Press Releases & Media Statements

“This report makes it clear that while the Legislature and Governor were wise to invest some of the state’s oil-boom revenue surplus in building our infrastructure, we still have a long way to go,” said James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “New Mexico must find a way to significantly increase stable, sustainable revenues in order to make the long-term infrastructure investments that supports a 21st century economy.”

“The census – which is required by the U.S. Constitution – is foundational to our democracy,” said James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “It’s used to determine voting districts for elections ranging from school boards to the U.S. House of Representatives. And, of course, it determines how much federal funding New Mexico will receive for everything from education to health care to highway maintenance. So we need to ensure that everyone is counted.”

Policymakers in Santa Fe should expand New Mexico’s Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), a state version of the successful federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that helps working families earning low wages meet basic needs. State EITCs – which are on the books in 29 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – build on the success of the federal credit by reducing hardship for working families and children, and boosting the nation’s future economic prospects.

New Mexico is one of several states that have failed to increase their total per-student funding compared to a decade ago, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). While 26 states have made larger investments in their K-12 students since 2008, per-student funding in New Mexico remained 9 percent less in 2016 than in 2008, after adjusting for inflation.

“We’re pleased that HB 6 was approved by the committee. This bill is essential for helping New Mexico get off the boom-and-bust revenue cycle of the oil and gas industry and bringing in more revenue to make critical investments in New Mexico’s infrastructure and people."

New Mexico voters overwhelmingly support raising taxes on corporations and those with the highest incomes and using the revenue raised to invest in early childhood and K-12 education, as well as college scholarships, according to a new poll commissioned by New Mexico Voices for Children. Greater funding for mental health services, infrastructure, public safety, and clean energy also all received strong support.

In a state with one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, it would make sense to ensure that state financial aid goes to those who need assistance but that is not the case according to a report released today by New Mexico Voices for Children. Part of the solution is for the state Legislature to immediately replenish the College Affordability Fund from the budget surplus now available.

The impending closure of the San Juan coal-fired power plant and mine does not have to signal economic doom for the small town of Waterflow, NM, where the plant is located. The site is an excellent candidate to be redeveloped for green energy production. That’s one of the conclusions from a new report by economist Kelly O’Donnell, Ph.D.

There’s good news and bad news. First the good news: the rate of child poverty in New Mexico has decreased. The bad news: our state still ranks 48th in the nation for child poverty. That’s one of the conclusions found within the data in the 2018 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book, released today at a press conference. The annual report, produced by New Mexico Voices for Children, includes the most recent data on the status of child well-being at the state, county, tribal, and school district levels.

“People understand that a tax on food hurts working families and their children,” said James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, which commissioned the poll. “New Mexicans believe their leaders should be fighting hunger, not making it worse.”