Searchlight NM--“I wouldn’t say that New Mexico state government has failed children,” said Sharon Kayne, a spokeswoman for New Mexico Voices for Children, an advocacy group. “Rather, it has failed to take a comprehensive, coordinated approach to improving child well-being. It dabbles a bit here and tries something new there and hopes that small fixes will cure a very big and complex problem,” she said.
Santa Fe New Mexican--Quality Counts comes just days after the personal finance website WalletHub issued a report calling New Mexico the worst state to raise a family and the nonprofit New Mexico Voices for Children released its annual Kids Count Data Book, showing a rise in poverty among the state’s children — to 29 percent — and a decline in the number of kids with health insurance.
New Mexico In Depth--A couple of years ago a mother came to Ray Jaramillo, director of a childcare center in Las Cruces. She worked for minimum wage at Burger King, but was offered a supervisory position with better hours and a wage bump to over $9 an hour. She worried the extra money could cause her to lose childcare assistance for her two little girls.
New Mexico In Depth--Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima has been hearing complaints and concerns from businesses throughout the process to increase his city’s minimum wage from the state minimum of $7.50 in 2014 to $10.10 an hour in 2019.
Santa Fe New Mexican--New Mexico is among the states that have seen the steepest reductions in higher education spending since the national recession, a new report says, investing nearly a third less per student in the last fiscal year than it did in 2008. The report, by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit research institute, shows a nationwide trend of declining public funding for colleges and universities as tuition rates steadily rise, placing a heavier burden on students to help fund school operations.
Associated Press--The number of low-income families tapping into government-funded child care assistance is steadily increasing in New Mexico, but state officials say two-thirds of those who are eligible have yet to enroll. Children, Youth and Families Secretary Monique Jacobson says her agency is working to raise awareness about the program as elected leaders look for more ways to tackle generational poverty issues.
Carlsbad Current-Argus--Now that the 2016-2017 school year is over, Carlsbad students will have the opportunity to take on a state-wide summer reading challenge. The 2017 New Mexico True Summer Reading Challenge encourages students between the ages 5-12 to read various books and document them in a reading log to be sent to the New Mexico Public Education Department.
NM Political Report--Santa Fe voters delivered a decisive rejection of a proposed 2-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages to support early childhood education Tuesday in a special election. As of 10 pm Tuesday night with votes counted in all but one voting convenience center, the proposal was losing by a near-15 point margin.
Public News Service--New Mexico's Legislative Council hasn't ruled out the possibility of suing Gov. Susana Martinez ahead of a potential special session of the Legislature. And family advocates are watching closely, hoping for a resolution that helps education in the state. Lawmakers passed a bipartisan financial plan that the governor signed - but only after removing every cent of higher education funding. She also vetoed House Bill 202, which would close tax loopholes for some businesses and make millions available to primary schools.
Silver City Sun-News--The Tax and Revenue Committee in the New Mexico House of Representatives today defeated legislation by a vote of 9 to 5 that would have provided public schools a needed funding increase of $89 million per year by increasing the state’s cigarette tax by $1.50. SB 231, sponsored by Senator Howie Morales of Silver City, would have directed the new revenues to strengthen New Mexico’s K-12 classrooms. Those funds are needed to prevent looming cuts of 5% to 7% across the board to classrooms and higher education institutions if no new revenues are enacted. Two Democrats on the panel voted with Republicans to table the measure, which is now effectively dead for the session.