{"id":118542,"date":"2016-01-19T13:53:52","date_gmt":"2016-01-19T20:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=118542"},"modified":"2016-01-19T14:05:21","modified_gmt":"2016-01-19T21:05:21","slug":"gov-susana-martinezs-2016-state-of-the-state-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/01\/gov-susana-martinezs-2016-state-of-the-state-address\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Susana Martinez’s 2016 State of the State Address"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is Gov. Susana Martinez’s 2016 State of the State Address, as prepared for delivery:<\/em><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY:\u00a0<\/strong>Lieutenant Governor; Senate President Pro Tempore; Mr. Speaker; Democrat and Republican leaders; esteemed members of the New Mexico Legislature; Congresswoman Michelle Lujan-Grisham; Congressman Steve Pearce; honorable members of the judiciary; former New Mexico governors; tribal governors; Archbishop John Wester; distinguished guests; the State\u2019s first gentleman, my husband, Chuck Franco; the State\u2019s first newlyweds \u2013 Carlo and Tara; my sister, Lettie; and, my fellow New Mexicans.<\/p>\n

\"Susana<\/a>

Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p>

Gov. Susana Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n

It is an honor to join you for the State of the State Address and open this legislative session, where our call and purpose will be to confront violent crime, demand more than mediocrity in education, and compete for jobs with the resolve that is expected of us.<\/p>\n

These challenges \u2013 these realities \u2013 are not specifically of our making. In some cases, they have been decades in the making.\u00a0 But they are what is in front of us, and for the sake of future generations, it is our responsibility to address them.<\/p>\n

Two of my guests today are here because, for them, and for their families and for the community around them, 2015 brought unthinkable personal pain and horrific tragedy.<\/p>\n

I grew up the daughter of a police officer, and as you know, Chuck was a police officer. I remember, at times, not being able to reach him by phone, wondering if he was okay \u2013 always knowing there was a chance he might not come home.<\/p>\n

I cannot imagine and will not pretend to understand the pain and sadness that engulfed Julie Benner and Michelle Webster when that nightmare \u2013 something the spouse of every officer fears \u2013 became a reality.<\/p>\n

Officers Nigel Benner and Dan Webster served with distinction in our armed forces, volunteered in their communities, and raised families among us. They chose service to each of us, and to sacrifice their safety for each of us \u2013 they were heroes to strangers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where most would run away from trouble out of fear, they would run toward it \u2013 out of duty, with courage.<\/p>\n

We will never understand why the tragic deaths \u2013 the senseless murders \u2013 of these two heroes occurred, and maybe we aren\u2019t supposed to understand it. But, I do know this: we are supposed to recognize men and women like Officers Benner and Webster.\u00a0 We are supposed to hold them up, to honor them, to encourage their exceptionalism in others, and to tell our kids to be like them and serve like them.<\/p>\n

Julie and Michelle \u2013 your husbands showed each of us the highest and purest form of love.\u00a0 There is no greater expression of love for your neighbor than to be willing to lay down your life for them.\u00a0 And I know that their sacrifice was, and remains, your sacrifice, as well.<\/p>\n

As a state, we pray for you and your families, and we recognize you for the courage and poise you have shown through unthinkable tragedy. May your husbands rest in God\u2019s true peace.\u00a0 Thank you for being with us today.<\/p>\n

As we start this session, this is not the backdrop we asked for, but it\u2019s the reality we face.<\/p>\n

Call them boomerang thugs, turnstile thugs, whatever. We have vicious, heinous criminals among us who are willing to take the lives of our greatest heroes, and who have no business being out on our streets.<\/p>\n

We see teens terrorizing neighborhoods late at night.<\/p>\n

We still see drunk driving tragedies on our roadways \u2013 innocent New Mexicans like Roberto Mendez, Sergio Mendez-Aguirre, Grace Sinfield, and 19 year-old Jacob Salazar \u2013 all taken too soon, often by repeat offenders who are still driving their deadly weapons on our roads.<\/p>\n

Communities, parents, and families ask: how are these criminals still out there?<\/p>\n

The public\u2019s frustration is not misplaced.\u00a0 Our laws are too lax, our justice system too weak \u2013 particularly when it comes to violent, dangerous offenders.\u00a0 It\u2019s our job to fix it, and there\u2019s a lot we can do.<\/p>\n

Every judge should have real-time access to the criminal background and history of defendants who appear in their courtrooms \u2013 so that sentencing and bail decisions can be made with that information.\u00a0 And we need to amend our Constitution to allow judges to keep the most dangerous criminals in jail \u2013 without bail.<\/p>\n

Because stories like Joseph Jaramillo\u2019s are too familiar.\u00a0 Jailed for aggravated battery and assault, child abuse, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, he was granted bail and sent back into Albuquerque\u2019s neighborhoods.\u00a0\u00a0Nine days later, he was ramming a deputy\u2019s car with a stolen truck, putting more lives in jeopardy.<\/p>\n

With what we\u2019ve seen this past year, there should be no more excuses for light sentences and automatic bail for violent offenders. And we need laws that are tough in substance, not just in sound bites.\u00a0 Look at our three strikes law. It sounds tough, but it was worded so that it didn\u2019t mean anything. No one has ever been incarcerated under that law. Let\u2019s put real teeth into it, so we can keep those who commit repeated violent felonies \u2013 who repeatedly prey on innocent families \u2013 behind bars for life.<\/p>\n

In addition, skipping out on parole should be a 4th\u00a0degree felony, and I fully support the bipartisan effort to allow local communities to adopt curfews if it\u2019s necessary to keep us safe.<\/p>\n

With respect to ending DWI, I recently announced several major initiatives: saturation patrols on our deadliest highways targeting repeat offenders and the establishments that over-serve them; a court monitoring program that will place citizens inside courtrooms in five counties, to shed light on the criminal justice process and outcomes in DWI cases; and an ongoing round-up of those with outstanding bench warrants for DWI crimes or repeat DWI offenders who have absconded from parole \u2013 because their unwillingness to take responsibility for driving drunk means they\u2019re likely to do it again.<\/p>\n

This includes people like Danny Velarde, who was just recently captured, and who tried to evade justice after committing six DWIs and being convicted of voluntary manslaughter.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a citizen monitoring a courtroom, someone reporting that they saw one of our Top 10 DWI absconders, or the college kid who risks being disliked by refusing to let his friend drive drunk, ending DWI in New Mexico involves each and every one of us. It is cynical and factually wrong to suggest that our drunk driving laws are tough, or anything like surrounding states. They\u2019re not.\u00a0 Those who repeatedly drive drunk need to face stiffer penalties, and so should those who knowingly toss them the keys.<\/p>\n

Of course, protecting our communities also involves protecting our children, so that if they are exploited in child pornography, those who possess their images or videos should face the full weight and serious force of the law.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not happening in New Mexico because our Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors no longer have the option to charge someone in possession of child pornography with multiple counts based on the number of images they have.\u00a0 They said our laws aren\u2019t clear enough to allow that, and rather than clarify it, some in the Legislature have refused to act.<\/p>\n

Consequently, criminals like former APS Kindergarten teacher Joshua Weitz, who allegedly possessed 40 child pornography files, was charged with only one count in November.\u00a0 And Juan Santos Torres, who possessed several videos, was sentenced to just 14 months in jail \u2013 a fraction of the time he should have served \u2013 because of this loophole.\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s not right.<\/p>\n

I agree with the Attorney General; we must close the child pornography loophole in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

We must also make protecting our families a key priority in the budget.\u00a0 I recognize that revenues are uncertain due to persistently low energy prices, and that most agency budgets will have to be held flat.\u00a0 This means that, with the limited new revenue we will have, we have to prioritize more \u2013 and better.\u00a0 Public safety should be at the top of that priority list.<\/p>\n

Expand the use of family support workers who work with at-risk families who have a history of CYFD referrals \u2013 in order to prevent child abuse. Clear the backlog of rape kits in New Mexico. Provide more officers with immediate access to child abuse case history before being dispatched to a child abuse call.<\/p>\n

And, let\u2019s invest in expanding the ranks of our public safety workers and do more to retain them. That means hiring new State Police officers, expanding the Correctional unit that tracks down violent absconders, hiring more child abuse caseworkers to reduce their caseloads, and providing targeted pay raises for public safety workers who are on the frontlines each day.<\/p>\n

If we do all of these things to make New Mexico safer, we not only honor our public safety workers, showing that we understand and respect the danger and sacrifice they face, we also honor the victims of the senseless violent crimes we\u2019ve seen, and their families \u2013 who live with the pain of loss every day.<\/p>\n

This should motivate us to overcome any special interests or politics that stand in the way, to do what\u2019s right, and to stand against those who thrive on creating fear and chaos.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to say, \u201cNot here, not in New Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, combating crime also means working to prevent people from becoming criminals.\u00a0 This is a longer-term challenge, and a lot goes into it.<\/p>\n

Behavioral health can be one of many factors.\u00a0 Over the last two years, we\u2019ve seen an 84 percent increase in behavioral health services provided in our state \u2013 to the highest level in state history.\u00a0 And under my budget, we will use additional behavioral health dollars for new crisis triage centers, mobile crisis response teams, and community behavioral health clinics.<\/p>\n

Education obviously plays an important role too \u2013 because it\u2019s an education that provides someone with hope that\u00a0tomorrow\u00a0can be better than today.<\/p>\n

I was a prosecutor for 25 years.\u00a0 I saw so many 15, 16, even 20 year-olds who could not read, had little hope that they would ever find work, faced more challenges than opportunities in life, dropped out of school at some point, and turned to crime.<\/p>\n

You see, if we don\u2019t get this part right \u2013 if our kids don\u2019t learn to read, if we cannot graduate our students with basic knowledge and life skills \u2013 the ripple effects in their lives, in their children\u2019s lives, and in society are potentially enormous.<\/p>\n

No child is un-teachable.\u00a0 I will never give up on any kid.\u00a0 Every child can learn.<\/p>\n

Our reform agenda is clear. First, every child needs to read at an early age, so they can learn every year thereafter.\u00a0 Under my plan, to give our kids the best start possible, we\u2019ll expand pre-K \u2013 which has tripled so far on my watch \u2013 and build $5 million worth of new pre-K classrooms throughout the State.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll add $10 million in new reading interventions, specifically for students in chronically struggling schools.<\/p>\n

Second, we need a quality teacher in every classroom. Teachers matter. When they succeed, we should honor them. And when they struggle, we should help them. To build a stronger recruitment pipeline, I ask the Legislature to raise the minimum starting teacher salary to $36,000 per year, which would total a 20 percent increase over the last four years.\u00a0 Expand the loan repayment program for teachers.\u00a0 And, let\u2019s offer dozens of scholarships each year to our brightest college students \u2013 $15,000 apiece \u2013 if they enter a college of education in their junior year and commit to teaching in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

To better support our teachers, we should provide our most effective with additional pay, provide debit cards to help teachers cover the cost of classroom school supplies, and expand our new teacher mentoring program to give teachers who struggle help from their peers.<\/p>\n

Third, students should never be trapped in failing schools, and because we have a meaningful school grading system, we know where those schools are.\u00a0 The teacher mentorship program I just mentioned is modeled after a similar principal mentoring effort called \u201cPrincipals Pursuing Excellence.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s helping turn around struggling schools.\u00a0 In fact, after just one year, 53 percent of schools with participating principals saw their school grade increase by at least one letter grade.\u00a0 The next year, 60 percent saw grades improve in their first year.<\/p>\n

Associate Superintendent Arsenio Romero of Roswell and Principal Robyn Cook of Cloudcroft are here today.\u00a0 This mentorship program \u2013 an educator helping an educator \u2013 has helped Cloudcroft Middle School quickly improve its school grade from a C to an A. What a difference that makes for students.\u00a0 When we choose to reform, and commit to reform, we see results. Thank you, Arsenio and Robyn.<\/p>\n

Principals need additional tools, like the ability to use adjunct teachers in our classrooms. Why not make it easier for a retired scientist from Sandia to teach math at a high school?\u00a0 And we must also continue offering stipends to teachers who agree to teach difficult subjects \u2013 like math, science, or special education \u2013 in areas where recruiting these teachers is so challenging.<\/p>\n

Fourth, we must increase parental involvement, by making it easier for parents to be engaged in their child\u2019s education.\u00a0 In state government, we are now granting leave so employees can attend parent-teacher conferences, and I hope local governments and the private sector follow suit.<\/p>\n

And finally, we need to graduate more of our kids from high school, ready for the workforce or college.<\/p>\n

Truancy is a key impediment to this.\u00a0 But now, we have an early warning dropout prevention system that identifies at-risk students.\u00a0 That lets us put more social workers in middle schools to help these kids, and dropout prevention coaches in high schools.\u00a0 But we need to get their attention, with consequences they care about.\u00a0 If a kid stops going to school, they shouldn\u2019t get a license to drive a car.<\/p>\n

Contrary to what the status quo might say, improving education isn\u2019t about money alone. We\u2019re spending more on education than ever before, and we\u2019ve also reduced time spent on state-mandated testing \u2013 and it will go down further this year.<\/p>\n

What matters is whether our kids are learning.\u00a0 We have to measure success, and if they\u2019re struggling, we need to get them help early. What could possibly be more important?\u00a0 If they can learn in school, opportunities will follow in life.<\/p>\n

Reading skills are formed early on. As a result, if children are passed along in early grades when they cannot read, the likelihood of them being able to learn in later grades plummets.\u00a0 And people wonder why a large number of students in New Mexico don\u2019t graduate?<\/p>\n

If we accept failure early \u2013 if we implicitly tell a child they can\u2019t learn \u2013 why would we expect otherwise?\u00a0 And why would we allow ourselves to be shocked if these discouraged, frustrated students chose to drop out, or turn to crime?\u00a0 It\u2019s not an excuse by any means, but they weren\u2019t required to have the most important tool in life \u2013 the ability to read.<\/p>\n

This is reality.\u00a0 Some want to ignore it, sacrificing the future opportunities of these kids, pretending that we\u2019re building their self-esteem.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s be honest. It does nothing to help them feel better when they\u2019re called on to read in front of class, when they take the SAT and can\u2019t read the questions, or when they can\u2019t fill out a job application.\u00a0 What do you think their self-esteem is like then?<\/p>\n

This is one of those moments: confront reality or punt.\u00a0\u00a0 We must end the practice of passing our students from grade to grade when they cannot read.<\/p>\n

Simply opposing this education agenda is not, in and of itself, an agenda.\u00a0 Saying we should stop grading schools, stop evaluating teachers, stop raising standards at colleges of education, and stop targeting education dollars on reading coaches and school turnaround efforts… that\u2019s not an agenda. It\u2019s an endorsement of the status quo, and it props up mediocrity.<\/p>\n

If our children aren\u2019t learning, we are compelled to change, to be better, and to set a higher bar.\u00a0 Why? So that our kids can succeed in life.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s also our responsibility to ensure there are jobs for our kids when they graduate \u2013 because we want them to work in New Mexico and raise their families here. This means attracting new jobs and businesses from elsewhere, while creating conditions that encourage New Mexico companies to expand.<\/p>\n

We must never be so arrogant or na\u00efve to forget that businesses can locate anywhere in the world.\u00a0 Whether we like it or not, whether it makes us comfortable or not, we are in a high-stakes daily competition with other states and other countries.\u00a0 It\u2019s our job to make New Mexico more welcoming, more predictable for job creators, and we\u2019ve come a long way in doing so \u2013 largely by focusing on the fundamentals to better compete.<\/p>\n

Working together, we have put state government on firm fiscal ground, balancing our budget each year without raising taxes.\u00a0 We\u2019ve restrained government growth and built up a strong savings account.<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t been easy. We had to overcome the largest structural deficit in state history, federal budget cuts, a federal government shutdown, and the steepest oil and gas price crash in decades.\u00a0 Energy prices continue to pose very real and concerning challenges.<\/p>\n

But our bipartisan work has sent a loud message to any business owner looking at New Mexico that we will not bail out government on the backs of hard-working families and job creators.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also changed our regulatory attitude, said it\u2019s possible to grow our economy and protect our environment and public health.\u00a0 We have assessed and collected more in fines against polluters than any other administration in state history.<\/p>\n

At the same time, we are increasing predictability and encouraging commerce. Drilling permits are issued\u00a0in eight days\u00a0or less, nurses who come to New Mexico are licensed\u00a0in five days\u00a0or less. We extended the overweight cargo zone at our border so that trucks can make fewer trips, and we now have independent hearing officers outside of the tax department to handle tax disputes, so people can be confident they are getting a fair shake.<\/p>\n

With respect to building a stronger workforce, we are making important changes in higher education, in order to graduate more students \u2013 on time \u2013 in the workforce areas our economy needs. A 14 percent four-year graduation rate is unacceptable.\u00a0 So is a 47 percent six-year graduation rate, especially when the national average is 69 percent.<\/p>\n

As experts have told us, our kids are taking too much time, taking too many credits, spending too much money, and ultimately not graduating.\u00a0 Consequently, entry into the workforce is delayed, student debt is high, and we have too few college graduates.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why universities are adopting tuition incentives for any student who graduates\u00a0in four years\u00a0and working to limit all degree programs to 120 credit hours; after all, if we expect students to graduate\u00a0in four years, it has to be possible to do so.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re improving how credits transfer among institutions, providing better counseling, and changing how majors are selected \u2013 so that students waste less money and time on unnecessary credits.<\/p>\n

Where these reforms have been adopted, we find incredible success \u2013 a 17-point jump in the four-year graduation rate at Florida State University, and a 20-point jump at Georgia State.<\/p>\n

And as we graduate students more quickly, we have to ensure we are producing the degrees our businesses need, so we don\u2019t end up exporting our college graduates or having to import workers from elsewhere.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m calling on the Legislature to support the \u201cStudents Work\u201d internship portal, which would allow any New Mexico business to post internships online through a shared website that our colleges and universities would use to connect students to these positions.\u00a0 So that our students learn how to be good employees and explore career paths, and so they stay right here, in New Mexico, when they graduate.<\/p>\n

Together, we\u2019ve also worked to develop key sectors of New Mexico\u2019s economy, like tourism, which benefits every corner of our state.\u00a0 Our New Mexico True advertising campaign is achieving tremendous results; we\u2019re seeing record numbers of visitors and increased tourism spending.<\/p>\n

Or our high-tech sector, where we\u2019ve passed legislation to encourage research and development of cutting-edge products, and expanded access to capital that so many start-ups need.<\/p>\n

For example, just last week we launched a new effort to deploy up to $40 million in new early-stage investment capital in partnership with the State Investment Council to help New Mexico companies get off the ground and grow.<\/p>\n

We put forth the State\u2019s first energy plan since 1991, calling for the increased development of every kind of energy we can produce in New Mexico. And, we continue to make New Mexico a key corridor for international trade by building up our port at Santa Teresa and maintaining our place as a growing leader in exports and export-related jobs.<\/p>\n

Take all of this together: a stable state budget; workforce development reforms; a welcoming regulatory attitude; and the development of key economic sectors\u2026 We\u2019re making great progress in these areas, while also fundamentally changing our tax and incentive environment.<\/p>\n

Five years ago, we had a poorly managed closing fund to recruit new companies, with hardly any money in it.\u00a0 We now require clawbacks to protect this money, and have increased the size of our closing fund to $50 million.<\/p>\n

Our job training program helps businesses large and small, urban and rural, expand and hire new workers.\u00a0 We\u2019ve increased funding for this program and expanded the types of businesses that can access it.<\/p>\n

We cut our business tax rate by 22 percent, and made it easier for exporting manufacturers to produce their goods in our state. We curbed the double and triple taxation of goods and services in construction and manufacturing. Our tax rate on manufacturing has been cut by 60 percent \u2013 to the lowest in the region!<\/p>\n

And our taxpayer friendliness score has soared from a \u201cD\u201d to a \u201cB\u201d \u2013 and we\u2019re nearing an \u201cA.\u201d<\/p>\n

My friends, the fundamentals are changing. Companies are taking note.\u00a0 Our recruitment pipeline is filling up as these reforms begin to take hold.\u00a0 New Mexico makes the final cut for larger and more projects than ever before.<\/p>\n

Take a company like Skorpios, a tech firm that is using photonics to revolutionize the way information is communicated and stored.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t have to choose to manufacture their technology in New Mexico, to hire 300 workers over the next five years into good, well-paying jobs.\u00a0 We had to compete for that; it\u2019s just a reality.\u00a0 In fact, Skorpios\u2019 founder, Stephen Krasulick, said we beat out Pennsylvania and Texas.<\/p>\n

Stephen, we couldn\u2019t be happier that you chose New Mexico.\u00a0 We pray that your company will be a success and make a greater impact on the world than you could ever imagine.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s RiskSense, which has also committed to growing in New Mexico.\u00a0 They are on the cutting edge of cybersecurity services, a global problem.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t have to choose New Mexico either. But thanks to the work we\u2019ve done to improve our tax and incentive climate, both of these companies are here to stay.\u00a0 Srinivas Mukkamala, RiskSense CEO, and Mark Fidel, RiskSense President, are with us today. \u00a0Thank you for putting your faith in our state.<\/p>\n

Of course, there\u2019s always more we can and should do \u2013 like maintaining our $50 million closing fund, or adopting tax reforms to encourage small business growth and attract veterans who want to open new companies or build second careers.<\/p>\n

We should also create a rapid workforce development fund, which would help us close recruitment deals that require a significant number of highly specialized trained workers, invest in MainStreet projects and encourage new development in key economic corridors of our cities and towns.<\/p>\n

And finally, we should end the practice of requiring New Mexicans to join a union or give money to one just to have a job.<\/p>\n

These are all important, and they can help us maintain the momentum we\u2019ve established as we fight for jobs and new investment.\u00a0 We shouldn\u2019t fear competition with other states. We should embrace it. I\u2019m committed to winning that fight, and I hope you will stand with me to help create more New Mexico jobs.<\/p>\n

Though this is a short session, there are other important realities we face, other vital problems we should choose to address and not avoid. We need to fix the way we spend infrastructure money, because the way projects are funded now leads to unmet regional and state needs, and a string of projects that haven\u2019t been vetted and can\u2019t be completed.<\/p>\n

We should improve campaign finance reporting processes, close the revolving door between legislators and lobbyists, and require the disclosure of capital outlay allocations and any private clients served by public officials in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

And, the Legislature should finally listen to the people of New Mexico: Let\u2019s end the dangerous practice of giving driver\u2019s licenses to illegal immigrants from all over the world.<\/p>\n

New Mexicans have been concerned about this issue for years, long before contractors and workers faced extra hurdles trying to get into our federal facilities.\u00a0 New Mexico has been a target for human traffickers and smugglers seeking to take advantage of our laws.\u00a0 And now, the federal government has confirmed its plan to stop accepting New Mexico driver\u2019s licenses to board airplanes.<\/p>\n

These are realities. Our license is not secure, and New Mexicans have repeatedly demanded a change to this law.<\/p>\n

Some have advocated just kicking the can down the road; that\u2019s getting much harder to do. Others want to continue giving preferential treatment to illegal immigrants at the expense of U.S. citizens. That\u2019s not common sense, it\u2019s not acceptable, and it ignores the will of the people who elected us.<\/p>\n

Our compromise is the same as surrounding states, it stops giving licenses to illegal immigrants from around the world, and it ensures our ID is secure.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve talked about it year after year. The discussion has been had.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to solve this problem and vote.<\/p>\n

Before I close, I\u2019d like to recognize a few extraordinary New Mexicans who embody what it means to serve and sacrifice for one another.<\/p>\n

Just a few weeks ago, we endured a massive statewide snowstorm, with snowdrifts that reached twelve feet high, shutting down movement throughout much of New Mexico.\u00a0 It was dangerous, and conditions were life-threatening.<\/p>\n

Ty Gonser and Bill Kshir live and work in Clovis.\u00a0 Ty grew up being taught that when snowdrifts cover large objects, the drift can turn a bluer color.\u00a0 Imagine white snow as far as the eye can see, no movement, no sound, and just happening to notice what looks like slightly darker snow and wondering if something \u2013 or someone \u2013 might be underneath.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Ty did\u2026 He and Bill used heavy equipment to attack their hunch, and a twelve foot snow drift, to uncover a car that had a couple in it who had been trapped for 20 hours.\u00a0 Ty says, \u201cWe saw their faces after we pushed the snow away and it\u2019s something I\u2019ll never forget.\u201d\u00a0 Ty and Bill, I promise \u2013 they won\u2019t forget how they felt when they saw your faces either.<\/p>\n

Helping one another, that\u2019s what New Mexico is about.\u00a0 Thank you for your instincts, courage, and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

And State Police Sergeant Jason Knapp\u2026 He rescued Francene Hoffman, a grandmother and college tutor whose car ran off the road and was trapped in the snow.\u00a0 She was exhausted, had been traveling from Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Francene called AAA, but they told her it would be hours before they would be able to help.\u00a0 She was hungry and scared.\u00a0 You can imagine her sense of relief when Sergeant Knapp arrived.\u00a0 He spent a long time with Francene, even enlisting the help of volunteers as he personally drove her vehicle back to a safe place.\u00a0 Francene said that it was only by \u201cGod\u2019s grace\u201d and Sergeant Knapp\u2019s \u201cgracious strength and encouragement\u201d that she made it.<\/p>\n

Sergeant Knapp \u2013 you volunteered to be a police officer, and part of that job is running toward the situations none of us want to be a part of.\u00a0 Thank you for the kindness and help you provided to Francene.\u00a0 Well done.<\/p>\n

These individuals exemplify the fighting spirit in our state, and the desire to help people overcome and succeed.\u00a0 I think of the thousands of New Mexicans who have attended vigils this year, in mourning, following senseless tragedies, and those who have given of their time or money to help kids learn, to help victims make their way through suffering, or to otherwise help those in need.<\/p>\n

We see the challenges around us. \u00a0Our neighborhoods, our families, our communities \u2013 we want to solve the problems and realities that face us.<\/p>\n

I believe we are capable of pulling together to prevent horrific loss at the hands of heinous criminals.<\/p>\n

We are capable of pulling together to ensure that every child gets a quality education, and none are left without opportunities and hope.<\/p>\n

We are capable of pulling together to compete for jobs and new investment in every corner of our diverse state.<\/p>\n

Because we have to do these things, or the brighter\u00a0tomorrow\u00a0we all want for our kids is at risk of growing dimmer instead.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m confident we can confront and overcome these realities, together, if we choose not to put them off a moment more.\u00a0 New Mexico\u2019s future depends on it, and depends on us.<\/p>\n

Thank you very much, God bless you all, and God bless New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Martinez<\/a>, a Republican, is New Mexico’s governor.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s the governor’s 2016 State of the State Address, as prepared for delivery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192,16],"tags":[3250,107],"class_list":["post-118542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-guest-columns","tag-2016-legislative-session","tag-roundhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}