Improving New Mexico's Schools

From Pre-K to college, we have fought to expand education opportunities, increase teacher pay, and give citizens real accountability in their schools.

• Fought to pass a voluntary pre-Kindergarten program for New Mexico’s four-year-olds in an effort to reduce the achievement gap and give our kids the best shot at a strong start in school (HB337-2005)

• Actively campaigned for passage of Constitutional Amendments 1 and 2 which substantially altered public education in New Mexico creating more accountability (Amendment 1) by reforming the bureaucracy and putting more money in the classrooms (Amendment 2), which helped pay for much needed raises for our teachers.

• Co-Chair of the Governor’s Progress Agenda on education reform.

Creating Economic Opportunity

Championed a program to allow state investments in some of the smallest New Mexico-owned businesses. To date, the New Mexico Small Business Investment Corporation has sponsored more than 700 investments in some of the smallest and most rural New Mexico businesses with lending partners such as ACCION New Mexico. This concept, called microlending, sounds small, but it makes a big difference in rural New Mexico and to companies who can’t otherwise qualify for traditional loans.
(HB466-2005) (HB387-2004) (HB80-2003)

Fighting Crime

Spearheaded efforts to crack down on methamphetamines and protect children caught up in meth labs by:

• Making it felony child abuse if a child is found to be living in a meth lab. (HB111-2004)

• Expanding the power of the state to regulate over-the-counter cold medicines and ingredients that could be used in the production of meth (HB112-2004)

Fighting To Cover More New Mexicans with Health Insurance
Chair of the Insure New Mexico Council which crafted several initiatives to provide more health coverage for New Mexicans, including:

• A premium assistance program to help parents get health insurance for their children from birth to age five. This program fills in the gaps and allows us to cover every child zero to five with health insurance.

• Allowing young adults to remain on their parents insurance, regardless of student status (HB335-2005)
• Creating incentives for companies to cover their part-time workers (HB289-2005)

• Providing incentives and options for small businesses and non-profits to buy into a state insurance program. (HB523-2005; HB24-2006)

• Reforming the Health Insurance Alliance and charging it with the mission of expanding outreach, public awareness and assistance to employers in obtaining and maintaining health insurance for employees. (HB394-2005)

Helping New Mexicans Achieve The American Dream
They say owning a home is the American Dream. In New Mexico, Governor Richardson and I are committed to putting more New Mexicans into their own homes. Why? It’s simple. A home is the largest asset most families will ever have. Homes allow people to build wealth and strengthen their families. Children raised in homes owned by their parents do better in school, are generally healthier and more nourished. Simply put: Home ownership makes sense for New Mexico.

Pushed for the creation of the Housing Trust Fund, which will support more innovative home repair, home ownership and transitional housing for our neediest citizens. The Housing Trust Fund was seeded with $10 million in 2005 and has since made more than $6 million in grants around the state (SB115-2005).

Focused the MFA’s efforts on increasing affordable housing opportunities, especially in rural areas of New Mexico by passing an Affordable Housing Tax Credit, which encourages developers and private entities to develop affordable housing in rural areas and places of great need.

Investing In Our Greatest Resource -- Our Children

For too long, policymakers saw New Mexico’s children as part of the problem, not part of the solution. The Richardson-Denish Administration recognizes that our children are New Mexico’s greatest asset and they deserve a future of opportunity and prosperity.

• Chair of the Children’s Cabinet – Since 2003, when Governor Richardson created the Children’s Cabinet, it has fought to reduce administrative duplication, combine resources, cut red tape and create a single, statewide children’s policy that is consistent across government.
  The goal is simple: Keep state government’s eyes on the ball when it comes to fostering the health, safety, education, civic engagement and workforce development of our kids.
  And for the first time, all state government departments that have children’s programs are involved and communicating about our kids.

• Fought to create the Youth Alliance – a statewide roundtable of young people aged 14-19 who council state government on the issues most affecting teens. (SB617-2005) (SB425-2003) (HB199-2003)
  Advice from the Youth Alliance inspired Governor Richardson to push for more School-based Health Centers. And in 2005, we nearly doubled the number of School Based Health Centers in the state – a total of 68 centers – at least one in each county.

• Pushed for the creation of the Next Generation Fund, which provides money for positive youth development and after-school programs. (SB614-2005)

• Spearheaded efforts to increase at-home newborn visits and parenting training programs.

• Helped craft Governor Richardson’s 2006 Year of the Child Legislative Agenda which included increased funding for Pre-K, a healthy breakfast initiative for schools, increased physical education and anti-obesity efforts, and the Premium Assistance Program to cover more children with health care.