Santa Fe, N.M. – As the economic ramifications of COVID-19 continue to reverberate statewide, a member of the all-volunteer New Mexico State Legislature is resigning in order to work full-time and make ends meet. Here is a statement from the New Mexico House Democrats:
Democratic State Representative Linda Trujillo (D-48, Santa Fe) has resigned from the New Mexico House of Representatives. Representative Trujillo, a practicing attorney, cited an inability to financially make ends meet as COVID-19 has reduced her family’s ability to earn a living, while the responsibilities of representing her district in the nation’s last all-volunteer legislature mean fewer hours to work.
“There is still so much I wanted to accomplish for the people of House District 48 and the State of New Mexico,” said Representative Linda Trujillo (D-Santa Fe). “It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation from the New Mexico House of Representatives. I want to thank each and every one who supported me with your vote and your friendship during my time as a State Representative. I will cherish each moment I’ve had with you.”
“Linda Trujillo’s experience, tenacity, and ability to bring legislators together on the issues helped her accomplish great things during her two terms in office. Linda will be terribly missed,” said House Speaker and Representative Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe), “Hearing the news of Representative Trujillo’s impending resignation was unexpected, but serves as a stark reminder that the pandemic has forced countless New Mexican families to make sacrifices and change course in order to survive.”
“Linda has been a remarkable and dynamic legislator,” said Majority Floor Leader and Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-Albuquerque). “Her interest has always been her constituents and her district. We will miss her greatly on the House Education Committee and in the House.”
An experienced public servant who served as a Santa Fe School District board member prior to her two terms serving in the House, Representative Trujillo began her first term as State Representative in 2016. Her legislative career focused on good government and transparency, education and safety nets for children, and ensuring that every New Mexican can exercise their right to vote easily and safely.
In education, Trujillo’s work focused on ensuring New Mexico’s kids didn’t fall through the cracks and had a chance for a culturally and linguistically appropriate education by passing bills to: enhance cultural relevancy in education (2019, HB 111); allow guardians to obtain medical care for children under their guardianship (2017, HB 394); coordinate at-risk child record-keeping between the Children Youth and Families Division and public schools (2019, HB 447); define Child Advocacy Centers to provide comprehensive response teams for neglected and abused kids (2019, HB 314); and create the state’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department (2019, SB 22).
Representative Trujillo’s legislative accomplishments also extend into improving voter safety and access in New Mexico’s elections (2019, HB 407, and 2020 Special, SB 4).
And Representative Trujillo championed effective, open and ethical government by shining light on payouts by state government for specific claims (2020, SB 64) and streamlining rulemaking requirements for all state agencies, bringing order and transparency to a process that had previously varied widely between agencies (2017, HB 58).
New Mexico is the last state in the nation with an all-volunteer legislature, requiring many members to reduce work hours or forego jobs altogether to serve constituents – resulting in a makeup that