{"id":25136,"date":"2011-01-18T11:30:43","date_gmt":"2011-01-18T18:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=25136"},"modified":"2011-01-18T14:04:20","modified_gmt":"2011-01-18T21:04:20","slug":"excerpts-from-martinez%e2%80%99s-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2011\/01\/excerpts-from-martinez%e2%80%99s-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"Full text of Martinez\u2019s speech"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Martinez speaking to the Legislature today. (Courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

Here\u2019s the full text of Gov. Susana Martinez\u2019s<\/a> state of the state address, as prepared for delivery:<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Governor; Senate President Pro Tem; Mr. Speaker; Democratic and Republican leaders; esteemed members of the New Mexico legislature; honorable members of the judiciary; former governors; distinguished guests; the state\u2019s first gentleman, my husband, Chuck Franco; my fellow New Mexicans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for the high honor of addressing you this afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my privilege to stand before you as New Mexico \u2019s 27th\u00a0Governor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to begin by taking a moment of silence to remember our neighbors in Tucson , Arizona who were the victims of a brutal and heinous act of violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe grieve for those whose lives were cut short.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we pray for those who have lost loved ones and are recovering from their injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we begin to write a new chapter in New Mexico \u2019s history.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy working together, we will take our state in a new direction: embracing bold change over the status quo, choosing progress over complacency and putting aside partisan differences to achieve lasting results for New Mexico families.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I said during the campaign, the challenges that confront us cannot be overcome by simply replacing one party with another.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can only be overcome when Republicans and Democrats \u2013 the Governor and the Legislature \u2013 come together to put New Mexico first.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am committed to doing just that; and I ask you to join me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easier to take the reins when times are good.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen revenues are high and jobs are plentiful.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, that\u2019s not the hand we are dealt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe face a tough road ahead, one which demands shared sacrifice.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that tough road can turn into a path to prosperity if we have the courage to take decisive action.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I said in my inaugural address, these challenges shouldn\u2019t scare us.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should inspire us to step forward and prove equal to the task.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what New Mexicans have done in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is what we will do now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why during these difficult times, we must be grateful for this opportunity to lead because it has been given to us at a time of great consequence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when it matters most.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd with that, we must turn to the issue that supersedes all others when it comes to the state of the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we must not sugarcoat it: New Mexico is in a state of financial crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe face an historic budget deficit that will require candor to address and courage to resolve.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo more shell games.\u00a0 No more rosy projections.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must tell New Mexicans the truth: our financial house is a mess and it\u2019s time we clean it up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe day I was elected Governor, the state\u2019s budget deficit was estimated at just over 200 million dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cA week later, it doubled and grew to almost half a billion dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, New Mexico \u2019s serious budget problems have been papered over with unrealistic projections and temporary infusions of Federal stimulus dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis allowed politicians to shirk responsibility and avoid tough decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I am here to tell the people of New Mexico that the days of kicking the can down the road are over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have all been elected to take action.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may not be responsible for creating this financial crisis but we are all responsible for solving it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring difficult economic times, balancing the budget is not easy, but how we choose to go about the task is critical because our budget blueprint is a statement about our values.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why my budget protects core priorities like classroom spending in education and healthcare for those most in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy making cuts elsewhere, my budget only requires the education bureaucracy to trim 1.5 percent from the administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly 1.5 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you\u2019ve heard some special interest groups say this can\u2019t be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey claim there is no waste in the bureaucracy.\u00a0 Not even 1.5 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t buy it and neither do the people of New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Mexicans are not fooled when bureaucrats, whose salaries are many times that of the average teacher, claim the only place to cut is from the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not fooled when a school district spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on PR staff and then claims it has nowhere to cut but the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr when school districts waste education dollars hiring lobbyists but then claim that the budget must be balanced by cutting teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is, the waste is there and it must be eliminated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to protect classroom spending in education and basic health care for those most in need we must find savings elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I propose reducing the state\u2019s film subsidy from 25 percent to 15 percent, which is where it first started.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been incorrectly referred to as a tax credit.\u00a0 It has nothing to do with taxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way it works is when a film is made in the state, New Mexico taxpayers cover 25 percent of the costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a simple and straight-forward subsidy \u2013 25 cents on the dollar.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s been taken advantage of \u2026 One film company spent $100,000 chartering an actor\u2019s private jet and New Mexico taxpayers paid $25,000 of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a responsibility to see how each and every tax dollar is being spent \u2026 How many jobs are being created and whether we\u2019re getting a good bang for our buck.<\/p>\n

\u201cEight states have reduced, suspended or completely eliminated their film subsidies.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudies found them too expensive for the few jobs they created.<\/p>\n

\u201cI support the film industry and support maintaining the incentive at 15 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut in these tough times, when New Mexicans are facing an historic budget deficit, I cannot support subsidizing the expense of Hollywood by cutting programs like child care services for working moms.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo protect priorities, we must do away with the waste and excess that has defined the past and whose absence will improve our future.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I began by reducing the governor\u2019s budget.\u00a0 I cut overall salaries within my cabinet by 10 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will reduce the number of political appointees in state government by at least 20 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have invited New Mexicans to share their ideas for cutting waste by emailing me at\u00a0CutWasteTips@state.nm.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so far, over 750 New Mexicans have done just that.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of those who emailed suggested cutting unnecessary state vehicles.\u00a0 I agree.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I ordered a one-year moratorium on all new state car purchases, except for law enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must all do our part.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when New Mexicans are struggling to make ends meet their Governor should not be leading a life of privilege.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I cut costs at the Governor\u2019s residence by 55 percent \u2013 permanently eliminating the positions of two personal chefs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first gentleman will just have to help out with the cooking.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we will get rid of that ultimate symbol of waste and excess, we will sell the state\u2019s luxury jet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must remember that the long-term solution to our budget woes is economic growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe increase revenue by helping small businesses create new jobs \u2013 not by government creating new taxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me speak plainly: New Mexicans are not under-taxed.\u00a0 The government has simply over-spent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI applaud the Legislative Finance Committee for putting forth a budget proposal that doesn\u2019t include tax increases and doesn\u2019t try to raid the permanent fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, some are still pushing tax hikes:<\/p>\n

\u201cDoubling the tax when you buy a car.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaxing job creators.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven taxing the Internet.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo make them sound better, some call them \u2018revenue enhancements.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can be called many things but they will all be vetoed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are difficult economic times.\u00a0 Families are hurting, many are out of work.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany more are only one paycheck away from losing their car or their home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe it to them to make the necessary changes to turn our economy around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve long said that government doesn\u2019t create jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernment creates the environment where small businesses can create those jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must recognize that in a global economy, businesses will choose to locate and expand in areas that encourage \u2013 not impede \u2013 job growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a company is deciding whether it will operate in Albuquerque or Denver\u2026 in Roswell or Midland\u2026 in Farmington or Laramie, the deciding factor often comes down to the state\u2019s tax structure and regulatory policies.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, we\u2019ve seen jobs leave New Mexico because neighboring states are more business-friendly and it\u2019s not just our jobs we\u2019re losing to neighboring states.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo many of our sons and daughters are forced to move out of New Mexico in pursuit of those jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf our state is going to compete, if we\u2019re going to ensure our children can find a good-paying job close to home when they graduate, then New Mexico must become more business-friendly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLess than two weeks ago, I announced that Union Pacific Railroad will move its hub from El Paso , Texas to Santa Teresa , New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 3,000 jobs will be created for the construction with 600 permanent jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo close the deal, we must put New Mexico on even footing with Texas and eliminate the tax on locomotive fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we must do much more than provide targeted tax credits to certain industries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the \u201cbe all and end all\u201d of economic development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must set the stage to make wholesale changes to our tax structure and become more competitive with our neighbors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how we\u2019ll help all small businesses grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that government\u2019s role is to provide a hand-up, not a hand-out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people are out of work, we must provide a safety net for the unemployed worker to ensure people can continue to feed their families and meet the needs of their children.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we must do more than just hand out unemployment checks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must also help people get back to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I propose encouraging small businesses to hire unemployed workers by covering part of their salaries for the first six months through the unemployment fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will help the state by getting people off the unemployment rolls; it will help small businesses by making it easier for them to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it will help families by getting more New Mexicans back to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we must refocus our mission outward \u2013 on helping small businesses grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ll cut wasteful programs that do little for job creation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd redirect resources to open an Office of Business Advocacy within the Economic Development Department.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do more, with less.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch like caseworkers in a Congressional office, this office will help small businesses break through regulatory roadblocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a small business needs help with a permit or license, this office will help.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a company is looking to locate in New Mexico and needs research, this office will help.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big corporations have teams of lawyers and accountants to help them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the small businesses \u2013 the mom and pop shops \u2013 the small start-ups that get lost in the layers of red tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will help them and in doing so, send a loud and clear message that New Mexico is open for business.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the greatest and costliest challenges small businesses face is the fact that each agency creates its own maze of red tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a small business needs to get a permit from one state agency, they must abide by one process.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when that same small business needs a permit from another state agency, the process is completely different and they have to jump through a whole new set of hoops.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I propose standardizing these administrative practices by passing the Red Tape Reduction Act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will help small businesses understand regulatory guidelines and make complying with them less expensive, less time-consuming and less complicated.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime is money.\u00a0 And the more money a small business saves, the more employees they can hire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why the very first executive order I signed created a small business task force to review regulations over the next 90 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will maintain common-sense protections for consumers, workers and our environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cRational regulations will remain, but irrational red tape will be cut.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be clear, regulations such as Pit Rule 17 and Cap-and-Tax do not move us toward a cleaner environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, they move jobs to the other side of the state line.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Mexico\u00a0is a beautiful state and protecting the environment and developing our natural resources are not mutually exclusive goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can achieve both and we must achieve both.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that requires basing environmental regulations on sound science \u2013 not on political ideology.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut turning our economy around involves more than just tax reforms and cutting red tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to attract and retain the jobs of tomorrow, we must make education reform a priority today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to educating our children, we can no longer throw more and more money at the same system and expect different results.<\/p>\n

\u201cA recent report by\u00a0Education Week\u00a0gave the system a failing grade \u2013 that\u2019s an \u201cF\u201d \u2013 on student achievement.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless we take decisive action to improve our schools, history will judge us harshly and rightfully so.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo reverse years of decline, we must place a command-focus on student performance and progress not just on how much money we\u2019re spending.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo many are afraid to focus on student achievement, so we shuttle too many kids to the next grade, even if they haven\u2019t learned the basics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat implicitly tells little boys and girls that it\u2019s okay that they don\u2019t achieve.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fellow New Mexicans, telling children, regardless of how subtle, that they are not capable of achieving is morally wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must end the culture of low expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop accepting failure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis session, I propose a comprehensive reform package that will transform our schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur \u2018Kids First, New Mexico Wins\u2019 plan is comprised of four key initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we will get money out of the bureaucracy and into the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, only 61 cents of every education dollar makes it to the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cWasting money on lawyers in the Public Education Department in Santa Fe does nothing to help a child read in a Farmington classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy cutting waste and inefficiency in the bureaucracy, we will increase the percentage of funds that reach the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo our kids will benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond, we will adopt an easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement system of grading.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchools will be assigned letter grades A, B, C, D or F.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd these grades will be posted to the Web.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s real accountability that will yield real results.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreater accountability will ensure we identify struggling students in all grades.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd focus attention on the lowest-performing 25 percent of students.\u00a0 We will get them help immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as we\u2019ll target struggling students with immediate help, so too will we target failing schools with immediate intervention.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, it takes approximately five years to identify and intervene in a failing school.<\/p>\n

\u201cFive years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t wait that long to help these kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why they lose hope, that\u2019s why they drop out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThird, we will end social promotion, the practice of passing children from one grade to the next before they have mastered the basics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe New Mexico \u2018Ready for Success\u2019 initiative will get struggling students the help they need before we pass them on to the next grade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t doing our kids any favors by thrusting students who aren\u2019t ready to advance into an environment where we know they have little to no chance for success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose kids fall further and further behind, they start seeing their dreams slipping out of reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey get frustrated and disappointed and many eventually give up.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut by identifying a student\u2019s challenges in the early grades, we can give them the help they need and lay a strong foundation as they move to the next grade.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, we will reward New Mexico \u2019s best teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important people in the lives of our students are parents and teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quality of our teachers is the key to improving our quality of education.<\/p>\n

\u201cA system that evaluates and rewards excellence will attract the best and brightest to New Mexico classrooms.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I stated just days ago, \u2018Nothing we do is more indispensable to our future well-being or will receive more attention from my administration than guaranteeing our children a quality education.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as I view educating our children as a core function of government, I also believe providing public safety is one of our central responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 24 years, I dedicated my life to being a voice for those who couldn\u2019t speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI specialized in prosecuting child abuse and child homicide cases.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I saw first-hand how criminals who got off light, later ended up committing unspeakable acts of violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I oppose balancing the budget by opening the prison gates and letting felons out of prison early.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must always strive toward making our state a safer place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why today, I am calling for the expansion of Katie\u2019s Law.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs many of you know, Katie\u2019s Law is named after Katie Sepich, a New Mexico State University student who was brutally attacked, raped and murdered in 2003.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally prosecuted that case and convicted the killer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only reason that killer was caught was because of a DNA match years later.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we worked so hard to pass Katie\u2019s Law in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe champions for that cause are the parents of Katie, Dave and Jayann Sepich, and they are with us here today.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir efforts led to the passage of Katie\u2019s Law in New Mexico and similar laws across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, Katie\u2019s Law requires criminals arrested for certain felonies to submit to DNA testing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a great achievement, but more is needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis session I call on the legislature to build on the success of Katie\u2019s Law by expanding it to require all those arrested for a felony to submit to DNA testing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll solve more cases, take more criminals off the streets and provide more justice for those who can no longer speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are other areas in crime where we can enact tougher reforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must target repeat drunk drivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like every time we pick up the paper we read of another repeat drunk driver who has racked up yet another DWI.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we ask, \u2018What is he still doing behind the wheel?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cOne reason is that our laws for repeat drunk drivers are not strong enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should seize vehicles of repeat drunk drivers and increase mandatory prison time.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get them off the streets and away from our families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should also send the message that some crimes deserve the ultimate punishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a monster rapes and murders a child or a criminal kills a police officer, the death penalty should be an option for the jury.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I am calling on the legislature to repeal the repeal and reinstate the death penalty.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd as we strive to make these bold changes and enact reforms, as we ask New Mexicans to trust us, we must set an example with honesty and integrity.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, public confidence in state government has eroded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn recent years, too many have violated the public trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoliticians have treated taxpayer money as their own and rewarded cronies.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecisions have been made to benefit the powerful and the connected, while New Mexico families pay the price.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is our shared responsibility to restore confidence and faith in elected office.<\/p>\n

\u201cI promised in my inaugural address that members of my administration would serve no interest other than that of the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I propose prohibiting members of my administration and the legislature from lobbying for two years after leaving state government.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere must be no question that public officials are serving only the interests of the public, not positioning themselves for a big payday with a special interest group.<\/p>\n

\u201cI signed an executive order prohibiting state agencies from hiring lobbyists.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepresenting the people of the state is the role of elected and appointed officials \u2013 not lobbyists.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing further, I propose tougher punishments against public officials who break the law.<\/p>\n

\u201cCorruption is a crime, not an ethical dilemma.\u00a0 Those guilty of corruption are criminals and they should be treated as such.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we must institute criminal penalties for public officials who know about, but fail to report, pay-to-play activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic officials don\u2019t have the luxury of turning a blind eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond, when public officials are found guilty of corruption they should be immediately removed from office, receive mandatory prison time and be forced to surrender their pension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThird, it is imperative that we formally adopt legislation that prohibits the State Investment Council, or any state investment agency, from paying finder\u2019s fees to those who help direct state investments.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Finder\u2019s fees\u2019 can easily become nothing more than kickbacks \u2013 pay-to-play with the pensions of our teachers and police officers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be banned and we must get their money back.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd fourth, it is time to establish a Public Corruption Unit in the Department of Public Safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will investigate allegations of public corruption and help bring to justice those who violate the public\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must also operate state government in an open and transparent manner.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor that reason,\u00a0I signed an executive order prohibiting state agencies from frivolously using executive privilege to block open records requests.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public has a right to know exactly what their government is doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition to fighting corruption and increasing transparency, another way to earn back the trust of New Mexicans is to start applying common sense in the laws we pass and the policies we pursue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means when people have to show a photo ID to rent a movie, it\u2019s not too much to ask to show a photo ID to vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if we\u2019re going to tell New Mexicans we\u2019re serious about securing the border, we must stop giving driver\u2019s licenses to illegal immigrants.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fellow New Mexicans, we face many challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cTimes are tough.\u00a0 But while the challenges are daunting, the opportunities are real.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to put aside our partisan differences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to put our financial house in order.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to truly reform education by putting students first.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to create a business-friendly state where small businesses flourish and children no longer have to leave New Mexico to find a good job.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we must not be intimidated by the challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, we must have the courage to confront them and the wisdom to seize the opportunities they present.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I said during the campaign, it\u2019s our state and working together, we will take it back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u00a0 God Bless. \u00a0And let\u2019s get to work.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s the full text of Gov. Susana Martinez\u2019s state of the state address, as prepared for delivery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[107],"class_list":["post-25136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","category-uncategorized","tag-roundhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25136","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=25136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25136\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}