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 That’s because the rental and royalty rates for drilling on federal lands are beyond outdated; some have not been revised in nearly a century.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)
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)
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)
Fact Sheet Several proposals to exempt Social Security income from the state income tax are being considered, but none of them would be beneficial to New Mexico. This fact sheet explains why these bills: would not benefit those New Mexicans who need relief the most; are extremely costly; and are solutions in search of a problem. (State-level data on income tax payments on Social Security benefits)
Report Your state of health is dependent on many variables - including where you live, how much you earn, and even how far you went in school. These are called "social determinants of health" and they not only impact your health but they also impact your ability to choose a healthy lifestyle. Everyone's health could be improved if lawmakers took these determinants of health into account when creating public policies. This report offers an overview of the determinants of health as well as the policies that can improve health for all.
Fact Sheet The American Rescue Plan Act will help New Mexico in a number of ways - income supports, housing and food assistance for families, and education and health care assistance for the state, cities, counties, and Tribes. This fact sheet looks specifically at how children of color - who have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic - will be helped. (State-level estimates, some by race and ethnicity, on how many people will be impacted)
Executive Summary Our state budget is a reflection of what we value most and an illustration of the kind of communities we wish to create. How we spend and allocate funding – basically, how we make our values a reality – is decided by the lawmakers we elect to represent us in Santa Fe. They create the annual budget that the state uses to provide services that benefit us collectively, like education and health care. (Link to the full Guide to New Mexico's State Budget here)
Executive Summary The taxes we all pay are how we fund the state’s programs and public services that benefit us collectively. They are how we build our roads, bridges, waterlines, electrical grids, and how we educate our children, advance public health, and uphold our laws. These programs and services form the foundation of our economy, enhance our quality of life, and pay dividends far into the future. (Link to the full Guide to New Mexico's Tax System here)
Budget Guide Updated in March 2021, our Budget Guide explains how the state spends and allocates funding. The state budget is a reflection of what we value most and an illustration of the kind of communities we wish to create. The lawmakers we elect to represent us in Santa Fe create the annual budget that the state uses to provide services that benefit us collectively, like education and health care. (Link to the executive summary here)