HOUSE DEMOCRATS News:

House Democrats Champion Initiative to Lift Generations of Children out of Poverty

SANTA FE – Today, a Constitutional Amendment that would invest tens of millions of dollars every year into the success of New Mexico’s kids, passed the Senate Rules Committee.

House Joint Resolution 1, sponsored by Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas (D-Albuquerque), and Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque), is a constitutional amendment that uplifts New Mexico’s kids through increased distributions from the $20 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund (LGPF) for quality early childhood education programs.

Decades of early childhood education research shows that children are most likely to succeed in life when they enter school with early language and math skills, as well as a strong sense of self-identity. 

“It’s imperative that these funds be made available as we build a world class early childhood educational system here in New Mexico,” Rep. Maestas said. “This bill strengthens the fabric of all our kids, families, and communities for generations to come.”

“This is the year to get this done,” Rep. Martinez said. “We need to be making every investment we can in our children and our future. I urge my colleagues in the Senate Finance Committee to embrace the historic opportunity before us. Investing today means a stronger tomorrow.”

A Senate Rules Committee amendment to HJR 1 raised the floor for distributions from the LGPF from $10 billion to $17 billion, and lowered the increased distributions from the originally proposed 1% to .5%. According to Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman of the University of Chicago, for every $1.00 invested in quality early childhood education, the return to society is between 7%-13% annually over the life of the child. New Mexico currently ranks 50th in child well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 

For New Mexico’s children, committing the Land Grant Permanent Fund – the largest such fund in the United States – to their early childhood development would help reverse the state’s endemic poverty, resulting in healthy children, a strengthened education system, and a more prepared workforce.

House Joint Resolution 1 passed the Senate Rules Committee and now advances to the Senate Finance Committee.