Gov. Lujan Grisham proposes "free" college, Sen. Heinrich supports AOC's Green New Deal, and more!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. FREE STUFF. GOV. LUJAN GRISHAM ON COLLEGE: "LET'S MAKE IT F.R.E.E."
On Wednesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pulled a stunt by announcing that New Mexico would join New York State as the second state to offer free college -- to everyone, even if they can afford to pay. This could also mean that undocumented kids might receive free college benefits (the governor didn’t explicitly rule it out).
Eager to call attention to herself, she leaked her plan to the New York Times, which broke the news nationally on Wednesday morning.
From the New York Times ([link removed]) :
In one of the boldest state-led efforts to expand access to higher education, New Mexico is unveiling a plan on Wednesday to make tuition at its public colleges and universities free for all state residents, regardless of family income....
Nearly half of the states, including New York, Oregon and Tennessee, have guaranteed free two- or four-year public college to some students. But the New Mexico proposal goes further, promising four years of tuition even to students whose families can afford to pay the sticker price.
Long one of the poorest states in the country, New Mexico plans to use climbing revenues from oil production to pay for much of the costs.
Some education experts, presidential candidates and policymakers consider universal free college to be a squandering of scarce public dollars, which might be better spent offering more support to the neediest students.
So what happens when the money from our unprecedented and record breaking oil and gas production slows (history tells us that it will)? No answer for that from the governor.
The Associated Press ([link removed]) looked into this:
But state economists say that government income in New Mexico is increasingly vulnerable to possible downturns in the oil and natural gas sectors...
When oil prices and local petroleum production plunged in 2016, New Mexico slashed funding to its public universities and specialty schools by 5% to close a budget gap...
State Sen. John Arthur Smith, the Democratic chairman of the lead Senate budget committee and University of New Mexico graduate, had an upbeat reaction Wednesday to the free-tuition proposal — moderated by concerns about the sustainability of state funding for tuition.
“Conceptually it’s a great idea,” he said. “But I’ve got a lot of good ideas. I just don’t know how to pay for them.”
As a reminder to everyone, approval of this proposal is up to the state legislature, something that the governor didn't mention last week as she seemed to make it sound as if this is a done deal.
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2. SEN. HEINRICH SIGNS ON TO AOC'S GREEN NEW DEAL
After years of masquerading as a defender of New Mexico's energy sector, Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich came out as a supporter of Squad leader Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's "Green New Deal." In doing so, he reveals who he's been all along -- a dyed-in-the-wool progressive Democrat that is determined to destroy the very sector that funds over one-third of our state government. This now means that a majority of New Mexico's all-Democrat congressional delegation has signed on to this disastrous and unrealistic proposal.
From the Albuquerque Journal ([link removed]) :
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich became the third member of the New Mexico congressional delegation to endorse the Green New Deal.
Heinrich made his announcement Friday, on the same day students around the world were marching for action on climate change, including in Albuquerque as part of the New Mexico Youth Climate Strike. U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján endorsed the Green New Deal months ago.
Heinrich said he was supporting the Green New Deal “because this rising generation of activists understands what we’re up against, and is willing to propose the kind of bold changes that equal the scale of that problem....
The U.S. Senate earlier this year voted 57-0 against the Green New Deal resolution put on the floor by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who dismissed the deal as a “far-left science fiction novel.” Democrats, including Heinrich and fellow New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall, labeled the vote as a political stunt. They voted present.
Critics of the Green New Deal believe it would devastate fossil fuel industries – including the oil and gas industry, which is the top industry in New Mexico.
Power the Future, a conservative energy advocacy group, criticized Heinrich’s endorsement.
“The Green New Deal would be a disaster for New Mexico’s families costing each household nearly $72,000 in the first year alone,” Power The Future Western States Director Larry Behrens said. “When given the opportunity to vote for the Green New Deal, Senator Heinrich instead voted ‘present’ so it appears his newfound support has nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with appeasing eco-left special political interests.”
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3. OTHER NEW MEXICO NEWS BRIEFS
* Court halts timber activity in Southwest over threatened owl ([link removed]) . No more tree-cutting in New Mexico's five national forests. Left-wing environmental group based in Santa Fe gets their way in U.S. district court.
* Democrat Mayor Keller bans guns from city community centers; Pro 2A group responds with lawsuit ([link removed]) . A conservative advocacy group is suing Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller for his decision to ban guns from city community centers, saying his administration is acting outside its authority.
* Yet ANOTHER recusal in Democrat DWI case ([link removed]) . The drunken-driving case of Democrat state Sen. Richard Martinez has been assigned to an eighth state District Court judge after seven others were either excused by attorneys or recused from the case.
* Oil and gas production boom creates new pressures in SE New Mexico ([link removed]) : The Santa Fe New Mexican continues its in-depth coverage of the economic growth happening in communities like Carlsbad, and the associated growing pains.
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** LISTEN TO CHAIRMAN PEARCE'S WEEKLY PODCAST!
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Be sure to catch Inside New Mexico with Steve Pearce each week on your favorite podcast platform!
You can subscribe to listen and be notified when a new episode is available:
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