Published in the Albuquerque Journal Jan. 24, 2025

As I prepared to deliver my annual State of the State address to the New Mexico Legislature last week, I reflected on six years of partnership with them and you — the people of our great state.

I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and during my final two years as your governor, I’m determined to tackle the serious challenges that remain.

Over the past six years, we’ve transformed education in New Mexico by establishing a constitutional right to childcare, universal pre-K, and free college for any resident who wants it. We launched an ambitious statewide literacy program that boosted participants’ reading proficiency by 11% in just one summer. We’ve invested in our teachers and pushed for more classroom days so every child gets the instruction they need to succeed.

Our economy is soaring to new heights, with more New Mexicans working than ever before. We’ve added 134,000 jobs in four-and-a-half years, our wages are rising faster than anywhere else in America, and we’ve cut the employment gap in half. Just last week, we announced that Quantinuum, the world’s largest quantum computing company, is establishing a presence in New Mexico, cementing our state’s leadership in this emerging $3.5 trillion industry.

We’ve made historic investments in working families through tax credits and universal programs that are lifting New Mexico children and families out of poverty at unprecedented rates. We’ve expanded health care access, bringing in 2,700 new Medicaid providers since July. And we’re leading the clean energy transition and working to protect our communities from the adverse effects of climate change.

But sadly, these achievements are overshadowed by a public safety crisis in our state. The violent crime rate in New Mexico is twice the national average. One-third of New Mexicans say they or a loved one have been the victim of a serious crime. More than 3,500 dangerous repeat offenders, with nearly 6,000 felonies among them, have been released back into our communities. This is simply unacceptable. We can, and must, do better.

We’ve invested $1.5 billion in law enforcement during my administration, but it requires more than money to solve this problem. That’s why I’m calling on the Legislature to take decisive action this session. Let’s reform criminal competency laws that keep dangerous offenders on our streets and enable humane civil commitment for those who desperately need behavioral health treatment. Let’s also strengthen penalties for felons who use guns in the commission of crimes, and for those who peddle deadly fentanyl on our streets.

We must also transform our child welfare system. I’m proposing full funding for New Mexico’s Children, Youth & Families Department to reduce overwhelming caseloads, an independent Child Protection Authority to ensure complaints are properly addressed, and regular outside evaluations to drive continuous improvement.

Let’s double the monthly stipends for those who care for foster children and exempt them, as well as grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, from personal income tax. If you’re taking care of at-risk children and helping to make our state a better place, you deserve more help paying for necessities.

Government can’t solve difficult public safety and child welfare challenges alone. We need every New Mexican engaged in building safer, stronger communities. I urge you to contact your legislators during this 60-day session. Share your stories and ideas. Tell them what your family and community need most. The legislative process works best when citizens are actively involved.

The spirit of cooperation that has driven our success must continue. While we may not always agree on every detail, we share the same goals: safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, good jobs, and opportunities for every New Mexican to thrive.

This year’s 60-day session gives us a critical opportunity to strengthen public safety, protect our most vulnerable children and more. Let’s seize this moment to build on our progress and tackle our toughest challenges head-on.

Together, we can ensure New Mexico’s bright future reaches every family in every corner of our state.