Santa Fe New Mexican--“Equality of opportunity is not something that just happens,” said the organization’s deputy director, Amber Wallin. “Moving forward, we have to pass policy that supports families, prioritizes children and … improves opportunities for women and communities of color in our state.”
NM Political Report--“The COVID recession is not a typical one. It’s the most unequal one in history,” Wallin said.
Source NM--New Mexico has fewer workers protected by paid sick leave than any other, with about 50% of workers here working without it, according to New Mexico Voices for Children.
While the state is currently flush with revenue from the booming oil and gas markets, as well as federal recovery funding, one advocacy group is recommending that lawmakers not lose sight of the need to diversify the state’s revenue sources in order to protect future budgets.
Policy Brief New Mexico’s school children are not getting their fair share of oil and gas revenues. That’s because the rental and royalty rates for drilling on federal lands are beyond outdated; some have not been revised in nearly a century. (State-level data on oil and gas production)
Albuquerque Journal--The U.S. Census Bureau is collecting data on how families are spending their monthly payments, so we know that the majority of the spending is going toward food. Wallin said that’s a good sign for a state that’s long struggled with childhood food insecurity. “We’re just glad to see that this relief is helping the families’ most basic needs,” she said.
Fact Sheet Changes that have been made to the state tax code in recent years will benefit half a million tax filers - all of them of low and moderate means. This fact sheet presents the basics of who will benefit and by how much. (State-level data on number of beneficiaries in each group)
Santa Fe New Mexican--In New Mexico, we have lived through many boom-and-bust cycles of the oil and gas industry. But recent years have shown just how much we need to break this cycle - particularly as we plan for the transition from oil and gas to clean energy - by tipping the scales away from the oil and gas corporations and back toward New Mexicans who have shouldered the consequences.
Report New Mexico's childhood food insecurity rate has long been at or near the highest in the nation. The pandemic and resulting recession only made it worse. This updated report looks at why food insecurity is such a problem in New Mexico, how it impacts children and families, and what the state can do about it. (State- and county-level data on food and economic insecurity)
In homes across New Mexico, parents and caregivers have long been forced to make an impossible choice – one made even harder in the last 18 months by COVID-19. Do I care for my baby or sick family member, or do I leave them to work and earn the pay we need to survive? This choice has dire implications for babies, families, public health, and the economy.