Our Legislative Policy Priorities

Download our 2026 legislative policy priorities (Jan. 2026; 2 pages; pdf)

Our 2026 Policy Priorities

Impacts of Federal Policies

In 2025, New Mexico’s Governor and Legislature worked together to protect children and families amid federal cuts to the social safety net. We commend this leadership and urge lawmakers to remain committed to upholding dignity, opportunity, and stability for hardworking New Mexicans. We must protect New Mexicans and public funds from the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), particularly in the areas of:

• Health care access and affordability
• Food security
• Immigrant safety and dignity
• Ensure robust state revenue and tax fairness

Universal Child Care

Building on progress like universal free college and a fairer tax system, lawmakers have a clear opportunity to keep more money in the hands of hardworking New Mexicans by ensuring every family has access to high-quality child care. To make universal child care truly accessible, effective, equitable, and sustainable, we must:

• Support child care workers with a clear, fair pay structure
• Prioritize access for families and communities with the greatest financial need
• Maintain quality and safety as the system rapidly expands
• Monitor state agency spending to ensure transparency, sustainability, and measurable outcomes

Tax policy

A fair and sustainable revenue system is critical. Lawmakers must protect the essential revenue New Mexico needs by focusing on those who have benefited the most. This means promoting tax policies that safeguard and expand state revenue while advancing equity for working families and ensuring that those with the greatest resources pay their fair share. To accomplish this we must:

• Address the impacts of federal changes on state revenue by exploring decoupling New Mexico’s tax code from some provisions of the federal tax code
• Advance revenue solutions to make up for a large drop in personal and corporate income tax revenue as a result of the OBBBA, such as the Wealth Proceeds Tax

Coalition Policy Priorities

Economic Security and Wealth Building

• Support equitable and effective direct cash payment programs that strengthen family economic security and child well-being
• Promote ways for families to build savings and assets over time, such as homeownership supports and baby bonds, to enhance long-term stability

Immigration

• Minimize the impacts of federal changes targeting immigrant communities and support immigrants’ social, cultural, and economic opportunity and belonging
• Advocate for the Immigrant Safety Act, Driver Privacy & Safety Act, and Office of New Americans Act

Climate

• Support investments that help communities transition from dependence on oil and gas
• Ensure children are protected from the impacts of fossil fuel extraction and climate change
• Promote policies like the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide emissions reductions goals

Health Care

• Ensure the Health Care Affordability Fund, Medicaid Trust Fund, and Behavioral Health Trust Fund are adequately funded and used to provide accessible services for children and families, especially in underserved communities

K-12 Education

• Support a comprehensive and well-funded plan to address the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit that incorporates community input and priorities
• Promote biliteracy development training programs that support students’ literacy in their home language and complement the state’s literacy initiative
• Support school-based behavioral health initiatives that provide support services for students, and expand career pathways into the behavioral health workforce

• Download our presentation about what happened during the 2024 legislative session (Mar. 13, 2024; 29 slides; pdf)
• Download our fact sheet about what happened during the 2024 legislative session (Mar. 2024; 4 pages; pdf)
• Download our policy priorities (Jan. 2024; 2 pages; pdf)

• Download our post-session presentation on what happened during the 2023 legislative session (April 20, 2023; 28 slides; pdf)
• Download our fact sheet on what happened during the 2023 regular legislative session (April 2023; 4 pages; pdf)
• Download our policy priorities (Updated Jan. 2023; 2 pages; pdf)
• Download our tax policy priorities (Nov. 2022; 2 pages; pdf)
• Link to our blog on our policy priorities written as New Year’s resolutions

• Download our post-session presentation on what happened during the 2022 regular legislative session (March 2022; 28 pages; pdf)
• Download our fact sheet on what happened during the 2022 regular legislative session (March 2022; 2 pages; pdf)
• Download our policy priorities (Dec. 2021; 2 pages; pdf)

• Download our post-session presentation on what happened during the 2021 regular legislative session (April 2021; 27 pages; pdf)
• Download our fact sheet on what happened during the 2021 regular legislative session (March 2021; 2 pages; pdf)
• Download our policy priorities (Nov. 2020; 2 pages; pdf)

• Download our fact sheet on what happened during the 2020 special legislative session (July 2020; 2 pages; pdf)
• Download our policy priorities (May 2020; 2 pages; pdf)

• Download our fact sheet on what happened during the 2019 regular legislative session (March 2019; 2 pages; pdf)
• Download our policy priorities (Dec. 2018; 2 pages; pdf)