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 In order to build a strong economy, New Mexico must be able to reliably fund the services - like education, health care, and public safety - that our families and businesses rely on. Our over-reliance on revenue from the boom-or-bust oil industry makes that impossible. Here are the top 5 reasons we must change.
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 That’s because the rental and royalty rates for drilling on federal lands are beyond outdated; some have not been revised in nearly a century.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)
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)
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.
“This bill is about ensuring a better future for kids,” James Jimenez said. “For years, New Mexico has relied on oil and gas to fund our children’s education programming. But as we battle climate change and protect our land and public health, it’s vital that states like New Mexico are able to diversify their economies.”