A Results-Oriented Think Tank Serving New Mexicans YEARS OF RESULTS FOR NEW MEXICANS 2018–2019 ANNUAL REPORT About the Cover The cover features images from Think New Mexico’s first two decades, including the photograph “Summer Storm Over the Painted Kiva” by Alex Candelaria Sedillo, which inspired our logo; details of the painting Design: “Seasons of the Acequia” by Jim Vogel, featured on the cover of our Kristina G. Fisher 2003 policy report on the Strategic Water Reserve; the cover art by Jeff Drew for our 2011 report, “Rethinking the PRC”; the image from our Design Consultant: 2001 report on abolishing the food tax; a photograph of a full-day Arlyn Nathan kindergarten student by Dorie Hagler; and photographs of Leadership Interns and supporters including Fire Captain Cynthia Main, John Production Manager: Espinoza, Stuart Bluestone, Senator Tom Udall, former Attorney General Susan Martin Paul Bardacke, former Judge Tim Garcia, Annie Dear, Sandy Brickner, Liz Cerny-Chipman, Joseph Chipman, Charlene Cerny, M. Carlota Baca, Pre-Press: Neel Roy, Julisa Rodriguez, Mitchel Latimer, EmmaLia Mariner, and Elena Peter Ellzey Purcell. Logo Design: About Think New Mexico Miriam Hill Think New Mexico is a results-oriented think tank whose mission is to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans, especially those who lack 20th Anniversary a strong voice in the political process. We fulfill this mission by educat- Banner Design: ing the public, the media, and policymakers about some of the most Joshua Gonzales serious challenges facing New Mexico and by developing and advocating for ef fective, comprehensive, sustainable solutions to overcome those The paper used to print this challenges. report has been certified as sustainably sourced. Our approach is to perform and publish sound, nonpartisan, independent research. Unlike many think tanks, Think New Mexico doesnotsubscribe to any particular ideology. Instead, because New Mexico is at or near the bottom of so many national rankings, our focus is on promoting work- able solutions. A Results-Oriented Think Tank Serving New Mexicans 1227 Paseo de Peralta Copyright © 2019 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 by Think New Mexico Think ® and Telephone 505 992.1315 Think New Mexico ® Fax 505 992.1314 are registered marks Email [email protected] with the U.S. Patent Web www.thinknewmexico.org and Trademark Office. Think New Mexico’s Results As a results-oriented think tank serving New Mexicans, Think New Mexico measures its suc cessbased on changes in law or policy we help to achieve and that improve the quality of life in New Mexico. Our results include: · Making full-day kindergarten accessible to every child in New Mexico · Repealing the state’s regressive tax on food and successfully defeating efforts to reimpose it · Developing a Strategic Water Reserve to protect and restore New Mexico’s rivers · Establishing New Mexico’s first state-supported Individual De - velopment Accounts to alleviate the state’s persistent poverty · Redirecting millions of dollars a year out of the state lottery’s ex - cessive operating costs and into full-tuition college scholarships · Reforming title insurance to lower closing costs for homebuyers and homeowners who refinance their mortgages · Winning passage of three constitutional amendments to: · increase the qualifications of Public Regulation Commission ( PRC) commissioners, · transfer insurance regulation from the PRC to a separate de - partment that is insulated from political interference, and · consolidate the PRC’s corporate reporting unit with the busi- ness services division of the Secretary of State’s Office · Modernizing the state’s regulation of taxis, limos, shuttles, and moving companies to promote job creation, small business for- mation, and lower prices for consumers · Creating a one-stop online portal for all business fees and filings · Establishing a user-friendly health care transparency website where New Mexicans can find the cost and quality of common medical procedures at any hospital in the state : Summer storm over the Painted Kiva. Photo copyright Alex Candelaria Sedillos [email protected] Think New Mexico THINK NEW MEXICO’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS Consistent with our nonpartisan approach, Think New Mexico’s board is composed of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. They are statesmen and stateswomen who have no agenda other than to help New Mexico succeed. They are also the brain trust of this think tank. Clara Apodaca, a native of Las Cruces, was First Lady of New Mexico from 1975–1978. She served as New Mexico’s Secretary of Cultural Affairs under Governors Toney Anaya and Garrey Carruthers and as senior advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Clara is the former President and CEO of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation. Jacqueline Baca has been President of Bueno Foods since 1986. Jackie was a founding board member of Accion and has served on the boards of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Com- merce, the New Mexico Family Business Alliance, and WESST. In 2019, she was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Denver Branch Board of Directors. Paul Bardacke served as Attorney General of New Mexico from 1983–1986. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and he currently handles complex commercial litigation and mediation with the firm of Bardacke Allison in Santa Fe. Paul was a member of the National Park System Advisory Board for seven years. Garrey Carruthers served as Governor of New Mexico from 1987–1990 and as Chancellor of the system and President of New Mexico State University from 2013–2018. In between he served as Dean of the College of Business at NMSU and as President and CEO of Cimarron Health Plan. Garrey was instru- mental in establishing the Arrowhead Center for economic development in Las Cruces. Think New Mexico Edward Lujan is the former CEO of Manuel Lujan Agencies, the largest privately owned insurance agency in New Mexico. Ed is also a former Chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, the New Mexico Economic Development Commission, and the Na- tional Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, where he is now Chair Emeritus. Liddie Martinez is a native of Española whose family has lived in northern New Mexico since the 1600s. She is the Market Pres- ident-Los Alamos for Los Alamos National Bank and also farms the Rancho Faisan. Liddie has previously served as Executive Director of the Regional Development Corporation and board chair of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation. Fred Nathan, Jr. founded Think New Mexico and is its Executive Director. Fred served as Special Counsel to New Mexico Attorney General Tom Udall from 1991–1998. In that capacity, he was the architect of several successful legislative initiatives and was in charge of New Mexico’s lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which resulted in a $1.25 billion settlement for the state. Roberta Cooper Ramo is the first woman elected President of the American Bar Association and the American Law Institute. Roberta has served on the State Board of Finance and was Presi- dent of the University of New Mexico Board of Regents. In 2011, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Roberta is a shareholder in the Modrall Sperling law firm. Think New Mexico Dear New Mexican: We launched Think New Mexico two decades ago with the simple idea that a results-oriented think tank that advocates for bipartisan solutions could help to advance New Mexico in some of those national rankings where the state is too often at or near the bottom. Our timing was not particularly good, as it seems that bipartisan problem-solving has never been more out of style than it is now. However, by focusing on a single issue each year, a necessity given our small size, we have been able to avoid the partisan warfare long enough to achieve some notable results for the people of New Mexico. These results are directly attributable to a growing group of New Mexicans spread across the Land of Enchantment who faithfully support our work year after year and who contact their legislators to express their support for our legislative proposals. Their ranks have grown from 52 in 1999, our first year, to 942 this last year. You can find all of their names on pages 24 –40 of this report. The other major factor in our success is that we have been led by some remarkable New Mexicans who lend their wisdom as well as their sterling reputations to Think New Mexico’s board. We refer to them as the “brain trust” of Think New Mexico. This year we are delighted to welcome back former Governor Garrey Carruthers, who went on emeritus status while leading New Mexico State University. As it has been from the beginning, the core of our work is produced by my phenomenal colleagues, who are my favorite policy wonks in the state. We look forward to continuing our work to improve the lives of all New Mexicans over the next two decades, especially if bipartisanship should ever come back into style. I encourage you to join us by sending a contribution to Think New Mexico in the enclosed yellow envelope, giving online at www.thinknewmexico.org, or in one of the many ways described on pages 29 –38. Fred Nathan, Jr. June 1, 2019 Think New Mexico RETROSPECTIVE: THINK NEW MEXICO’S POLICY REPORTS : Susan Martin, Business Manager, Fred Nathan, Executive Director; Kristina G. Fisher, Associate Director; Othiamba Umi, Field Director. Photo by Peter Ellzey. Think New Mexico RETROSPECTIVE: 20 YEARS OF RESULTS FOR NEW MEXICANS 2017–2019: MOVING DOLLARS FROM ADMINISTRATION TO THE CLASSROOM Think New Mexico’s biggest victory this year came in the state budget, which included language to maximize the amount of the state’s education dollars that are spent in the classroom, rather than on central administration.