James Jiménez and Amber Wallin
With great opportunity comes great responsibility. As was the case earlier this year, the Governor and Legislature will again have significant revenue to allocate once they meet in January of 2024. At a recent legislative hearing, Secretary of Taxation and Revenue Stephanie Schardin Clarke spoke eloquently about both the opportunity and the responsibility. She said the state is “building a bridge from peak oil” to income that is more predictable and sustainable. Such a bridge is built on investments in our people – what economists refer to as our human capital.
In fact, the state has already begun work on that bridge. In 2023, our New México Legislature, under the incredible leadership of Speaker of the House Javier Martínez, Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham enacted several measures that will make a noticeable difference in the lives of people across the state.
Progress like this doesn’t come easily. It is an important reminder that voting matters.
Among those measures were the historic investments they made in the lives of New México kids, specifically our youngest learners. They set aside more funding for child care, universal pre-K, and early childhood development programs. They made school meals free for everyone and increased a state Child Tax Credit that benefits every child in the state.
New México’s children deserve every opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. With the critical funding our Legislature appropriated, these programs will reduce childhood poverty and improve educational outcomes for children. They will also expand economic
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