[Lwvcnmtopics] LWVCNM Monthly Meeting July 14th at noon - Early Childhood Permanent Fund Amendment

[Starlyn Brown]

LWVCNM Members,

The topic for the LWVCNM monthly meeting July 14th at noon is important for all New Mexican's.  Therefore, we have invited members from the other New Mexico Leagues to participate remotely.

LWVCNM members and guests are invited to join the program remotely via Zoom (invitation at the end of the email) or in-person at the LWVCNM office garden level conference room, 6739 Academy Road NE. If joining us in-person, please register so we know how many to expect. Feel free to bring your own lunch and beverage. You are welcome to stay for a bit after the program to socialize with fellow members. 

For in-person, there are 3 ways to register. Call the LWVCNM office at 505-884-8441 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and how many participants you are registering. Send an email to lwvcnmoffice at gmail.com. Go to our website at https://www.lwvcnm.org and click on Register for July Meeting. 

Early Childhood Permanent Fund Amendment

Significant Constitutional Amendment Scheduled for November Ballot

This November we will be voting on a significant amendment to the New Mexico constitution. The land grant permanent fund is an accumulation of all the royalties the state collects on oil, gas and minerals removed from state lands. It was established when New Mexico became a state and provides over a billion dollars each year to public schools and universities.

This proposed amendment would set aside an additional one and one quarter percent of the majority of the fund for early childhood education and public schools. Part of the money would go to children at risk of failure, to extend the school year and for increased compensation of teachers. About 60 percent of it would go for early childhood education. This is defined as nonsectarian and nondenominational education of children until they are ready for kindergarten.

Rep. Deborah Armstrong, one of many representatives who were involved in passing this legislature will speak to us on July 14 at our regular lunch meeting about what the legislature intended to do with this amendment. She has a long history of public service, including time at the New Mexico Aging and Long Term Service Department, Executive Director if the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool and as chair of the NM House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee. She is retiring from the legislature this year.

She will be joined by Ismael Torres, the chief economist for the Legislative Finance Committee, who will discuss the amount of money this would involve, and the kinds of decisions the NM Legislature will have to make if it passes in November. Torres has been with the LFC since 2019 and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with an M.S. degree in Applied Economics.

One of the big decisions looming in the background is at what age will the state of NM formally begin educating children. At two, three, four? Should the amendment pass, it has the potential to be life changing for New Mexico families. But what kind of change might it bring? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about an important issue you will be voting on.
Here’s a link to the actual amendment
https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/final/HJR01.pdf
Because this amendment might affect the long-term financial stability of New Mexico, it will also have to be approved by the U.S. Congress if it is approved by voters in the November election.

Zoom Invitation -

LWVCNM Zoom is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Early Childhood Permanent Fund Amendment
Time: Jul 14, 2022 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 867 6360 2640
Passcode: 113604
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