NM Voices in the News
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Residents must file tax returns by Monday to get latest stimulus
Albuquerque Journal--“We know that the pandemic has been particularly hard on undocumented or mixed-status families,” Jimenez said. “… Just having a little bit of money to help pay the current bill, but maybe even get themselves out of debt a little bit, I think, is one of the most positive things that we are hoping will happen.”
Heinrich bill supports states’ shift to sustainable revenue sources
Santa Fe New Mexican--“I think it’s pretty far-sighted in terms of knowing where we are today, knowing the public policies that are being proposed and talked about publicly and knowing where we need to get because of climate change,” he said.
Census: New Mexico among slowest growing Western states
Associated Press--James Jimenez, the executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, pointed to what he called a lost decade — from 2008 through 2018 — when the recession took its toll on the state. He said that resulted in little economic opportunity and state policymakers at the time took an austere approach to public spending.
Child tax credit will have massive footprint in NM
Albuquerque Journal--“One of the nice things about doing something like the child tax credit is the notion that families know best on how to support their needs,” he said. “When you use a tax credit model, it puts the money and the decision power back in the hands of the families.”
State and federal child tax credits improve equity for children of color in the state
NM Political Report--Because 75 percent of New Mexico’s children are children of color and a disproportionate share of people of color live below the poverty level, the new tax credits that families will be able to collect will bring greater equity to New Mexico families and children of color, Jimenez said. “Tax policy is not race neutral,” he said.
New Mexico schools expand in-person learning
Associated Press--“I can’t think of anything in my career that will have the impact on children that this bill will have. And, and I think it’s going to be incumbent upon all of us to follow through and follow the lives of these kids, and hold up the success stories that this creates,” said Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich on Thursday in a presentation alongside education advocates highlighting the Act.
New Mexico enacts tougher emissions rules on oil and gas, calls for 98 percent gas capture
Carlsbad Current Argus--“We must not allow the oil and gas industry’s outsized impact on our state budget and economy to be an excuse to ignore the detrimental effects of fossil fuel dependency on our climate, our air quality, and the health of our families,” Jimenez said. “The final OCC rule banning routine venting and flaring is a good start.”
Lottery Scholarship funding measure headed to gov’s desk
Daily Lobo--“The lottery-based scholarships that are being provided are not addressing where the real need is,” James Jimenez, the executive director of NM Voices, said. “For a child of color born in New Mexico, there's a higher chance that child will live in poverty than a white child ... I think we need to do a much better job of directing aid toward families of color, (and) more specifically, low to moderate income families.”
Investments necessary for a fair, rapid economic recovery
Santa Fe New Mexican--Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, New Mexico was beginning to move forward on a path to more broadly shared prosperity. The pandemic and recession seem to have put some of that progress on hold. But they don’t have to. We can continue to move in the right direction if we ensure we have adequate and sustainable revenue that is raised in a way that is fair.
Penal system measures slowly advance in New Mexico Legislature
Santa Fe New Mexican--“We’re concerned that private, for-profit prisons create a perverse incentive to incarcerate more people and keep them in longer,” said Bill Jordan, a lobbyist for the nonprofit New Mexico Voices for Children.