http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM Mon, 05 May 2025 10:12:37 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/58 <div><strong>Senate Bills 242</strong> and <strong>235</strong>, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) and Senate Education Chair William Soules (D-Las Cruces) respectively, would improve the way that New Mexico teachers are trained to teach reading and math. This is consistent with one of the reform recommendations in Think New Mexico's 2022 report on education policy, which is to improve teacher training. These bills would implement the best practices based on the most current research on how to effectively teach students reading and math.</div> Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/58 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/56 <div> <div>Encourage your legislators to pass Senate Bill 295 and House Bill 344 to permanently repeal New Mexico's gross receipts tax on health care, as well as House Bill 52 to expand the Rural Health Care Practitioner Tax Credit to EMTS, paramedics, occupational therapists, audiologists, speech and language pathologists, and licensed practical nurses!</div> </div> Sun, 26 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/56 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/54 <div> <div>Interstate compacts are agreements among states to recognize and accept professional licenses issued by other states participating in the compact. Without these agreements, doctors from other states cannot legally provide services in New Mexico – even via telehealth – unless they go through New Mexico’s lengthy licensing process. New Mexico is in just one of 10 major health care worker compacts, for nurses. By contrast, Colorado is in all 10, including compacts&nbsp;for physicians, psychologists, counselors, physical therapists, audiologists and speech therapists, physician assistants, dentists, and emergency medical personnel. Please urge your legislators and the governor to sign onto these additional nine compacts and immediately help alleviate the health care worker shortage in our state!</div> </div> Sat, 25 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/54 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/55 <div>Since 1973, New Mexico legislators have created twelve permanent funds to provide long-term dedicated funding for policy areas ranging from higher education to rural libraries. However, despite health care being the state’s second largest expenditure (after education), there is not yet a permanent fund for health care. Senate Bill 88 would create a $2 billion permanent fund to support Medicaid, allowing the state to increase the rates it pays providers to care for patients insured by Medicaid. Please ask your legislators to support this bill!</div> Fri, 24 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/55 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/57 <div> <div>A fair medical malpractice system should make injured patients whole, provide reasonable compensation for their attorneys, and treat doctors and other health care providers fairly while improving the quality of health care. New Mexico’s system is currently out of balance. Our state has the second highest rate of medical malpractice lawsuits of any state in the U.S., as well as unlimited punitive damages. Medical malpractice insurance premiums are about twice as high in New Mexico as in other states in our region, and they continue to rise rapidly. Between 2019-2024, New Mexico was the only state in the nation to lose practicing physicians, and our medical malpractice system is a major cause of that problem. Senate Bill 176 would cap attorney’s fees in medical malpractice attorney lawsuits; end lump-sum payouts from the Patient Compensation Fund to better protect patients; and send the majority of any punitive damages awarded in a medical malpractice cases to a new fund designed to improve patient safety. Encourage your legislators to support SB 176!</div> </div> Thu, 23 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/57 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/53 <div>Many New Mexicans struggle to access health care due to a growing shortage of doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals in the state. The number of primary care physicians in New Mexico fell by 30% from 2017-2021 and the numbers of ob-gyns, registered nurses, dentists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, and EMTs have also declined sharply in recent years. Think New Mexico has developed a ten-point plan with 20 separate legislative recommendations to address the urgent crisis of New Mexico’s health care worker shortage. Please encourage your legislators and the governor to support this plan!</div> Mon, 23 Sep 2024 04:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/53 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/52 <div> <div>After teacher quality, principal quality is the second most important factor in student success, because good principals are the key to recruiting and retaining good teachers. Unfortunately, the New Teacher Center identified New Mexico as one of the ten worst states for principal retention, with principals remaining in their jobs for less than four years on average. Among the top reasons why principals leave their jobs are inadequate preparation and low salaries. We need to raise the standards for principal preparation programs and ensure that new principals entering the profession have access to residencies, where they have the opportunity to shadow an experienced principal for a year. <strong>Please encourage your legislators and the governor to</strong> <strong>enact these reforms! &nbsp;</strong></div> </div> Fri, 26 Jan 2024 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/52 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/50 <div>Smaller class sizes allow teachers to provide more personalized instruction to every student and also reduce teacher burnout and attrition. Think New Mexico noted in our 2022 report that the positive impacts of smaller classes are particularly important for the at-risk students who need the most support from the school system. House Bill 94 would phase in a cap of 20 st HB 94<strong>&nbsp;this reform!</strong></div> Mon, 20 Feb 2023 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/50 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/49 <div>Over the past decade, the number of people completing traditional teacher training programs at New Mexico’s colleges of education has fallen by 75%. Graduates of New Mexico’s colleges of education report that the programs too often emphasize abstract theory over the practical, skills-based learning that is most valuable to future teachers. Think New Mexico has developed legislation that would convert the final year of a teacher preparation program into a teacher residency, a paid year-long experience in a classroom alongside an experienced teacher. Residencies have been shown to enhance teacher skills and reduce attrition, better preparing incoming teachers and keeping more of them in the profession. The legislation would also ensure that the state’s public colleges of education receive national accreditation and that their curricula are grounded in current best practices, including evidence-based math and literacy instruction. <strong>Please contact your legislators and the governor and urge them to support these reforms!</strong></div> Mon, 20 Feb 2023 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/49 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/48 <div>In 2024, the legislature passed and the governor signed legislation that will greatly enhance the training and transparency of local school boards. The law requires school board members to receive training in essential topics like public school budgeting and finance, best practices for supporting and supervising the local superintendent,&nbsp;and how board members can improve student outcomes. It also requires all school board candidates to disclose their campaign contributions, and requires school board and charter board meetings to be webcast and archived. Upgrading school board governance matters because a growing body of research shows that the decisions and actions of local school boards can positively impact student achievement when school boards make that a core focus. Thank your elected offiicals for enacting these reforms!</div> Fri, 10 Feb 2023 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/48 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/47 <div>The research indicates that students need a high school curriculum that is relevant and engaging while maintaining high standards. Think New Mexico supports a modernization of the state’s high school graduation requirements that includes relevant and diverse courses like financial literacy, civics, world languages, career technical education, data analysis, and computer science, among other things. Please encourage your legislators and the governor to support legislation to ensure that students will receive a relevant and well-rounded high school education!</div> Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/47 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/46 <div>House Bill 130 passed during the 2023 legislative session to increase the minimum number of instructional hours from 990 for elementary school and 1,080 for middle and high school to 1,140 for all students. Increasing learning time is supported by extensive research that shows that it is one of the highest impact reforms we can implement to improve student achievement. Please email your legislators and the governor and urge them and thank them for passing this reform!</div> Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/46 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/45 <div>New Mexico has consistently ranked last in the nation for the quality of our public education system. Think New Mexico has developed a ten point plan with 30 separate legislative recommendations to improve the state’s public schools. <strong>Please encourage your legislators and the governor to support this evidence-based plan!</strong></div> Tue, 11 Oct 2022 04:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/45 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/39 <div> <div> <div>Since 1977, New Mexico has been the only state that divides up its infrastructure funding among all 112 legislators, allowing each lawmaker to spend a portion of the money in their sole discretion.&nbsp;This haphazard process has meant that hundreds of millions of dollars have been appropriated for projects that were not shovel ready, were not fully funded, were not particularly necessary, or were not even infrastructure (like zoo animals and bronze busts of former elected officials). Meanwhile, many urgent projects fail to receive the funding they need. In 2021, we successfully advocated for making the system transparent by requiring legislators to disclose how each of them chose to allocate the funds. Now we are urging the legislature and governor to build on this reform by implementing a merit-based process to vet and prioritize infrastructure projects and target funds where they are most urgently needed.&nbsp;</div> </div> </div> Thu, 14 Oct 2021 04:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/39 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/35 <div>New Mexico ranks 49th for overall financial literacy according to the online personal finance website WalletHub. Since 2008, financial literacy has been offered as an elective in New Mexico’s high schools, but only about 11% of students currently enroll in the course. Twenty-five states, including several of New Mexico’s neighbors, have made financial literacy a graduation requirement and are already seeing positive results. Think New Mexico recommends making a class in financial literacy or personal finance a graduation requirement for the state’s public high school students. <strong>Please contact your legislators and Governor Lujan Grisham and ask them to pass legislation to make personal finance a graduation requirement!</strong></div> Wed, 20 Jan 2021 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/35 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/29 <div>Currently, no member of the PERA board, which oversees $18 billion for 100,000 public workers and retirees, is required to have any experience or expertise in financial or investment management. Research shows that poor governance can cost pensions 1% annually, meaning&nbsp;the dysfunction on the PERA board could cost the fund $180 million dollars a year.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Think New Mexico is supporting legislation to require that a majority&nbsp;of the PERA board must have relevant financial expertise. Please ask your legislators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to require qualifications for PERA board members!<br /> &nbsp;</div> Mon, 13 Jan 2020 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/29 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/11 <div>The Strategic Water Reserve is a pool of publicly held water rights dedicated to keeping New Mexico's rivers flowing to meet the needs of river-dependent endangered species and fulfill our water delivery obligations to other states. Senate Bill 37 would enhance the Strategic Water Reserve by creating a non-reverting fund for future appropriations and&nbsp;allowing water to be acquired for aquifer recharge in order to enhance streamflows over the long term.&nbsp;<strong>Please encourage your legislators and Governor Lujan Grisham to support Senate Bill 37!</strong></div> Fri, 25 Jan 2019 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/11 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/18 <div>New Mexico's regressive tax on groceries was repealed in 2004, but since then there have been multiple serious attempts to reimpose it on New Mexico families. Legislation is introduced to bring back the food tax during just about every legislative session. Please contact your legislators and the governor and ask them to oppose any attempts to bring back the regressive food tax!</div> Wed, 24 Jan 2018 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/18 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/17 <div>In 2007, Think New Mexico successfully championed the enactment of a law requiring the state lottery to deliver at least 30% of revenues to the college scholarship fund. Thanks to this law, students have received an additional $9 million annually, an average of $42 million a year. Unfortunately, legislation has been introduced during the past four years to eliminate the 30% guarantee. These bills have been pushed by teams of paid lobbyists representing the three multinational gaming companies (International Gaming Technologies, Scientific Games, and Intralot) whose profits were reduced when New Mexico began sending a higher percentage of lottery revenues to students. Please email your legislators and the governor and urge them to put students before special interests and oppose efforts to repeal the 30% guarantee!</div> Wed, 24 Jan 2018 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/17 http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/19 <div>Statewide, school district general and central administration grew by 55% over the past decade, nearly three times faster than classroom spending, which increased by 19-20%. Think New Mexico is advocating for legislation that would limit the growth of school district central and general administrative spending, which includes expenses like the superintendent’s office, business management, public information office, legal services, purchasing and distribution, to no faster than the growth of spending at the school site on instruction and student support, including teachers, principals, counselors, nurses, coaches, and librarians. <strong>Please contact your legislators and the governor and encourage them to support these reforms!</strong></div> Sun, 21 Jan 2018 05:00:00 GMT http:https://www.congressweb.com/TNM/19