NM Voices in the News
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N.M. among states with largest reductions in higher ed spending
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.
Barcelona Elementary students dare to dream big
Albuquerque Journal--Barcelona Elementary third-grader Kristalee Jaramillo hopes to one day become a businesswoman. Her friend, Anya Tucker, is aiming for a career in teaching. On Friday, the two girls and their classmates at the Title I school were pushed to follow those “big, gutsy dreams.”
Nonprofit resource fair, family game night set for Friday
Farmington Daily Times--An Albuquerque-based nonprofit organization is planning a family game night and nonprofit resource fair here to provide a family-friendly atmosphere in which residents can connect with agencies that could help provide them support. The Southwest Women’s Law Center is presenting the event Friday at the Farmington Civic Center as part of a $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, according to law clerk Jaclyn Page.
Reader’s View: Searching for light and children’s well-being
Santa Fe New Mexican--Hallelujah! The most promising and hopeful talk at the fifth annual Kids Count Conference, celebrating 30 years of New Mexico Voices for Children, was given by Ray Rivera, editor of The New Mexican and founder of Searchlight New Mexico, a “nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to investigative reporting and innovative data journalism.” My news, like most folks because of my mistrust of “corporate media,” had mostly been coming from email, National Public Radio, radio talk show personalities and of course, Saturday Night Live.
NM Group Slams Obamacare Replacement Bill Ahead of Senate Debate
Public News Service--Senate GOP leaders won't return to Washington, D. C., until Monday to renew debate on the replacement for Obamacare. That hasn't stopped opponents of the proposed bill from protesting, in New Mexico and cities across the country, this week. In Albuquerque on Thursday, Bill Jordan with New Mexico Voices for Children – the group's senior policy advisor and government relations officer – joined Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., at an outdoor news conference at the University of New Mexico.
Tax cuts not creating job growth
Albuquerque Journal--New Mexicans are a tenacious and hard-working bunch. Those who are out of work spend longer looking for a new job than anyone else in the nation, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Weeks – even months – after workers in other states have found new jobs, New Mexicans are still hitting the pavement in search of a paycheck. Part of the reason it takes so long to find a job here is that New Mexico has the (second-)highest unemployment rate in the nation.
Study: Poverty still grips state
Quay County Sun--A national study of family and child well-being has found that New Mexico ranks second to last behind Mississippi, and Curry and Roosevelt County are not faring much better than the average. Local health-care and poverty experts say this is nothing new, and the high amount of poverty in the state has been on the increase for several years.
Eddy County sees increase in child, teen deaths
Carlsbad Current-Argus--New Mexico ranks 49th overall in the country in child well-being, according to a 2017 KIDS Count data book, released this week. Despite the low ranking, the state did improve slightly within four areas — economic well-being, education, health and family and community. Eddy County, however, struggled to see change. According to the KIDS Count Data Center's latest numbers, a 65.6 per 1,000 teen birth rate (ages 16-19) was reported in the county in 2015 — up from 61.5 per 1,000 in 2014.
Feds put brakes on methane regulation
Santa Fe New Mexican--The Trump administration has dealt its largest blow yet to Obama-era oil and gas drilling regulations, announcing one rule requiring operators to curb methane pollution won’t take effect until at least 2019 and that another methane rule is being suspended indefinitely. The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Land Management, published notice Wednesday that a methane rule for drilling on federal and tribal land will be put on hold until litigation challenging the regulation has been resolved in court.
New Mexico continues to struggle in child well-being study
Albuquerque Business First--Things are looking up for children living in the Land of Enchantment — slightly. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, which was released Tuesday morning by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, reported New Mexico ranked 49th out of the 50 states for child well-being. Despite continuing the low ranking — New Mexico was 49th last year as well — New Mexico KIDS COUNT Director Amber Wallin sees the necessary steps being taken to raise the state's reputation for child well-being.