2022 Legislative Updates

February 13-17

In total, there were 641 pieces of legislation filed. Of those, about 104 were directly related to public schools and only 15 passed both chambers. Some of these bills will have a direct impact on the current educator shortage crisis and hopefully increase the number of highly qualified teachers in an estimated 1000 classrooms currently with none. It’s a solid start but we need to do more for our public schools and students.

February 4-12

With 5 days remaining before the 30-day session comes to an end, we have tracked 24 education related bills and 3 House Memorials this past week alone. Representatives voted on 18 education related bills and 3 House Memorials while the Senate took-up 6 bills.

January 31 - February 4

In an incredible organizing effort that spans months in the making, our members have delivered over 1,400 letters to legislators and over 3,000 public education advocates have signed our joint NEA-NM/AFT online petition in favor of our “Respect NM Educators” campaign. It is an extraordinary show of Union strength and educator voice. We asked you to speak out and you delivered!

January 24-28

A clarion call to strengthen New Mexico’s Public Schools rang loudly at the Roundhouse this past Sunday, January 23rd, as over 500 NEA-NM members and public education advocates came together to Rally at the Roundhouse in favor of our public schools. NEA President Becky Pringle and NEA-NM President Mary Parr-Sanchez’ messages for collective action and demands for respect were amplified by hundreds of pieces of creative and evocative art in the form of picket signs, posters and banners inspired by a team of NEA-Santa Fe members in conjunction with nationally recognized artists. 

NEA President Pringle delivered a passionate speech. She said, “The historic threat of the ongoing pandemic is layered onto a society and a political system that is utterly divided. And yet, here in the land of enchantment, I see hope – hope that New Mexico can come together behind a vision that recognizes the potential of our children to be the light that will lead us forward through these dark and challenging times.” 

NEA-NM President Parr-Sánchez echoed the righteous indignation heard across the state by educators. Amid a punishing educator shortage crisis totaling over 1,727 educator vacancies, she told those present, “This moment is a crossroads for our states’ decision makers. We have the potential to harness the unprecedented resources available to our state and invest them in our future – in our students. Right now, tens of thousands of New Mexico students don’t have access to a trained educator. We must respect, recruit, and retain educators in our state by closing the salary gap between educators and other professions, fixing the inequitable levels of healthcare coverage, and providing a livable wage to our lowest paid education employees.”

January 18-21

Amid another surge of COVID cases across the state and a shortage crisis of more than 1,700 educators, New Mexico opened “The Second Session of the 55th Legislature.” This time, the new Omicron variant limited both chamber committee hearings to a virtual setting while keeping Floor meetings to in-person and most certainly, placing public schools back in the spotlight.

In her State of the State Address, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called to inject a recurring $600 million into public education programs ranging from early childhood education to tuition-free college. She called for a minimum 7% pay raise for educators saying, “They deserve it, and we can afford it, and it’s the right thing to do”.

Mirroring the Governor’s budget proposal, the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) calls for a pay raise for all school staff and raising the tier minimums. In addition, the LFC’s budget proposal includes $180 million in non-recurring funds to help address insufficiencies in public education identified in the 2018 Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit.

After all voting is done and the 30-day session adjourns Sine Die, funding for public schools could possibly reach an unprecedented $3.8 billion for FY 23. 

NEA-NM once again, tirelessly, continues to advocate for our public schools and students. This legislative update is part of those advocating and organizing efforts. It’s a response and continuation of our work as a Union to keep educators informed about what is developing at the Roundhouse. It is our goal to provide members with information about education bills in order for our members to develop a critical understanding of what proposed legislation means for our students and public schools.

It is also an opportunity to support or defeat bills. In essence, this update is a tool and Call to Action to coordinate our collective voice in favor of our public schools. We do this because for 134 years NEA-NM has sought to promote and advance the education profession, protect the rights and interests of our members, and secure an adequately funded and equitable public education system for all students.