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New Optimism For New Mexico Early Childhood Education Bill

LAS CRUCES - Rep. Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, has introduced a constitutional amendment seeking to increase the annual distribution for early childhood education every year since 2013.

The bill has passed in the House of Representatives six times, including each of the past five years.

And, it has the support of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who enlisted the help of her then-3-year-old granddaughter in trying to move the Senate Finance Committee during a hearing in 2019.

That effort ended just like all of the others, with Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, killing the bill in committee without a vote, preventing it from ever reaching the Senate floor.

There will be a new chairman of the Finance Committee next year, following Smith’s loss in the primary election. And, there will be several incoming senators, including Carrie Hamblen, D-Las Cruces, who have made early childhood education funding a top priority.

Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, has been a co-sponsor of the last five bills. He said the changes in the Senate have greatly increased his optimism that the bill will be passed in the upcoming session, which starts Jan. 19 in Santa Fe.

“I’ve gotten a lot of encouraging phone calls from members of the Senate who are not only ready to have this debate, they are ready to pass it,” Martinez said. “The issue in the past has been that there was never a debate. The bill never made it to the floor. This year, people are excited.”

The legislation would increase the annual distribution from the Land Grant Permanent Fund from 5 percent to 6 percent, bringing millions of dollars in increased funding for early childhood programs.

The Land Grant Permanent Fund was established when New Mexico was still a territory, and is enshrined in the state’s Constitution. That means any changes will require a constitutional amendment, which must be passed by both chambers of the Legislature, and then by the voters in the next general election.

Last year’s legislation was amended in the Senate Rules Committee, dropping the increase from 1 percent to 0.5 percent. With that reduction, the bill was expected to deliver an additional $90 million in the first fiscal year, according to the fiscal impact report, an analysis of each bill done by the Legislative Finance Committee staff.

On the downside, the increased distribution was also expected to decrease the annual projected growth of the fund.

Martinez said they will seek the full 1 percent with next year’s legislation. He noted that the fiscal impact report predicted substantial future growth of the fund even with the increased distribution.

“One percent is not going to kill the fund; not even a little bit,” he said. “This is the most effective social investment we can make. We’re going to have an entire generation of children who will contribute in very meaningful ways to New Mexico’s economy.”

Another approach

Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, is both a state representative and an early childcare provider, as the founder of the AppleTree Educational Center.

Dow voted against the joint resolution this year, and said she plans to do so again when it comes up next year. She said the state should focus on those children who are most in need.

“I do not support taxpayer-funded universal programs. I do support targeted early childhood programs for the children who need it most,” Dow said. “We already fund early childhood development at a level to serve everyone who research shows will benefit.”

Dow said 80 percent of New Mexico 4-year-olds are already in a pre-K program.

“Our focus should be on helping teachers understand child growth and development, how to adapt the environment for children with special needs, and we should target children who need early interventions because of disabilities or their environments,” Dow said.

She said the state doesn’t have the workforce needed to handle a large expansion of early childhood services. And, she argued, the focus should be on children who are already in school.

In 2018, a district court judge found the state was not providing an adequate education, especially for Native American students, English language learners, students from low-income families and those with disabilities.

“If we are not fully funding the current beneficiaries, K-through-12, higher ed and special schools, we should fully fund them before adding more beneficiaries,” Dow said.

She said the state should focus on programs like the Imagination Library book program, that help parents be their child’s first teacher.

“The research shows the best place for young children is a healthy home,” she said.

Minority Leader James Townsend, R-Artesia, opposed passage of the joint resolution last year, arguing that it would hurt the children of future generations of New Mexicans.

Fund already established

The Early Childhood Education and Care Fund has already been established, thanks to legislation passed this year.

Rep. Doreen Gallegos, D-Las Cruces, was able to get Sen. Smith to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill. Smith explained that he supported increased funding for early childhood services, but he opposed taking the money from the Permanent Fund.

The bill allocated $320 million from the general fund to get the new fund started. That amount was reduced to $300 million during a special session in June, but that was still enough to get the new fund up and running, Gallegos said.

The money has been invested and is already generating dividends, she said.

“The secretary has already made a request to get her first installment out,” she said, referring to Elizabeth Groginsky, head of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department.

The bill called for $20 million to be distributed in Fiscal Year 2023, then at least $30 million each year after that. The annual distribution could be higher, based on the three-year average of the fund.

Gallegos said she is a longtime supporter of the effort to increase the distribution from the Permanent Fund, and she believes that bill will have a much better chance for success this year.

“If I had a crystal ball, I’d predict that it will pass,” she said.

Rep. Martinez noted that the final decision would then be up to the voters.

“This is the most thoroughly vetted piece of legislation that the Legislature will consider in 2021,” Martinez said. “It has been debated over and over. It has passed the House five or six times, and it’s never had a robust debate in the Senate. My expectation is that will change. And, my expectation is that people will have a chance to vote.”

Walt Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.com.