Economic Security & Prosperity Blog
New Mexico families are getting a needed tax break
Santa Fe New Mexican Tax Day 2022 offered a good reminder that lawmakers have made several improvements to our tax code in recent years that are providing important benefits for New Mexicans in need of financial relief.
Time to evict discriminatory rental practices
Those who use assistance to pay their rent may have difficulty finding a landlord who will rent to them. Sadly, this blatant discrimination is entirely legal in many places. Albuquerque is looking to change that and kick housing discrimination to the curb.
New Mexico must act now to help keep families housed
Our families and communities are safer and can thrive best when everyone has a warm, healthy place to live. However, as many as 80,000 New Mexicans are at risk of eviction – that’s equivalent to almost the entire population of Sante Fe. Worse, approximately 16 families get evicted every day in the state.
Leaders have a chance to help New Mexicans trapped in endless cycles of debt
For the last several years, some state lawmakers have tried to stop storefront lenders by introducing legislation requiring a 36% cap on interest rates and fees. But the predatory lending lobby has always been able to stop these bills. This year, legislation to impose a 36% rate cap is gaining momentum.
Data shows New Mexico families struggle with basic expenses
Albuquerque Journal--New Mexico’s leaders have taken many actions to protect and support children and families through this uncertainty, including hunger relief funding, emergency economic relief for those left out of federal stimulus payments, a new paid-sick-leave policy, and an increase and expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit, which will put money in the hands of families who will spend it quickly and locally to provide for their children’s basic needs.
A fair and equitable recovery starts with supporting women of color
New Mexico In Depth--In this legislative session, New Mexico Voices for Children will be asking lawmakers to put families with children first in policymaking. High on the list of policies that will help ensure a just recovery and equitable opportunities for all families are enacting a state-level CTC, with families facing the biggest economic challenges seeing the biggest benefits.
This tax season will bring nice surprises for many New Mexico families
Santa Fe New Mexican--When you file your tax return this winter, you may be in for a very nice surprise. Thanks to the leadership of state legislators and Governor Lujan Grisham, New Mexico enacted several improvements in two tax credits that help those New Mexicans who need it most.
Putting New Mexico’s babies first: How paid family and medical leave gives babies a healthy start
In homes across New Mexico, parents and caregivers have long been forced to make an impossible choice – one made even harder in the last 18 months by COVID-19. Do I care for my baby or sick family member, or do I leave them to work and earn the pay we need to survive? This choice has dire implications for babies, families, public health, and the economy.
Pre-pandemic improvement in child well-being a glimpse at what investments can do
Las Cruces Sun-News--Incremental improvements show us both that progress is possible and also that creating the nurturing environments our kids deserve and need to thrive will require bold and sustained actions and investments.
The HB 291 tax package will make our tax system more racially equitable
Like other public policy, tax policy can either advance or hinder racial and ethnic equity. It is never race-neutral. As the legislative session enters its final week, one important tax bill - HB 291 - is still being debated. There are numerous reasons to support (it raises revenue and makes our tax system more stable, among others), but one reason has particular meaning in a state where people of color comprise the majority of the population. This blog explains.