Fueling an Equitable Recovery
Policy Brief Before COVID-19 hit, New Mexico was moving steadily forward on a path to more broadly shared prosperity. But our over-reliance on revenue from oil and gas extraction put a dent in our economy even before the pandemic and resulting recession. Legislators must enact policies that stabilize our revenue streams while improving racial equity via our tax code. Their best options for doing so are listed in this policy brief.
Tax Policy: A Powerful Tool to Advance Racial Equity in New Mexico
Report Systemic racism isn't accidental - it's the result of public policies that benefit one group while disadvantaging others. Our state and national tax systems have been built to benefit those at the top (who are mostly white) while disadvantaging people of color. This report looks at concrete ways New Mexico can make our tax system more equitable. (State-level data on disparities in income, wealth, home ownership, and tax incidence by race and ethnicity)
Report: Data Show Depth to which NM Families with Children are Struggling
New Mexico performs well on access to health care but is falling short on food security and mental wellness, according to the recent household data in Kids, Families and COVID-19: Pandemic Pain Points and a Roadmap for Recovery, a 50-state report developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how families are faring during the COVID-19 crisis.
Child Advocates Respond to Revenue Estimates
New Mexico Voices for Children is cautiously optimistic about the revenue estimates released today. Given that 70% of the estimated decline in revenue for the current fiscal year can be attributed to the drop in oil and gas prices, it is clear that New Mexico needs to stabilize its revenue streams.
How the Affordable Care Act has helped make New Mexico families healthier (part 2)
Since it was implemented in 2010, the ACA has faced strong opposition from Republicans. Although attempts to repeal the ACA have been unsuccessful, the Trump Administration has been highly effective at weakening the ACA by undermining its provisions. This includes making it more difficult to enroll in coverage by adding more administrative hurdles for eligibility and cutting the budget for outreach and enrollment.
Thriving coronavirus, ailing oil industry leave Carlsbad residents struggling
Carlsbad Current-Argus and Searchlight NM--“You can’t govern with that kind of instability,” said James Jimenez, executive director of the advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children. The economic whipsawing does major harm to education, he said. “When oil prices crash – and this won’t be the last time they do – it means our universities have to charge higher tuition and our K-12 finances suffer.”