Fact Sheet Many families are still hurting from the pandemic recession. A new state-level Child Tax Credit would help hard-working families and grandparents raising grandchildren, and make our tax system more fair. (State-level data on how this tax credit would benefit families)
“Temporary expansions in the federal CTC helped many New Mexico parents meet their family’s basic needs and were used to pay for basic necessities such as food and housing and paying off debt. With the fate of those federal expansions uncertain, it is great to see the state taking the lead on ensuring all families in the state can meet their needs and thrive.”
Fast Company--Amber Wallin of New Mexico Voices for Children added during a press call that Hispanic New Mexican parents were more than twice as likely as white parents in the state to have lost wages since the pandemic began, and more than three times as likely to be unsure about whether or not they can make their next housing payment.
Santa Fe Reporter--Undocumented immigrants paid almost $68 million in state and local taxes, according to a 2020 report from New Mexico Voices for Children. Still, 60,000 undocumented immigrants are often excluded from benefits provided during emergencies, including unemployment insurance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.
Guaranteed Basic Income programs that have been tried elsewhere have shown how well this approach works. These programs create stability for families, which allows them to plan for the future and pursue better employment opportunities. We look forward to having the data from this project so we can learn how this valuable tool can help move New Mexico families and communities toward a brighter future.
Albuquerque Journal--New Mexico’s leaders have taken many actions to protect and support children and families through this uncertainty, including hunger relief funding, emergency economic relief for those left out of federal stimulus payments, a new paid-sick-leave policy, and an increase and expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit, which will put money in the hands of families who will spend it quickly and locally to provide for their children’s basic needs.
Carlsbad Current Argus--Students that do not graduate on time are more likely to drop out of school and less likely to attend college, according to the data book. Adults without a high school diploma are also more likely to have low-paying jobs, not have benefits and have higher unemployment rates.
Fact Sheet Legislation to exempt all Social Security income from state taxes is popular, but it would only help those with the highest incomes because low-income seniors are already not taxed on their Social Security benefits. (State-level data on some aspects of the senior population)
Santa Fe Reporter--While the number of households receiving SNAP benefits provides one view of the state’s need to address hunger, Emily Wildau, a research and policy analyst with Voices for Children, says it’s important to “look at poverty, unemployment, homeownership, and…a cost of food index,” to understand how hunger affects youths in the state. These factors, Wildau says, outline the parameters of those experiencing “food insecurity.”
Santa Fe New Mexican--A New Mexico Voices for Children report from August says “New Mexicans who speak languages other than English, particularly immigrants and refugees, are excluded because of systemic inequities in language access. The inadequacy of our state’s multilingual interpretation and translation services causes significant hardship in many New Mexico communities because language access is critical for both good health and financial security.”