NMPolitics.net (https://nmpolitics.net/index/category/uncategorized/page/27/)
My thesis: Making high school optional can lead to improved public education at lower costs. Revisions to state law, with corresponding revisions in educational policy, can make a virtue of the reality of low graduation rates and ill-prepared graduates. Continue Reading
Saying education should be exempt from budget cuts, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish on Thursday cast the only vote on the state Board of Finance against cutting most state agency budgets by 3.2 percent. Continue Reading
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish says scandal that has plagued the New Mexico Land Office demonstrates the need for an ethics commission, while Republican Susana Martinez says she would push increased transparency to address issues like those that have dogged the land office. Continue Reading
UPDATED: When the Albuquerque Journal quoted the head of the state District Attorney’s Association earlier this week in an article about Susana Martinez giving employees large “out-of-cycle” salary increases, the newspaper didn’t mention that the agency’s head used to work for Martinez and received the pay increases she was speaking about. Continue Reading
Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez told me last year that she supported vouchers. Now that she’s released a formal education plan, Martinez still supports increasing school choice – but the details are somewhat different than what she’s been saying on the campaign trail. Continue Reading
Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson are among those hosting a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez next month in Washington, D.C. Continue Reading
Heath Haussamen is sick and taking today off. He hopes to be back at work Thursday. In the meantime, here are some links to interesting articles you may have missed. Continue Reading
Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez says the state has already spent lots of money on Spaceport America and can no longer be its “major financer,” while Democratic opponent Diane Denish says she is a supporter of the spaceport but didn’t directly answer a question about the project’s funding.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish supports a domestic partner benefits law, while her Republican opponent, Susana Martinez, does not. Continue Reading
UPDATED: Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez has won a contest hosted by potential 2012 presidential hopeful and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty – meaning Pawlenty plans to provide additional help to Martinez beyond the $5,000 his political action committee has already donated to her campaign. Continue Reading
The gubernatorial candidates will debate education later this month, and while both campaigns say they look forward to additional debates, no others have been scheduled. Democrat Diane Denish proposed a series of eight debates on Monday. Continue Reading
Political analyst Jose Z. Garcia endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez on Friday when the campaign announced that he had agreed to be on the steering committee for her “Democrats for Martinez” coalition. Because of that, I’ll no longer be quoting him as a political analyst when it comes to the governor’s race. Continue Reading
Both candidates for governor will present “major policy initiatives” during the Domenici Public Policy Conference being held at New Mexico State University in September, the university announced today. Continue Reading
UPDATED: State funding for Susana Martinez’s office grew 69.5 percent during the same time period she is using to attack the “Richardson/Denish” administration for “out-of-control” growth of 54 percent. My exploration of Martinez’s stance – that her office’s budget growth was justified but the state’s was not – revealed that budgets are complicated and there are different ways of looking at things. Continue Reading
The state is halfway through its 10-year experiment with the Behavioral Health Collaborative, which aims to deliver mental health and substance abuse services more effectively and efficiently. Both gubernatorial candidates say it’s time to consider some changes. Continue Reading