Fund: A Primer Explains how the fund works, who the beneficiaries are, and how much money it has earned and distributed in recent years.

  • Download the report (Nov. 2010; 3 pages; pdf)

Paying for Public Schools in New Mexico Our state’s method of funding our K-12 educational system is more centralized than in most other states. This two-page brief lays out how much of our K-12 funding comes from which source.

  • Download the report (Oct. 2010; 2 pages; pdf)

Medicaid: An Integral Part of New Mexico’s Economy Medicaid is good medicine for New Mexico. Besides the benefits of keeping some of our most vulnerable populations healthy, Medicaid also boosts our economy. The federal funds that Medicaid injects into the state translate into job creation and billions in related economic activity.

  • Download the report (updated Sept. 2010; 12 pages; pdf)

New Mexico Revenues and Expenditures: A Mid-Recession Snapshot Only two other states had a employment picture more dismal than New Mexico’s this June. With unemployment at 8.2 percent—and likely to be as high as 6.3 percent until 2015—New Mexico has a ways to go before its recovery from the recession is complete.

  • Download the report (Aug. 2010; 6 pages; pdf)

PowerPoint: “Tax Incidence Models” Some states do regular studies to determine how the responsibility for state and local taxes is spread among its residents. New Mexico does not, but this presentation, made to the Legislative Finance Committee, gives some reasons why the state should do such a study.

  • Download the PowerPoint (July 22, 2010; 16 slides; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Plugging a Federal Drain on New Mexico’s Income Tax Revenues”

  • Download the brief (Jan. 2010; pdf)

Citizen’s Guide to New Mexico’s Tax System Learn the basics of New Mexico’s tax system—where the state gets its tax revenue to pay for public programs.

Policy Brief: “Potential Revenue Generators” Why the state should take a balanced approach to solving the budget shortfall and how it could fill the gap.

  • Download the brief (Aug. 2009; 2 pages; pdf)

Advocate’s Guide to the New Mexico State Budget This guide is designed as a companion to the Citizen’s Guide to the New Mexico State Budget and is written for people who are interested in advocating for General Fund monies for operating and programmatic purposes.

  • Download the guide (Updated Aug. 2009; 36 pages; pdf)

Citizen’s Guide to the New Mexico State Budget Learn the basics of the state’s general fund budget—what the state spends money on and how much.

New Mexico’s Economy and the Recovery Act The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) hasn’t been in effect long, but it’s already had a positive impact on the state’s economy. New Mexico’s economy will continue to improve as the rest of the $3.381 billion share of the stimulus funds creates as many as 10,000 jobs.

  • Download the report (Aug. 2009; 4 pages; pdf)
  • Download the appendix (2 pages; pdf)

Economic Development Tax Credits in New Mexico: Are They Doing the Job? Every year the state gives out tens of millions of dollars in economic development tax credits. Whether these incentives are a good investment, however, is unknown because the state does not study their economic impact.

  • Download the report (April 2009; corrected Sept. 2009; 4 pages; pdf)

FAQ: “Tax Increment Development Districts (TIDDs)” Is this use of tax money to pay developers for building public infrastructure an appropriate incentive or a developer give-away? Answers to frequently asked questions.

Corporate Shell Games: How Wal-Mart and Others Shield Their Profits from New Mexico Taxes The state of New Mexico is losing millions in corporate income tax every year because of a flaw in the state’s tax policy. The policy benefits major multi-state corporations and puts locally owned businesses at a disadvantage.

  • Download the report (Updated Jan. 2009; 6 pages; pdf)
  • Download the policy brief (Updated Jan. 2009; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Tax Fairness: Why We Need To Put Some Progressivity Back Into NM’s Tax System”

  • Download the brief (Jan. 2009; pdf)

New Mexico’s Revenue Crisis: State Revenues and the Economy, FY08 to FY13 The consensus revenue forecast presented in December 2008 shows New Mexico in the grip of a crisis. New Mexico’s general fund revenues have fallen below the level they were in fiscal year 2008 (FY08), and this trend is expected to continue through FY11. The revenue level of FY08 will not be sufficient to maintain the current level of services, such as health care, public safety, and K-12 educational programs.

Immigrants and the New Mexico Economy: Working Hard for Low Wages The current debate over immigration—and particularly over immigrants without legal residency status—often centers on whether or not this group of people contributes to the economy or diminishes it. This report shows that not only are immigrants here to work, they are represented in the workforce in greater percentages than are U.S.-born citizens. They also receive government safety-net assistance at half the rate of the native-born.

New Mexico’s Revenue Forecast: The Coming Drought The Legislative Finance Committee’s 2008 Post Session Review estimated that a baseline budget will need to grow by about 3.4 percent per year, but expected revenue growth will not be enough to meet baseline levels starting in FY 2010.

  • Download the report (May 2008; 4 pages; pdf)

The Federal Economic Stimulus Package and the New Mexico Impact

  • Download the report (March 2008; 2 pages; pdf)

Revenues in New Mexico: The Five-Year Path to a Revenue Squeeze Why the trajectory of New Mexico’s general fund revenue growth during the Richardson administration will lead to budgetary problems.

Policy Brief: “Raising the Bar by Raising the Personal Income Tax Threshold”

  • Download the brief (May 2007; pdf)

Policy Brief: “TELs and TABOR: Why Limiting State Spending Puts Everyone In the Red”

  • Download the brief (May 2007; pdf)

Tax Expenditures and General Sales Taxes in New Mexico Tax expenditures are a way for the state to “spend” money indirectly by allowing exceptions to the ordinary tax code. This paper, a follow-up to the Moving Toward Revenue Policy Transparency Policy paper (below), shows how tax expenditures have become a significant drag on the revenue-producing capacity of the general sales tax in New Mexico.

Policy Brief: “Who Pays Taxes in New Mexico?”

  • Download the brief (May 2007; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Corporate Income Tax and Combined Reporting”

  • Download the brief (May 2007; pdf)

Quick Facts: “PIT Add-Back: Closing the Federally Created State and Local Tax Deduction Loophole to the New Mexico Personal Income Tax”

  • Download the FAQs (Feb. 2007; pdf)

Quick Facts: “Maintaining the New Mexico Estate Tax”

  • Download the FAQs (Nov. 2006; pdf)

Moving Toward Revenue Policy Transparency in New Mexico Every year in New Mexico, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax cuts, credits and incentives, known as tax expenditures, go to individuals and businesses through exceptions to normal tax law. But because no one is required to keep track of the combined annual cost, they’ve ballooned into a $5 billion annual giveaway.

  • Download the report (Sept. 2006; 12 pages; pdf)
  • Download the PowerPoint (2006; 7 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “The Working Families Tax Credit: Help Hard-Working Families Become Self-Sufficient”

  • Download the brief (Aug. 2006; pdf)
Undocumented Immigrants in New Mexico: State Tax Contributions and Fiscal Concerns Estimates how much undocumented immigrants pay the state in gross receipts and property taxes and how much undocumented immigrant children cost the state in K-12 educational services.

  • Download the report (May 2006; 8 pages; pdf)

The Path to a High Road Economy: Investing in People, Creating Opportunity A report of the Working Poor Families Project, it looks at everything from work supports (from adult basic education to health care for all) to economic development incentives.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2006; 39 pages; pdf)
  • Download the PowerPoint (Dec. 2005; 36 slides; pdf)

”Policy Brief: Raising the Wage Floor: Benefits for New Mexico Workers”

  • Download the brief (Sept. 2005; pdf)

The Social Infrastructure and Economic Development in New Mexico Every year, our state budgets tax dollars to support social infrastructure programs. This report explores the benefits of social infrastructure in terms of job creation and economic development that the public rarely sees. It suggests that social infrastructure is a key ingredient of successful economic development and should not be ignored.

  • Download the report (July 2005; 53 pages; pdf)

Tax Effort in New Mexico: Need for a Fair Tax System The 2003 personal income tax cuts made New Mexico’s tax code much less progressive. This report explores the ramifications of regressive tax policy, and argues the need for a more progressive tax policy in New Mexico.

  • Download the report (April 2005; 3 pages; pdf)

Who’s Minding the Store? New Mexico’s Income Tax Cut: Poor Performance, Wrong Choice The personal income tax cut in 2003 promised to produce noticeable results in public infrastructure and job growth. This report explores how tax cuts damage the state budget and avoid transparency.

  • Download the report (March 2005; 3 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “New Mexico Would Lose Under President Bush’s Proposed Budget”

  • Download the brief (March 2005; pdf)

Personal Income Tax Cuts Do Not Equal Economic Growth This report demonstrates how New Mexico’s personal income tax cut falls short of its promise of job growth and economic development.

PowerPoint: “Faith Traditions, Tax Policy and the Good Society”

  • Download the PowerPoint (Dec. 2004; 27 slides; pdf)

PowerPoint: “New Mexico’s Tax System” How it works, why it matters, and how it’s changing.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Oct. 2004; 20 slides; pdf)

New Mexico’s Personal Income Tax Cut: What it Means to You Because of the personal income tax cut, the state will collect $350 million less in taxes each year. This revenue crisis has lawmakers cutting funding for social services.

  • Download the report (March 2004; pdf)

PowerPoint: “Arguments Against the Repeal of the Gross Receipts Tax on Food” Why a tax rebate for low-income families would help the poorest more and cost less than this proposal.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Aug. 2003; 18 slides; pdf)

PowerPoint: “How Socio-Economic Policies Affect Children” What child advocates need to know about state fiscal policy and taxes.

Policy Brief: “Taxation of Low-Income Families in New Mexico”

  • Download the brief (2002; 6 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Enhancing the Benefits of Tax Rebates and Credits”

  • Download the brief (Oct. 2000; 4 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Expanding the Low-Income Comprehensive Tax Rebate (LICTR)” A cost-effective strategy to lift children out of poverty in New Mexico

  • Download the brief (June 2000; 4 pages; pdf)

Family Economic Security

Indexing the State Minimum Wage to Inflation New Mexico’s minimum wage, $7.50 an hour, has already lost value in the few years since it was raised. A full-time minimum wage employee has lost on average $1,000 a year due to inflation.

  • Download the report (February 2012; 4 pages; pdf)

Higher Education Expenditures and College Affordability in New Mexico The recession and budget cuts to higher education have made college much less affordable in New Mexico. Moreover, tuition hikes have squeezed the state’s lottery scholarship fund, which is in jeopardy of being depleted.

Race, Ethnicity, and Economic Outcomes in New Mexico The second in our series on racial/ethnic disparities, this Fiscal Policy Project paper looks at how economic outcomes track in relation to race and ethnicity.

  • Download the report (May 2011; 14 pages; pdf)
  • Download the first report in this series Making Sure All Kids Count: Disparities Among New Mexico’s Children (December 2010; 20 pages; pdf)

Bolstering the Basics: Helping New Mexico Families Work Their Way Out of Poverty While 40 percent of job openings in the next decade are expected to require more than a high school diploma, almost three-quarters (71 percent) of New Mexico working-age adults lack even a two-year college degree. This report, funded through the Working Poor Families Project, takes a look at some steps the state could take to help our workforce prepare for the future.

Medicaid: An Integral Part of New Mexico’s Economy Medicaid is good medicine for New Mexico. Besides the benefits of keeping some of our most vulnerable populations healthy, Medicaid also boosts our economy. The federal funds that Medicaid injects into the state translate into job creation and billions in related economic activity.

  • Download the report (updated Sept. 2010; 12 pages; pdf)

The Great Recession: How New Mexico Workers Are Faring The ‘Great Recession’ has hammered New Mexico workers hard, but not all job sectors have suffered equally. The sectors that grew rapidly in the pre-recession years—namely construction and mining—also fell the hardest after the housing and energy bubbles burst in 2007. But some sectors have actually gained jobs. Ethnicity and gender have also been factors in how workers are faring.

PowerPoint: “Basic Family Budgets” The Federal Poverty Level is based on an out-dated formula. Why Basic Family Budgets give a more accurate picture of what a family needs to earn in order to get by.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Nov. 2008; 13 slides; pdf)
  • Calculate a Basic Family Budget for Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and New Mexico’s rural counties

The Economic Impact of Increasing Food Stamp Utilization by New Mexico Families Just over 60 percent of the New Mexico families with children that qualify for Food Stamps receives them. Raising the rate of utilization to 80 percent would bring more than $40 million in federal funding, which would create more than $42 million in new economic activity and create more than 900 jobs.

2008 State of Working New Mexico New Mexicans have seen their personal income rise faster than the national average over the past few years. Job growth has also been strong, but both seem to have peaked and are now slowing. Those and other indicators of workforce well-being are updated in this annual report. Released in cooperation with the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN).

PowerPoint: “Supporting Work Through Work Supports” When wages are not sufficient to keep working families out of poverty, wage support—Food Stamps, Medicaid, childcare assistance, etc.—can make all the difference.

  • Download the PowerPoint (June 2008; 15 slides; pdf)

2007 State of Working New Mexico This annual report looks at employment factors in New Mexico from wage and income levels to the quality of jobs, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2008; 36 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Unemployment Insurance Benefits Everyone”

  • Download the brief (May 2007; pdf)

FAQ: “The Truth About Payday Lending”

Quick Facts: “New Mexico’s Unemployment Insurance Program”

  • Download the FAQs (Dec. 2006; pdf)

Expand Opportunity to All New Mexicans: Raise State Minimum Wage to $7.50 Indexed to Inflation New Mexico has the largest portion of hourly paid workers in the U.S. that survive on minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage to 7.50 an hour would increase the economic opportunities of working adults in New Mexico and help reduce poverty.

  • Download the report (Updated Oct. 2006; 4 pages; pdf)

An Economic Success Story: Job Growth and Poverty Reduction in States that have Raised the Minimum Wage A comparative study of states reveals that raising the minimum wage promotes steady job growth and reduces poverty.

  • Download the report (Updated Oct. 2006; 7 pages; pdf)

2006 State of Working New Mexico This annual report looks at employment factors in New Mexico from wage and income levels to the quality of jobs, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Download the report (Sept. 2006; 28 pages; pdf)

Workforce Environment Index – New Mexico and Neighboring States Ranks the states on a set of measures such as job quality, job opportunities, and workplace fairness that describe what the environment is like for working people.

  • Download the report (March 2006; 8 pages; pdf)

PowerPoint: “Stimulating New Mexico’s Economy and Helping Unemployed Workers” Maintaining and expanding the 2003 reforms to the unemployment insurance system.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Dec. 2006; 28 slides; pdf)

Social Security Essentials Stats on who relies on Social Security benefits in New Mexico by county. Compiled by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

  • Download the report (Feb. 2005; 2 pages; pdf)

PowerPoint: “New Mexico Medicaid: A Primer On the Medicaid System”

  • Download the PowerPoint (Jan. 2005; 20 slides; pdf)

2005 State of Working New Mexico This annual report looks at employment factors in New Mexico from wage and income levels to the quality of jobs, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Download the report (2005; 16 pages; pdf)

Quick Facts: “The Economic Impact of Medicaid”

2004 State of Working New Mexico This annual report looks at employment factors in New Mexico from wage and income levels to the quality of jobs, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Download the report (Sept. 2004; 16 pages; pdf)

PowerPoint: “Child Poverty in New Mexico” Facts and myths about poverty in New Mexico.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Aug. 2003; 18 slides; pdf)

Quick Facts: “Popular Misconceptions About Medicaid”

Policy Brief: “The Impact of Medicaid on New Mexico’s Economy”

Bare Bones Budgets The federal poverty level, which is used to determine eligibility for many assistance programs, is based on an antiquated formula.

Policy Brief: “Strengthening the New Mexico Economy Through Unemployment Insurance Reform”

  • Download the brief (Nov. 2002; 8 pages; pdf)

Special Focus: Child Poverty in New Mexico New Mexico continues to have one of the nation’s highest rates of child poverty. This paper discusses the public costs of child poverty and some poverty reduction policies.

  • Download the report (May 2001; 4 pages; pdf)

New Mexico KIDS COUNT

2011 KIDS COUNT in New Mexico The continuing Great Recession has thrown more of New Mexico’s children and families into poverty. This annual report looks at the well-being of the state’s children with some data presented by county and school district. Made possible by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

  • Download the report (Jan. 17, 2012; 52 pages; pdf)

Making Sure All KIDS COUNT: The Earlier the Better New Mexico’s home visiting/parent coaching programs dramatically improve outcomes for the children and families they serve. Unfortunately, only a tiny percentage of families can take advantage of these important programs and the areas of the state with the greatest needs often have the fewest programs.

  • Download the report (December 2011; 12 pages; pdf)

2010 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book Includes an essay about the need for an education continuum that begins at birth and integrates with the first few years of school. Also presents some data disaggregated by county. Made possible by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2011; 62 pages; pdf)

Making Sure All KIDS COUNT: Disparities Among New Mexico’s Children The first in a series on racial/ethnic disparities, this KIDS COUNT Special Report looks at some of the challenges New Mexico’s minority youth face and speaks to the need to understand and address the root causes.

2009 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book Tracks indicators of child well-being disaggregated by county, with an essay on why making children a top priority is necessary for the state’s economic future.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2010; 96 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Improving the Well-Being of New Mexico’s Children” Takes a closer look at the ten indicators of child well-being that are tracked in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book, what it would take to improve our ranking, and the policies that would move us in that direction.

  • Download the brief (July 2009; 7 pages; pdf)

Policy Brief: “Child Well-Being in New Mexico’s Border Counties” This brief, which includes data by county from the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS), was created for the Border KIDS COUNT Conferences held in Southern New Mexico in 2009.

  • Download the brief (May 2009; 6 pages; pdf)

2008 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book Tracks indicators of child well-being disaggregated by county, with an essay on the need to replace the formula that determines the official poverty level with the Basic Family Budget.

Policy Brief: “New Mexico High School Graduation and Dropout Rates”

  • Download the brief (Oct. 2008; 4 pages; pdf)

The 2000 Census Undercount and What it Means for New Mexico How the population undercount by the 2000 Census impacted funding for New Mexico’s Medicaid and childcare programs.

  • Download the report (May 2008; 4 pages; pdf)

Native American Children in New Mexico Select demographics of children who are members of New Mexico’s Native-American pueblos and tribes.

  • Download the report (Updated May 2008; 68 pages; pdf)

2007 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book Tracks indicators of child well-being disaggregated by county, with an essay on the value of early care and education.

Immigration in New Mexico Highlights the demographic characteristics of New Mexico’s foreign-born population.

  • Download the report (Oct. 2007; 16 pages; pdf)

Border KIDS COUNT: A Special Report on Child Well-Being in New Mexico’s Border Districts Series provides information on the barriers to well-being for kids in New Mexico’s legislative districts along the US/Mexico border.

Hispanic Children in New Mexico Select demographics of New Mexico’s Hispanic children, disaggregated by county.

  • Download the report (May 2007; 74 pages; pdf)

2006 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book Tracks indicators of child well-being, disaggregated by county, with an emphasis on data from the state Department of Health’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2007; 90 pages; pdf)

2005 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book Tracks indicators of child well-being, disaggregated by county, with an emphasis on data from the state Departments of Health and Education’s Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey.

  • Download the report (Jan. 2006; 90 pages; pdf)

The Condition of African American Children in New Mexico While African-American children make up just 2 percent of the child population in New Mexico, they make up one-third of all children living in poverty. This report looks at some of the reasons behind these and other disparities.

  • Download the report (Feb. 2005; 16 pages; pdf)

2004 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book Tracks indicators of child well-being, disaggregated by county, with an emphasis on immunization rates.

  • Download the report (2005; 94 pages; pdf)

The Invisible Caretaker: Grandparents as Parents in New Mexico New Mexico has the highest percentage of children living with their grandparents. This report looks at the reasons for this growing trend, the problems that often accompany it, and some policy solutions.

  • Download the report (2003-2004; 20 pages; pdf)

Understanding the Poverty Puzzle: Trends in New Mexico 1990-2000 New Mexico was officially designated a “minority/majority” state in 2000. This report looks at children in poverty and deep poverty and the disparities by race.

  • Download the report (2003; 4 pages; pdf)

Minority/Majority A profile of children in a minority/majority state.

  • Download the report (2003; 72 pages; pdf)

Good Government

Analysis: Voter Photo ID Laws are Costly New Mexico could spend $5.5 million over three years to implement a photo ID requirement for voters. Because investigations by the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office have found very little in the way of voter fraud, such legislation is more likely an attempt at voter suppression.

  • Download the report (February 2012; 4 pages; pdf)

A New Mexico Citizen’s Guide to Children’s Issues Updated for the November 2010 election, this guide offers concise descriptions of many children’s issues. Made possible by funding from First Focus and Voices for America’s Children.

  • Download the guide (Updated Aug. 2010; 16 pages; pdf)

Citizen’s Guide to Legislative Advocacy in New Mexico Learn the ins and outs of working with your legislators to promote an important policy or cause. (Updated Nov. 2009; 20 pages)

PowerPoint: “Challenges and Opportunities: Strategic Collaboration for Effective Change” Overview of the two approaches to governing—You’re On Your Own versus We’re In This together—and how each affects the well being of children.

  • Download the PowerPoint (Nov. 2007; 22 slides; pdf)

Legislative Briefings

Annual Reports

Viewpoint Newsletters

  • Spring 2010 “Legislative Wrap-Up: After a Cuts-Only Approach, Lawmakers Sought Some Balance”
  • Spring 2009 “Legislative Wrap-Up: Lawmakers Choose Program Cuts Over Increasing Revenues”
  • Summer 2008 “We’re Voting For Kids (and Why You Should Too)”
  • Spring 2008 “The Legislative Low-Down: Highlights from the 2008 Legislative Session”
  • Summer 2007
  • Spring 2007 “Legislative Session Brings Long-Awaited Victories”
  • Fall 2006 “Ending Child Poverty: Political Will…or Political Won’t?”
  • Spring 2006 “Immigration Debate is About More Than Numbers”
  • Winter 2006 “The Perils of Politicizing Policy”
  • Fall 2005 “Raise New Mexico’s Minimum Wage to $7.50”
  • Summer 2005 “No Sacred Cows: A Call For Performance Accountability”
  • Spring 2005 “Legislative Wrap-Up: Misplaced Priorities”
  • Fall 2004 “Wanted: A Healthy Budget to Support a Healthy New Mexico”
  • Summer 2004 “An Extraction Tax Windfall Will not Save Us from Bad Tax Policy”
  • Winter/Spring 2004 “Medicaid: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish”