Once again, in 2015 and 2016 legislation was introduced to reimpose New Mexico’s regressive food tax, which Think New Mexico led the fight to repeal in 2004. Fortunately our efforts to oppose the food tax were successful and it did not pass either chamber of the legislature in 2015 or 2016. However, we expect the bill to be reintroduced in 2017. Learn more about this issue and how you can get involved!
In both 2015 and 2016, Think New Mexico successfully defeated legislation that would have repealed the requirement that a minimum of 30% of state lottery revenues be dedicated to student scholarships. The 30% requirement has resulted in an additional $9 million going to scholarships every year since 2008. Learn more about this issue and how to get involved!
For the fourth year in a row, the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s International Relations Program has recognized Think New Mexico as one of the most effective think tanks in the world in the category of “Best Advocacy Campaign.” The 2015 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, released on January 29, 2016, ranks Think New Mexico 58th in this category. We were ranked 56th in 2014, 57th in 2013 and 70th in 2012. Think New Mexico remains the only state-level think tank to make the ranking, among a distinguished list including Amnesty International, the Pew Research Center, and the Brookings Institution.
Thanks to our friends and supporters who made us one of only ten nonprofits in New Mexico to receive a 2015 top-rated recognition from Great Nonprofits!
The bill, Senate Judiciary Substitute for Senate Bills 323 & 474, was sponsored by Senators Jerry Ortiz y Pino, Sander Rue & Mark Moores. It passed the Senate 26-0 and the House 52-0 and was signed into law by Governor Martinez on April 9, 2015. When fully implemented, it will create a website where New Mexicans can easily find information on hospital prices and quality.
Read more about this reform and watch Larry Barker investigate the need for health care transparency on on KRQE News 13:
Senate Bill 9 was signed into law by Governor Martinez after passing the Senate 41-0 and the House 61-0! Senate Bills 8 and 10, which would have implemented Think New Mexico’s other job creation policy proposals, passed all of their Senate committees unanimously but were never brought up for a vote of the full Senate. Read more about these proposals to address New Mexico’s jobs crisis!
The number of New Mexico’s “independent” voters, who are not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican party, has tripled from 6% to 18% in the last three decades, yet none of those 230,839 voters are allowed to vote in the state’s primary elections. Learn more by reading a column on Think New Mexico’s effort to open the state’s primaries by Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican or listening to an interview with Executive Director Fred Nathan on KSVP Artesia AM 990 (mp3, 12:30).
