Saying that while New Mexico has seen a great deal of progress the past few years. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says lawmakers need to go above and beyond during the 30-day session to benefit the lives of state residents.
Lujan Grisham presented her State of the State Tuesday at the Roundhouse.
Lujan Grisham says a timid mindset has infected people in the Capitol Building and now is the time to go big. She said New Mexico can be the state where everything is possible.
The Governor reiterated the proposal to give all teachers at least a seven-percent raise. She also called for an end to New Mexico taxing Social Security benefits, a cut in the state’s sales tax and getting tougher on crime.
“We all have a role to play in keeping New Mexico safe. Public safety doesn’t just exist on its own,” She said. “We have to create it, and support it, and own it. So we need tougher penalties for the worst of the worst, the repeat offenders and those who have proven themselves to be a danger to our communities.”
Lujan Grisham says she’s asking for a 19-percent increase in funding from the state for the Department of Public Safety. including a 19-percent pay raise for officers.
She also is calling for the state to allocate $60-million, being matched with another $60-million from the federal government to build a new Veterans Home.
The Republican leadership says it's all for tax cuts and public safety spending saying they had been pushing for such things for three years and question if this being an election year is why the Governor is requesting it now.
GOP Party Chairman Steve Pearce said that the Governor alluded to the state’s budget surplus, but refused to credit or even mention the oil and gas industry that’s responsible for the extra dollars available.