New Mexico Voices for Children strongly opposes Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's recent decision to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit voucher program, which would make access to essential educational supports dependent on scholarship funding or private pay, rather than ensuring these opportunities are available to all students.
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, outgoing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham opted New Mexico into President Trump’s signature education proposal, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit voucher program, as a part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA).
The Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit has brought renewed attention to the state’s constitutional responsibility to provide a sufficient education for all students, particularly Native American students, English learners and students with disabilities.
Albuquerque Journal--New Mexico has made historic investments in children. But investments are promises, not outcomes. New Mexico has taken a bold approach to investing in children and families. The state now provides free school meals to every public school student, expands Medicaid, makes childcare available without income limits, increases funding for public education and uses its extraordinary public resources to help protect families from rising costs.
Do we really want to bankrupt New Mexico’s state government to give millionaires an extra $150,000 a year while making life harder for the state’s lowest-income residents? That is the staggering implication of proposals to eliminate New Mexico’s personal income tax.
Santa Fe New Mexican--New Mexico has made historic investments in children. But investments are promises, not outcomes — and the next governor will inherit both. New Mexico has taken a bold approach to investing in children and families. The state now provides free school meals to every public school student, has expanded Medicaid, made childcare available without income limits, increased funding for public education, and used its extraordinary public resources to help protect families from rising costs.
To address issues related to health, education, gaming, economic, opportunity, environmental protection, and tribal sovereignty in New Mexico, young people living in Indigenous communities who are directly impacted by these issues need to be at the forefront and part of the conversation.
Boosting New Mexico’s healthcare fund is essential to keeping coverage affordable and helping families rise out of poverty. At the end of 2025, Congress failed to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that had helped millions of Americans afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Their expiration threatened steep premium increases for tens of thousands of New Mexicans who rely on the ACA marketplace for coverage.
The Albuquerque Journal--Poverty in New Mexico declined over the last three years, especially for people under 18, improving the state’s standing among the poorest in the nation. New Mexico’s overall average poverty rate fell from 17.2% between 2022 and 2024 to 16% from 2023 through 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest three-year estimates, outstripping a national decline of 0.4 percentage points over the same period.
The possibility of encountering immigration officials can have a chilling effect on immigrant and mixed-status families, leading many families to avoid public spaces and services, miss critical pediatric appointments or delay or forgo necessary treatment as they fear the presence of immigration officers at or near health care facilities.