WE GOT ROLLED OVER!
Ever have one of those days when you have everything lined up, ready to go and all the best plans fall apart before you can say Jiminy Cricket (you know what we mean)! Well, that was kind of our day today. We expected the Senate Education Committee to hear Senate Bill 64 on career development success pilot projects (we support this one), and we expected the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee to consider two constitutional amendments. The first is House Joint Resolution 3, the so-called Green Amendment (environmental rights), and the second is HJR 4 seeking to reinstate an elected state board of education. We oppose both of these.
Well, guess what? Yep, all three bills were “rolled over.” So what’s that mean? It means the bill won’t be heard today and will likely be scheduled at a later date. Why would that be? First, the committee ran out of time; second the sponsor wasn’t available to present the bill; and third, the sponsor has requested that it be postponed because an expert witness wasn’t available, the sponsor is working with stakeholders on amendments to remove opposition or the sponsor has other priorities and doesn’t want to deal with this specific bill at this time. Or, maybe the sponsor’s day was rolled over, i.e. they were ill, they had a family emergency, etc. It happens.
We were ready to go and then, “Oh, Jiminy Cricket.” Here’s what we did get done today, though.
FIRST THREE HEALTH CARE COMPACTS SAIL
THROUGH HOUSE HEALTH COMMITTEE
This morning, the House Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously, 8-0, to approve each of three interstate compacts regarding health care professionals.
The Chamber was there in strong support of each bill. All are sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson (D-Bernalillo).
J.D. Bullington testified on behalf of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, saying:
“I’m here to testify in strong support of the three medical professional compacts before you today.
“It’s no secret we have a dire shortage of all medical professionals in New Mexico. Making it easier for licensed providers in other states to treat New Mexicans – be it in person or in a telehealth setting – is a real way to begin to get more New Mexicans the care they need, and address the lack of providers here while at the same time encouraging them to practice in, perhaps even move to, our state.
“And the state gives up no oversight in any of these, preserving ‘the regulatory authority … to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure.’ ”
House Bill 79 specifically targets audiology and speech-language pathologists, House Bill 81 occupational therapists and House Bill 82 physical therapists. All compacts require their respective professionals to be degreed and licensed.
There was no opposition voiced in the committee, from the public or from committee members.
Joining the Chamber in support of the bills:
- The New Mexico Healthcare Association and New Mexico Center for Assisted Living
- NAMI New Mexico
- The attorney for the Audiology and Speech Language Pathology Interstate Compact Commission
- The ARC of New Mexico
- AARP
- Los Alamos County
- The League of Women Voters
- Therapists in the respective fields mentioned in the bills.
- The Department of Defense, which highlighted the military members and their spouses who would be able to provide care to New Mexicans under the compacts
- And Think New Mexico, which has this and the other compacts being introduced as the single most impactful thing the Legislature can do this session to address the shortage of health care professionals in our state.
The three compacts allow licensed medical professionals from all states in the compact to practice in New Mexico without jumping through more licensing hoops. These health care providers will serve everyone from children with developmental delays and adults with conditions that make daily activities more difficult, to New Mexicans who have an injury or surgery they need to recover from, to our veterans.
These compacts are a means to get more medical professionals into the New Mexico pipeline, and more medical care to New Mexicans who need it. Anyone who has, or has cared for someone with, a disability, an injury or a surgery knows how essential high-quality care from medical professionals is to a full recovery, and how hard it is to get an appointment when you really need it. These compacts are an important part of the solution.
Additional compacts will be heard this session, and the Chamber will follow HB 79, 81, 82 and all the others with the goal of getting them on the governor’s desk. We’ll keep you informed along the way.
THE NATION’S EDUCATION REPORT CARD IS IN: N.M. LAST DESPITE ENORMOUS SPENDING INCREASES
The Nation’s Education Report Card was released this week – which tracks fourth- and eighth-grade student performance in reading and math, by state, every two years – and New Mexico sadly ranks last of all 50 states in every category, with math and reading proficiency declining substantially over the past decade. Results from the gold-standard NAEP assessment find that fewer than one in four New Mexico students are proficient in reading and math.
You can find the graphic of the day/week/month below that shows that skyrocketing public spending on education (up 64%! over the past decade) has not helped New Mexico’s public school students perform better academically. It’s as clear as day: spending is WAY up, and student math and reading continues to regress.

As the Chamber has said for quite some time, money alone is clearly not the answer to improving our schools. We must dramatically change and improve the policies and practices of education, with a relentless focus on student learning as our North Star.
Lest anyone says “it can’t be done,” we have two recent examples of states historically “at the bottom” rocketing up the national rankings in response to dramatic policy changes. Last decade, Mississippi left states in the dust as it adopted policies requiring early learners to read by the third grade, elevating the standards of literacy instruction, and transparently tracking student performance in a way that informed and engaged parents. New Mexico had a chance to follow the same course at the time, but lawmakers and adult-focused special interests largely rejected it. The result? Mississippi students have risen academically ever since, and New Mexico students have been left behind.
More recently, in the latest NAEP results, we find that Louisiana has risen from 50th in 2019 to 16th in fourth-grade reading today. Wow! The state has also risen from 45th in 2019 to 29th in eighth-grade reading today. In math, Louisiana is ranked in the top five for growth in math proficiency and was one of only 14 states to see growth in eighth-grade math scores. Never mind that pesky pandemic – Louisiana is getting it done! Again, a no-nonsense approach to literacy instruction and elevated expectations are credited with Louisiana’s gains, as well as the state’s successful deployment of high-impact tutoring, evidence-backed curriculum, and back-to-the-basics approach in the classroom.
INTRODUCING NEW LEGISLATORS
HOUSE
District 69: Michelle Abeyta,
D-Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, San Juan, Socorro & Valencia
Rep. Michelle “Paulene” Abeyta will represent District 69, which stretches from Crownpoint through Grants. Abeyta defeated incumbent Harry Garcia in the Democratic primary last June and was unopposed in the general election.
- Paulene, as she prefers to be called, is a member of the Navajo Nation and resides in To’hajiilee with her husband and family.
- She holds a law degree from the University of Arizona, as well as a B.A. from the University of New Mexico.
- Abeyta has been a member of the To’hajiilee Community School Board of Education and the National Native American Bar Association Board.
- Her community service includes interest in women’s and children’s health.
District 70: Anita Gonzales, D-San Miguel & Torrance
Democrat Anita Gonzales will represent District 70, which is centered in Las Vegas. Gonzales defeated Ambrose Castellano in the Democratic primary last June and was unopposed in the general election.
- Gonzales holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in performance and sports leisure services, both from New Mexico Highlands University.
- She serves as the deputy director of NM MESA, which encourages students to pursue STEM education.
- Gonzales has received the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce’s public service award.
- Her community activity includes serving as an acequia commissioner, on the rotary club and on the board of the San Miguel County Family and Community Health Council.
SENATE
Nicholas “Nick” Paul – R Chaves, Lincoln & Otero
Republican Nicholas Paul, a former Alamogordo city commissioner, will represent District 33, which covers Otero, Lincoln and Chaves counties. He replaces longtime Republican Sen. William Burt, who was first elected in 2011 but retired after the 2024 session. Paul won his primary and was unopposed in the general election.
- Paul was in his second term on the Alamogordo City Commission.
- He is president of the Board of Directors of the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce.
- Paul was an Alamogordo High School star student and athlete, went to college in California, then returned to Alamogordo where he has a real estate license and owns a series of storage facilities. His father, Allan Paul, was a longtime pediatrician in Alamogordo.
District 32: Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell
Republican Candy Spence Ezzell, a farmer and rancher and former state representative, will represent District 32, which now includes parts of Chavez and Eddy counties. She won the 2024 primary and faced no Democratic opposition in the general. She replaces Sen. Cliff Pirtle, who did not seek re-election.
- She has been a full-time farmer and rancher since 1974, and since 1993 she and her husband have owned and operated a 27-section cattle ranch southwest of Roswell.
- She was elected to the N.M. House of Representatives in 2004, where she served from 2005-2024 and was caucus chair for four years. She served on House committees including Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources; Labor; Business & Industry; Consumer & Public Affairs; Legislative Finance; Education; and Agriculture, Acequias and Water.
- She is a member of the N.M. Cattle Growers Association, lifetime member of the NRA with an A+ rating, lifetime member of the North American Limousin Foundation and a lifetime member of the AQHA.
SIGNING OFF FROM SANTA FE
The week is done! No committee meetings or floor sessions over the weekend, but that’s likely to change next week – we’ve been advised there will be some committee meetings next Saturday. We imagine that very soon we’ll start to see both morning and afternoon/evening House sessions as bills begin to percolate up from committees. Senate floor sessions will begin to get longer, moving Senate committee starting times later in the day. We’ll be there, as usual, to bring you all the news and views. Until next week, have a fabulous weekend.