Revenue We Can Rely On
Policy Brief In order to build a strong economy, New Mexico must be able to reliably fund the services - like education, health care, and public safety - that our families and businesses rely on. Our over-reliance on revenue from the boom-or-bust oil industry makes that impossible. Here are the top 5 reasons we must change.
Ensuring a Fair Share: Modernizing Federal Oil and Gas Revenue Policies
Policy Brief New Mexico’s school children are not getting their fair share of oil and gas revenues. That’s because the rental and royalty rates for drilling on federal lands are beyond outdated; some have not been revised in nearly a century. (State-level data on oil and gas production)
Many New Mexico kids, families, and seniors will benefit from state income tax changes
Fact Sheet Changes that have been made to the state tax code in recent years will benefit half a million tax filers - all of them of low and moderate means. This fact sheet presents the basics of who will benefit and by how much. (State-level data on number of beneficiaries in each group)
Ending Childhood Food Insecurity in New Mexico
Report New Mexico's childhood food insecurity rate has long been at or near the highest in the nation. The pandemic and resulting recession only made it worse. This updated report looks at why food insecurity is such a problem in New Mexico, how it impacts children and families, and what the state can do about it. (State- and county-level data on food and economic insecurity)
Exempting Social Security income from taxation: Not targeted, not necessary, not cheap
Fact Sheet Several proposals to exempt Social Security income from the state income tax are being considered, but none of them would be beneficial to New Mexico. This fact sheet explains why these bills: would not benefit those New Mexicans who need relief the most; are extremely costly; and are solutions in search of a problem. (State-level data on income tax payments on Social Security benefits)
Eligible but Excluded
Report A follow-up to our Essential but Excluded report, this looks at how Asian/Pacific Islander and African immigrants and refugees are unable to access public benefits for which they are eligible - and not just during the pandemic - due to a pervasive lack of language access at many state agencies. This, despite federal laws requiring such access.
Health-in-All-Policies for New Mexico
Report Your state of health is dependent on many variables - including where you live, how much you earn, and even how far you went in school. These are called "social determinants of health" and they not only impact your health but they also impact your ability to choose a healthy lifestyle. Everyone's health could be improved if lawmakers took these determinants of health into account when creating public policies. This report offers an overview of the determinants of health as well as the policies that can improve health for all.
New Mexico’s K-12 Schools: Funding the Education System Our Students Deserve
Policy Brief Despite recent increases in K-12 funding and the ruling in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit, New Mexico still fails to adequately invest in the kind of educational system our students deserve. This policy brief looks at the state's K-12 funding landscape, educator shortage, the pandemics' impact, and more. (State-level data on student demographics, proficiencies, and graduation rates)
New Mexico KIDS COUNT profile: 2021 pandemic indicators
Fact Sheet The national 2021 National KIDS COUNT Data Book uses the most recent data available for its 16 indicators of child well-being. Since this year's report is based mostly on data from 2019, some limited pandemic-era data have been added, including some dsiaggregated by race and ethnicity. (State-level data on six pandemic-related indicators)
New Mexico 2021 KIDS COUNT profile
State Data Sheet The national 2021 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, assesses and ranks the 50 states on 16 indicators of child well-being, which are categorized into four domains - economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. After three years of ranking in last place, New Mexico moved up to 49th in 2021. (State-level data on indicators of child well-being)