Governor Bill Richardson's 2007 State of the State Address
Governor Bill Richardson's 2007 State of the State Address
(As prepared for delivery)
Lt. Governor Denish, Senate Pro-tem Ben Altamirano, and Speaker Ben Lujan;
Native American and spiritual leaders;
Chief Justices and members of the Judiciary;
Democratic and Republican leaders, members of our state House of Representatives and
Senate;
former Governors, distinguished guests, and our First Lady, my partner, Barbara
Bienvenidos and Welcome.
To the people of New Mexicothank you. I am deeply honored to stand before you
once more.
To the new citizen legislators in our rankswelcome. And to our senior legislators
welcome back. I'd like to congratulate you allnot just for your electoral victories but
for your service to our state.
To Lt. Governor Denish thank you for your leadership in supporting small business,
fighting to keep our public safe, and expanding health coverage to more New Mexican
families.
Over the last four years, I've laid out ambitious goals for New Mexico: Better schools,
better jobs with higher wages, protection of our water and natural resources, more
accessible health care, safer streets and communities, and a more fiscally responsible
approach to government.
The legislature joined me, we actedand acted boldly. We put progress above politics.
We found common ground. Democrats and Republicans, community groups and
churches, business and governmentwe came together--regardless of party, faith, or
affiliationand got things done.
I ask you to continue that progress. We should respect our differences, but seek a
common purpose. We should identify the real problems affecting our citizen's lives and
work together to build real solutions.
Regardless of any future political plans I may have, my priority will be a successful
legislative session.
Our fellow New Mexicans have experienced progress, and they want more. Their
confidence, in themselves and in our state is renewed.
They have higher expectations for their own future, for their state and for those who lead
it.
They expect us to keep building an economy that creates opportunity for every New
Mexican.
They expect us to preserve our quality of life, stay true to our Western values and keep
our commitment to common-sense.
They expect us to demand accountability from every citizen and every public servant.
I believe we must expand the bounds of opportunity for every New Mexican.
Expanding opportunity means extending health care coverage, so the lives of our
citizens are not are limited by poor health and no health care.
It means investing for the long haul--into education, economic development, clean
energy, and reaping dividends for decades to come.
Expanded opportunity means protecting the needs of future generations for a
clean environment and sustainable water supply.
It means widening our economic baseso our oil and gas economy, expands to
renewable energy, film, tourism and high-techfrom our urban areas to our rural
main streets.
Most of all it meansan education system dedicated to learning, achievement,
and success. So that every child gets a world-class education and enters the world
of work prepared to succeed.
Every New Mexican deserves a fair shot.
Today, our economy is strong and growing stronger. We created more than 80-thousand
jobs during the past four years. Our unemployment rate plummeted from 5.8 percent to
4.3 percent. And average income is growing -- 10th fastest in the nation.
The budget I propose continues to build on this foundation and aggressively invests in
our top prioritythe people of New Mexico. We must maintain fiscal discipline, protect
against unforeseen downturns, and keep moving forward.
This budget makes the most out of our historic surplus. We must continue to cuts taxes,
protect our high bond rating, and balance the budget. At the same time, I am insisting
that we put aside at least 10 percent of the budget in reserve. I will accept nothing less.
And make no mistake, a booming economy is not an excuse for excessive spending---we
have a shared responsibility to invest wisely in our priorities.
My capital budget identifies and proposes strategic investments to create jobs, improve
our quality of life, and expand opportunities in every corner of the state.
Let's work on this capital budget together. I understand your prerogative as legislators
and I want to help you meet the needs of your districts. I ask you to help me take care of
the needs of our state.
Today, I am proposing a substantial commitment to one of those statewide priorities -
modernizing our public schools.
In addition to the $20 million dollars I have pledged for charter schools, I am asking the
Legislature to devote $283 million dollarsto relieve overcrowded schools and catch up
with needed repairs. Kids cannot learn in overcrowded classrooms.
I know I'm not the most patient person. And, as a former Congressman, I understand and
respect the deliberative nature of this body. You are dedicated, responsible, and thorough
in your work.
I hear those who say we should slow down, who say we've done all we can do.
But I believe the message from 69 percent of voters was loud and clear. The people of
New Mexico are calling us to act. We can't slow down. We have too much to do.
I also know that the people of New Mexico expect a lot from us. And they should. Last
session, we left these chambers with much unfinished business. I propose that we finish
that business - and I respectfully ask that we work together to get it done quickly.
I propose a 4-part action agenda that I believe has broad support, was thoroughly debated
during the last session, and deserves to be passed during the first 30 days:
1. Let's restore dignity to a hard day's work
let's raise the minimum wage to
seven-fifty per hour. We should not wait for Washington, we must do what's
right for the working men and women who drive our economy.
2. New Mexico is already the leader in clean energy. Let's go further I want New
Mexico to become one of the first states in the nation to create a Renewable
Energy Transmission Authority and export solar, wind and other renewable
energy. I also want to require utility companies to produce 15 percent of their
energy through renewable resources by 2015 and 25 percent by 2020.
3. We've done our part rebuilding our highways and expanding alternative
transportation. Let's pass GRIP II for our city and county roads and finish the
job.
4. Finally, I'm proposing more than $123-million dollars in tax cuts. When we are
blessed with additional resources, I believe we have responsibility to return some
of those resources to the peopleespecially those who need it the most. Through
targeted tax cuts, I believe we can help working families, support our military and
continue to create high-wage jobs.
I know many legislators have ideas for cutting taxes. But there's one tax cut that
everyone can support - the Working Families Tax Credit. Let's pass that tax plan that
rewards work and helps as many as 139-thousand middle income taxpayers.
We should extend the personal income tax cut to more middle-income New
Mexicansas many as 720-thousand people.
I believe we should speed up the personal income tax cuts we began in 2003 - a
sentiment that I know many of you share. I made room in my budget recommendation to
drop our top rate from 5.3-percent to 5.1-percent this year - allowing us to continue our
economic momentum. Let's get it done
Next, one group is making enormous sacrifices on behalf of our state, our country,
and our freedombrave New Mexicans serving in the U.S. military. We have done more
than most states to show our gratitude. Let's go a step further - Let's eliminate the state's
income tax for active duty members of the military. Period.
More than 190-thousand retired military veterans have made New Mexico their
home. Many of those veterans put their skills to work in second careers. I believe we
should acknowledge their benefit to our state, and encourage more skilled veterans to
work here. I propose that we offer military retirees a 50 percent deduction of their earned
income up to $50-thousand dollars.
But to recruit new industries we must provide new incentives such as:
A tax cut for investment management firms.
A tax credit to encourage investment in New Mexican high-tech companies
And reduction in tax pyramiding.
If we can move quickly on these priorities, I believe we still have plenty of time
to tackle the rest of the ambitious agenda we face.
I have dubbed 2007 the Year of Water. I ask that we commit ourselves to solving
New Mexico's water problems. I propose a three-part strategy focused on improving
water availability, investing in innovation, and conservation of our waterways and
watersheds.
First, we can conserve our water through river ecosystem restoration, by
mandating water conservation standards in building codes and investing more money in
our Strategic Water reserve. We should also boost our investment in the Water Trust
fund to extend water infrastructure, and fund a new water-conserving strategy to quickly
detect and repair leaks statewide. And any conservation effort must never forget and
always protect New Mexico's agricultural heritage and traditional reliance on acequias.
Second, we must continue to invest in innovation. That's why I created the Water
Innovation Fund to inspire and invest in the latest technological breakthroughs.
We have been generous in funding important water projects, but we need better
coordinationto stretch every dollar, and to make sure projects get done. I'm proposing
the creation of the New Mexico Office of Water Infrastructure to provide communities
and citizens with a one-stop shop to get answers to their water infrastructure needs.
Last, we must do our part to extend reliable and clean water supplies.
In the Eastern Navajo checkerboard region, more than a third of the population
does not have easy access to safe drinking water.
The Ute pipeline promises a long-term supply for the citizens of Curry and
Roosevelt counties.
And beneath the Otero Mesa lies potentially hundreds of millions of gallons of
water, enough to provide a sustainable fresh water supply for communities in
Southern New Mexico.
These projects are aggressive, innovative and offer the best way to secure New
Mexico's water supply for the future. Let's invest in these projects--because this
generation, and the next deserve access to clean, safe drinking water.
Our future and our way forwardis always education. Education is our obligation
and our path to expanding opportunity for all.
We've made real progress toward making our schools work. And quality schools
start with quality teachers in the classroom.
We are going to raise teacher salaries again and tie them to the tough
accountability standards--- that have made our three-tier licensure system a model for the
rest of the nation. A 7.4-percent increase in teacher salaries would bring New Mexico to
27th in the nation.
Our Pre-Kindergarten program is essential to preparing all children to succeed
and to narrow the achievement gap before kids reach kindergarten. We must double this
effort from 2,200 to 5,000 four year olds statewide.
For our schools that need the most help, I propose three major initiatives to help
students get up to speed in reading and math, and meet our high standards:
1. Invest in After-School Enrichment programs to tutor and mentor students
2. Continue and expand our efforts to extend school days, offer longer school years,
and pay for Reading, Math and Summer Institutes.
3. And forgive loans for teachers who work in low-income areas, and give a tax
credit to encourage highly qualified teachers to work in schools with the greatest
needs.
You can't encourage success if you make it easy to drop out of school. Let's raise the
drop out age from 17 to 18 years old, increase graduation requirements, and fund schools
based on the time students are in class.
In higher education we all want the same thing: to make college more affordable
for our families, to widen access to financial aid and to hold our universities accountable.
I propose that we invest another $50-million dollars in the College Affordability
Act, expand access to more students, and provide 2,500 more scholarships for needy New
Mexicans.
And let's get a grip on the out-of-control tuition hikes that put college out of reach
for many New Mexicans. I'm working with our universities-- to limit tuition hikes-- to
no more than 5-percent-- during each of the next three years.
I am also proposing a state tax-credit to help pay for college tuition and fees.
The Lottery Scholarship Fund---which has expanded opportunities for thousand
of New Mexicans -- must be preserved. But it must also be improved. That's why I'm
endorsing a plan to reduce spending on bureaucracy, increase spending on students, and
ensure that the Lottery Scholarship is around 30 years from now.
As we work to expand educational opportunities, we must make sure that our
communities are safe for our families.
On DWI aloneour top priorityNew Mexico's interlock law was recognized by
Mothers Against Drunk Driving as a model for the nation. But, even with the strongest
DWI laws in the countrytragedy can still strike - as it did in recently when a drunk
driver took the lives of five members of a Las Vegas family.
Members of the Collins and the Gonzales family, who lost so much in that tragedy,
are here with us today. They remind us that we still have more work to do. Please join me
in a moment of silence for this family's loss and in memory of all victims of DWI.
Let's keep working together to save lives.
We must go further; we should apply our tough ignition interlock law to out-of-state
applicants with prior DWI convictions.
The sad fact is that nearly 60 percent of DWI offenders with two or more convictions
are abusing more than one drug. To protect our citizens and combat drug addiction, I
propose we triple funding for Substance Abuse Treatment.
This year, I am confident that we are finally going to ban cockfighting. New
Mexicans don't want our state associated with this practice. I am ready to work with the
Legislature to get this done.
We must protect New Mexico consumers against those who target our most
vulnerable citizens. I think we are all in agreement that we need to take action - this
session - to do away with predatory lenders and protect our people from exploitation.
I also want to address what I believe to be a weak link in our criminal justice system.
I am asking for the legislature to join me in funding to plan and design a state-of-the-art
crime lab and to hire more technicians to help law enforcement solve crimes quickly.
I'd like to salute First Lady Barbara Richardson for her hard work to increase
immunization rates, expand literacy and reduce domestic violence. We must increase our
efforts to curb domestic violence and protect families from its tragic effects.
Last year we dedicated our session to New Mexico's children. We agreed that
every child should be healthy, and no child should be without quality health care. And we
acted boldly by making health care available to all children five years old and younger.
This year, we are taking the next step toward our goal of expanding access to
quality, affordable health care to every New Mexican.
We've successfully enrolled nearly 10-thousand New Mexicans in affordable
state health insurance plans through their small employers. But more than 400-thousand
New Mexicans still don't have health care coverage.
I am proposing two important steps toward closing the uninsured gap. First, for
those who have the least, I want to raise Medicaid eligibility to 100% of the federal
poverty level to help low income adults get health care. Second, for the hardworking New
Mexicans who simply can't afford insurance, we should expand our State Coverage
program to thousands more middle-class working adults. Combined these initiatives will
help cover an additional 34,000 New Mexicans.
And for children with disabilities, we want to expand access to early diagnosis,
which will lead to early treatment. We want to lend a hand to their parents. And we
want to make sure that specialized services remain available, independent of where they
live or whether they are insured or not.
Expanding health care coverage is important, but finding a cure for diabetes or
cancer is the hope of life renewed. Let's work to help our scientists, physicians and
researchers at the University of New Mexicosome of the best in the worldunlock the
potential of stem cell research.
The federal government has once again turned its back on its responsibilities to
Native Americans in our state. Let's find ways to help our Native American residents
meet their health care needs
But it is in the area of energy where New Mexico is beginning to expand
economic opportunity that has been overlooked for too long.
We have invested heavily in clean energies like wind, solar and biomass, while
requiring utilities to produce more of their energy through renewable sources.
We have led the fight against global warmingeven when the federal
government has not. We have followed the principles of the Kyoto treaty and mandated
some of the toughest emission reduction goals in the country.
We have the potential to lead once more. We can, and should become the first
state in the country to use 100-percent renewable energy in government buildings.
Rather than wait for Washington, I propose adopting tough carbon emission
standards for new cars and trucks sold in New Mexico. Tough standards will cut vehicle
emissions by 30% within the next ten years.
I am also proposing an advanced coal tax incentive. This will help ensure that
any new coal-fired power plant built in New Mexico will install state-of-the-art pollution
controls and achieve significant carbon dioxide reductions.
I ask this legislature to join me in transforming our schools into "green
buildings"protecting our environment and saving energy costs. We should also
provide tax credits to promote green offices and homes, create an Energy innovation fund
to develop clean energy projects, and give consumers a one-month tax holiday to
purchase energy-efficient appliances.
And once again I propose a land conservation fund to support land, wildlife and
clean energy projects that create a legacy for future generations.
But while energy and conservation are perhaps our state's greatest opportunity, today we
face one last testa test of responsibility.
Holding the highest ethical standards is not a privilege, but our responsibility as
public servants. It's also the best, and only way, we can protect the public's faith in their
democracy.
Some of you here served in the Ethics Reform Task Force and provided valuable
recommendations. Thank you for your efforts. Those recommendations are the basis for
my ethics package.
I'm proposingan independent ethics commission, better campaign reporting, public
financing for judicial candidates, and limits on gifts and campaign contributions. These
recommendations are now before the legislature and represent a tough reform package
that will help restore the public faith in our Government.
I know the Legislature will want to fully review these proposals. This time, there are
no excuses. The time for ethics reform has come.
When we first met in this chamber 4 years agoit was with the hope of a new beginning
for New Mexico. Boldly believing that we could revitalize our state by expanding
opportunity
To make our state a place--
where tax rates go down, while salaries go up---
where our economy is growing, and the achievement gap is shrinking
where the environment is cleaner, and our children's health is safer
And where budgets are balanced, and our future is built to last.
Hemos logrado mucho trabajando juntos. Sigamos juntos hacia delante.
We have achieved so much together. Let us go forward together.
In our great state, we debate as individuals and parties, but we fight for the
common good. We may disagree on policy and principle, but we always agree to be civil
and constructive. And in the end, we get things done.
I don't have all the answers and I have made mistakes. And not every answer can
be found in Santa Fe. That wisdom resides with our people, and is carried by their
representatives. To use that wisdom and meet the challenges before us, I ask for your
help, your guidance and your leadership.
We can take the timid path of the status quo, or continue down the path to
progress with bold steps and strong action.
As I've said before---Let us choose to be bold. Let us choose to act. Let's choose
to make a difference.
We care too deeply for this generation and every one that follows to do anything
other than make a difference for the people we serve, in the place that we cherishthe
great state of New Mexico.
May God bless us all. Que Dios Nos Bendiga. Thank you.
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/press/2007/press-jan07.php