2025 CONVENTION

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Saturday, April 26, 2025

8 -9 a.m. Registration – The Lodge at Santa Fe

9:00 a.m. Welcome from Mayor Alan Webber, Santa Fe

Introduction of LWVUS Liaison Alexis Juday-Marshall

9:30 a.m. – Noon First Plenary Session

Call to Order

Welcome and Announcements

Appointments: Parliamentarian, Timekeepers

Credentials Committee Report

Adoption of Convention Rules (p. 3)

Adoption of Order of Business (p. 1)

Appointment of Committee to Approve Meeting Minutes (2 people)

Treasurer’s Report –Kathy Brook, Interim Treasurer (p. 4)

Report of the Budget Committee – Kathy Brook, Chair (p. 6)

Report of the Bylaws Committee – Akkana Peck and Barbara Calef (p. 8)

Report of the Nominating Committee – Karen Wentworth, Chair (p.19)

Break (10:30 – 10:45 a.m.)

Report of the Legislative Action Committee – Akkana Peck, Action Director (p. 20)

Report of Proposed Program for Study and Action (2025-2027) – Judy Williams, Program Director (p. 20)

Proposals from the Floor for Other Studies

Announcements

Adjournment

Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch from Market Street Deli

Speaker, Alexis Juday-Marshall, LWVUS Board Member and Liaison to LWVNM

1:00-4:30 p.m. Afternoon Activities

Committee Meetings: Communications, etc.

Member-led hike on an area trail or tour of the Vladem Contemporary Art Museum

Explore Santa Fe on your own

6-9:30 p.m. Banquet – La Fonda Hotel, New Mexico Room and Portal

Speaker: Leon Howard, ACLU

Sunday, April 27, 2025

8:30 – 9 a.m. Registration – The Lodge at Santa Fe

9-9:30 a.m. Reports about special events/activities by local League presidents

9:30 a.m. – Noon Second Plenary Session

Call to Order

Credentials Committee Report

Adoption of the Budget (p.6)

Adoption of Bylaws Changes (p.7)

Adoption of Recommended Program for Study and Action (p. 20)

Adoption of Current Positions (p.22)

10:30-10:45 a.m. Break

Continue Program Adoption

Non–Recommended Proposed New Studies

Election of Slate of Officers and Directors (2025-2027) (p. 19)

Report on the LWVNM Education Fund – Hannah Burling, President

Directions to the Board

Convention Adjournment

Note: LWVNM Board Meeting with Lunch will start 15 minutes after Convention.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEW MEXICO

RULES OF THE CONVENTION

Only delegates are allowed to make or to vote on a motion.

Other attendees may speak at the discretion of the Chair, time permitting and after all delegates

who wish to speak have done so.

To get recognition from the Chair, a delegate shall raise a hand or stand and say “Madam Chair”

loudly enough to be heard.

Any delegate who has been recognized by the Chair shall state their name and the local League

they represent or the State Board position that they hold.

No person shall speak twice to the same motion until all who wish to speak have had an

opportunity to do so, except that the maker of the motion may speak twice if directed by the

Chair to answer questions presented by the delegates.

Each speaker is limited to two minutes during debate on a motion.

All motions other than procedural motions (adoption of the agenda, etc.) must be made in writing

and a signed copy given to the Secretary.

Motions made “at the direction of the board” do not require a second. These motions represent

the consensus of the board at its pre-Convention meeting in March.

Proposed resolutions will be treated in the same manner as “non-recommended program”

(majority vote required on Saturday to be included on Sunday’s agenda; 2/3 vote required to pass.

League of Women Voters of New Mexico

Treasurer’s Report

March 30, 2025

2024-2025 Budget	2024-25 Actual	2023-2024 Budget	2023-34 Actual
Income- Organizational
Contributions from Members	200	750	200	100
Contributions from Non-Members	1,000	278	1,000	150
Grants to (c)(4)	10,000	18,400	10,000	13,300
Central NM Per Member Payment	1,924	1,911	1,924	1,924
Southern NM Per Member Payment	1,209	1,157	1,209	1,209
Los Alamos Per Member Payment	1,276	1,313	1.268	1,268
Santa Fe County Per Member Payment	1,502	1,430	1,502	1,502
Dues thru ChapterSpot	0	1,632	0	0
Member at Large Dues	315	0	315	0
Interest	0	0	0	0
Convention/Council Auction	700	0	700	0
MDW award luncheon	2,000	2,169	0	0
Miscellaneous	0	0	0	34
Total Income - Organizational	20,126	29,040	18,118	19,487
Expense - Organizational
Delegate expense – LWVNM cl/convention	500	0	490	0
Delegate expense – LWVUS cl/convention	2,400	3,018	500	550
Newsletter Editor Expenses	0	0	0	20
Member at Large Per Member Payment	200	288	224	224
Diversified Membership	200	0	0
Fundraising	1,000	0	0
Total Organizational Expenses	4,300	3,306	2,414	794
Operating Expenses
Office use	600	950	600	0
Constant Contact	750	998	550	724
Social Media	100	7,608	0	0
Website	50	100	1,216
Office admin expenses	0	0	50	76
Internet Services (SW Cyperport)	0	38	0
Insurance	1,400	834	1,400	1,284
Postage/P.O. Box	20	179	20	181
La Palabra (In Design)	200	194	200	194
SOS Filings	10	12	12	12
PayPal	0	0	10	0
Total Operating Expenses	3,130	10,813	2,942	3,687
Program/Advocacy Expenses
MDW Award Luncheon	2,000	3,055	0	0
VOTE411/Native Am Voter Guide	2,000	13,353	0	8,206
League Day	150	0	150	0
Position Support/Advocacy	2,000	1,634	2,000	5,445
Legislative Reception	3,500	3,513	2,800	4,200
Coalition to Stop Violence Ag Native American Women	250	0	250	0
Zoom Fee	500	0	0	394
Reimbursement to Ed Fund/Misc	550	2,000	150	65
Total Program/Advocacy Expenses	10,950	23,555	5,350	18,310
Total Expenses	18,380	37,674	10,706	22,791
Net Income	1.746	(8,634)	7,412	(3,304)

Assets

Checking account at Wells Fargo

Beginning Balance, May 1, 2024: $45,153.17

Balance as of March 31, 2025: $26,982.52

Outstanding checks total: $5,784.

The bank balance includes

Diversity membership fund: $1,740
AHA cash $5,300
Redistricting donation $916

Grants: During the FY 2024-25, LWVNM received a Making Democracy Work grant from LWVUS in the amount of $18, 250; $16, 250 has been received with the final payment of $1,800 due in the next fiscal year after submission of the final report. Funds from the grant were used

to provide copies of the Native American Voter Guide which was distributed in 12 counties with significant Native American population ($6,433),
to provide voter information through social media targeting two age groups, those under 40 and those over 40 ($6,944),
to support the voter information activities of the four local Leagues ($2,000), and
and for the legislative reception held in conjunction with League Day at the Legislature ($2,873)

Actual income from grants also included the final payment for a Making Democracy Work grant during 2023-2024.

Budget Committee Report

Submitted by Kathy Brook (chair), Starlyn Brown, Dick Mason, Judy Williams

Below are some details about lines in the proposed budget.

Income Items

Grants: We have had grants from LWVUS during the past few years. We do not know whether such funding will be available in the coming two years so the $10,000 budgeted each year is far from definite.

Dues: Under the new dues system. LWVNM will receive funding directly through ChapterSpot rather than by billing local Leagues annually. There is no need for individual budget lines for each of the local Leagues. The new dues structure is designed to increase the share of dues directed to state Leagues but the impact on state League revenues is subject to uncertainty. We have 577 current members but we don’t know what level of dues they will pay under the new system. We have assumed dues income of $16,000 annually. This compares with about $6,000 in dues last year.

MDW award event: An event for the Making Democracy Work award is anticipated to be self-supporting (e.g., by selling tickets) and is budgeted with income equal to expenses.

Expense Items

Delegate Expenses: LWVNM normally pays registration fees for board members, other than the local League representatives, who attend the state convention and council. Similarly, LWVNM pays registration fees for state League delegates attending LWVUS convention and council.

Diversified Membership Dues to Local Leagues: LWVNM has a fund of $1740 for the purpose of assisting local Leagues in diversifying membership. Information needs to be shared with local Leagues.

Position support/advocacy: This includes funding for lobbying and other forms of advocacy.

Legislative reception: The reception is attended by League members and a small number of legislators though all are invited. It provides some visibility because the legislators receive invitations even if they don’t appear. The next board may want to consider alternatives.

Given that the state League portion of dues is increasing, LWVNM may want to consider ways that it can extend support to local Leagues.

Proposed Budget, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027

Current Budget 2024-2025 (with revisions)	Proposed Budget 2025-2026	Proposed Budget 2026-2027
Income
1	Contributions from Members	$200.00	$100.00	$100.00
2	Contributions from Non-Members	$1,000.00	$225.00	$225.00
3	Grants	$10,000.00	$10,000.00	$10,000.00
4	Dues	$6,217.00	$16,000.00	$16,000.00
5	Conv/Council Auction	$700.00	$1,000.00
6	MDW Award Event	$500.00	$500.00
7	Interest
8	TOTAL INCOME	$18,117.00	$26,825.00	$27,825.00
Expenses
Expense- Organizational
9	Delegate expenses – LWVNM	$500.00	$500.00	$1,000.00
10	Delegate expenses – LWVUS	$2,400.00	$1,500.00	$2,400.00
11	Newsletter Editor Expenses	$20.00	$20.00
12	Diversified Membership Dues to Local Leagues	$200.00	$500.00	$500.00
13	Fund Raising	$1,000.00	$1,000.00	$1,000.00
14	Total Organizational Expenses	$4,100.00	$3,520.00	$4,920.00
Operating Expenses
15	Office Rent	$600.00	$800.00	$800.00
16	Constant Contact	$750.00	$1,000.00	$1,000.00
17	Website/internet services	$50.00	$100.00	$100.00
18	Office administrative expenses	$100.00	$100.00
19	Copying/printing	$50.00	$50.00
20	Insurance	$1,400.00	$1,400.00	$1,400.00
21	Postage/P.O. Box	$20.00	$85.00	$85.00
22	Zoom fee	$500.00	$500.00
23	Sec. of State report	$10.00	$12.00	$12.00
24	Total Operational Expenses	$2,830.00	$4,097.00	$4,097.00
Program- Advocacy-Education Expenses
25	MDW Award Event	$500.00	$500.00	$500.00
26	League Day	$150.00	$150.00	$150.00
27	Position support/advocacy	$2,000.00	$2,000.00	$2,000.00
28	Legislative Reception	$3,500.00	$3,500.00	$3,500.00
29	VOTE411	$5,000.00	$5,000.00	$5,000.00
30	VOTE411 contractor	$5,000.00	$5,000.00
31	Social media	$100.00	$50.00	$50.00
32	La Palabra (InDesign)	$200.00	$200.00	$200.00
33	Total Program-Advocacy-Education Expenses	$6,450.00	$16,400.00	$16,400.00
34	TOTAL Expenses	$13,380.00	$24,017.00	$25,417.00
35	Net (Income - Expenses	$4,737.00	$2,808.00	$2,408.00

Note: We are now operating under a new dues structure where members pay what they can as long as it is at least $20 annually.

Bylaws Amendments

By Barbara Calef, LWVNM 2^nd Vice-President and Akkana Peck, Webmaster

This year we must amend our bylaws to align with changes related to dues collection made by the national League. They are not optional. Other changes in wording were proposed in an effort to make the bylaws more readable. They must be approved at Convention.

Underlined material is new. [Bracketed text] is to be deleted. The LWVNM Board has approved the changes.

Article I. NAME

The name of this Corporation shall be the League of Women Voters of New Mexico, Inc.,

hereinafter referred to in these bylaws as LWVNM. This state League is an integral part of the

League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS).

Article II. PURPOSES AND POLICIES

Section 1. Purposes. The purposes of LWVNM are to promote political responsibility through

informed and active participation in government and to act on selected governmental issues.

Section 2. Political Policies.

1. LWVNM shall not support or oppose any political party or candidate.

2. The League is fully committed to ensure compliance in principle and in practice with

LWVUS’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policy.

Article III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Eligibility. Any person who subscribes to the purposes and policies of LWVUS shall be eligible for membership. All members are invited to attend all meetings of LWVNM.

Section 2. Types of Membership.

Voting Members. Persons of at least 16 years of age who join the League shall be voting members of local Leagues or member-at-large units, and of LWVNM and LWVUS.
Individuals who live within an area of a local League may join that League or any other League.
Those who reside outside the area of any local League may join a local League or [~~shall~~] be members-at-large.
Those [~~who make a lump-sum life membership payment to LWVUS shall be paid life members and those~~] who have been members of the League for 50 years or more shall be [~~honorary~~] life members excused from the payment of dues.
[~~Those who are students are defined as individuals~~] Individuals enrolled either as full time or part time students at [~~with~~] an accredited institution. may join as student members.
Associate Members. All others who join the League shall be associate members.

Article IV. OFFICERS

Section 1. Enumeration, Election, and Duties of Officers. The officers of LWVNM shall be president, a first vice-president/president-elect, a second vice-president, the action chair, the past president, a secretary, and a treasurer. They shall be elected at the State Convention and shall take office immediately after the Convention. They shall hold office until the election at the next biennial Convention or until their successors have been elected [~~and qualified~~]. If the position of president is vacant and neither vice-president is able to assume the responsibilities of the president, the [~~board~~] Board of Directors shall function as a leadership team and shall possess all the powers and perform the duties of that office until that office is filled.

Section 2. The President. The president shall preside at all meetings of the organization and of the state board or designate someone to preside. The president may, in the absence or disability of the treasurer, sign or endorse checks, drafts and notes. The president shall automatically be [~~ex-officio,~~] a member of all committees except the nominating committee. [~~and shall have such [usual] powers of supervision and management as may pertain to the office of the president and perform such other duties as may be designated by the state board.~~] Two or more individuals may serve as co-presidents.

Section 3. The Vice-Presidents. The vice-presidents shall perform such duties as the president and board may designate. The two vice-presidents, in the order of their rank, shall in the event of absence, disability or death of the president, possess all of the powers and perform all the duties of the presidency until such time as the [~~board of directors~~] Board of Directors shall select one of its members or a former president to fill the vacancy in the office of president. In the event of the resignation, disability or death of the first vice-president/president-elect, the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the board. Before the office holder may succeed to the presidency at the next state convention, that name shall be submitted, with those of the other nominees for office, to the membership for vote.

Section 4. The Action Chair. The action chair will coordinate action activities for the LWVNM.

Section 5. The Past President. The former president [~~from the previous biennium]~~ will provide guidance and continuity to the board.

Section 6. The Secretary. The secretary shall keep the minutes of the Convention, Councils, and of all meetings of the state board. The secretary shall notify all officers and directors of their election. The secretary shall sign, with the president, all contracts and other instruments when so authorized by the state board, and shall perform such other functions as may [~~be incident to]~~ pertain to the office.

Section 7. The Treasurer. The treasurer, or a duly appointed assistant, shall collect and receive all moneys due. The treasurer shall be custodian of these funds, shall deposit them in financial institutions designated by the state board, and shall disburse them in accordance with the budget or at the direction of the board or at the direction of the board. The treasurer shall present periodic statements to the state board at its regular meetings and an annual report to the Convention or Council. The books of the treasurer shall be reviewed annually at the end of the fiscal year.

Section 8. The Leadership Team. When a president is not elected and the vice-president/president-elect is unable to assume the responsibilities of the president, the board shall govern the organization as a leadership team. At the first board meeting following the biennial Convention, officers and directors that were elected to serve on the board will volunteer, [~~self-select,~~] or be nominated to accept the leadership position(s) of president and/or vice-president/president-elect. [~~Two or more individuals may serve as co-presidents.~~] The leadership team will identify the responsibilities of each member of the team and have responsibility for the routine business of the League (e.g., calling meetings, preparing agendas, chairing meetings).

Article V. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Number, Manner of Selection and Term of Office. The [~~board of directors~~] Board of Directors shall be voting members of LWVNM and shall consist of the officers of LWVNM, not more than eight elected directors, not more than six appointed directors, and the presidents or liaisons of the local Leagues and member-at-large units. The directors elected at the Convention shall take office immediately after the Convention. They shall hold office until the election at the next biennial Convention. The appointed directors shall be appointed by the state board as ad hoc directors as [~~the need arises in relationship to~~] necessary for projects adopted by the state board and shall serve until the project is completed or dropped or until a replacement is secured in case of resignation, illness or other cause(s). Presidents of local Leagues shall serve during their term of office and may serve in other capacities on the state board. While serving on the board, the ad hoc directors and the local League presidents shall have full voting rights.

Section 2. Vacancies. Any vacancy other than in the office of the president may be filled until the next Convention by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors [~~board~~].* Two consecutive absences from a board meeting without notification to the president or secretary and without a valid reason shall be deemed a resignation.

*Provisions for filling the vacancy in the presidency are made in Article IV, Section 3.

Section 3. Powers and Duties. The [~~state board~~] LWVNM Board of Directors shall have full charge of the property and business of the LWVNM, [~~corporation with full power and authority to manage and conduct the same manage property and conduct business,~~] subject to the instructions of the Convention. The state board shall plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the program adopted by the Convention. It shall accept responsibility delegated to it by the LWVUS Board of Directors [~~of LWVUS~~] for the organization and development of all Leagues and member-at-large units within the state. It shall also accept responsibility for implementing state and national program. [~~and transmission of funds toward the support of state and national budgets~~.] The state board shall create and designate such special committees as it may deem necessary.

Section 4. Regular Meetings. There shall be at least four regular meetings of the state board annually.

Section 5. Special Meetings. The president may call special meetings of the state board. Upon written request of five members of the board, a special meeting of the board must be called. Board members shall be notified of the time and place of special meetings at least six days prior to such meeting. During a Convention the president may, or upon the request of five members of the board, shall, call a special meeting of the board.

Section 6. Electronic Board Meetings. The [~~board~~] Board of Directors may conduct either regular or special meetings by [~~e-mail~~, or] telephone [~~and/~~]or video conferencing provided that [~~all board members shall have access to the electronic media used and that~~] a quorum is present. Procedures for discussion, debate and voting shall be in place prior to the convening of such a meeting.

Section 7. Emergency Polling of the Board. When an urgent decision must be made by the board between regular meetings, the president may call and/or e-mail the members of the board. Board members must be given full information about the issue to be decided and sufficient time to share opinions before the final decision is given. A quorum of the board must respond. The emergency decision must be presented at the next board meeting for ratification and official report in the minutes.

Section 8. Executive Committee. An executive committee consisting of the president and four other members appointed by the state board from its own body following the state Convention shall act for the [~~board~~] LWVNM Board of Directors between regular meetings, provided that any action taken shall be [~~presented~~] reported to the board [~~for ratification~~] at its next meeting. Three members of the executive committee shall constitute a quorum to transact business.

Section 9. Quorum. A majority of members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI. RECOGNITION OF LOCAL LEAGUES AND MEMBER-AT-LARGE UNITS.

Section 1. Local Leagues.

Local Leagues are those Leagues that have been so recognized by LWVUS.
The state board shall recommend that the national board recognize as a local League any group of members of the LWVUS within [~~a community of~~] the state that meets recognition standards for local Leagues as adopted by LWVUS.
In the event of recurring failure of a local League to maintain recognition standards, the state board may recommend to the national board that it withdraw recognition from the local League. All funds held by a local League from which recognition has been withdrawn shall be paid to LWVNM.

Section 2. Member-at-Large Units. Member-at-large units may be formed by the state board in areas where the population dictates such organization. Rules and procedures for the formation and operation of member-at-large units shall be the responsibility of the state board.

Article VII. FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION.

Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the LWVNM shall be from May 1 to April 30 of each year.

~~[Section 2. Financial Support.~~ ~~Financial responsibility for the work of the state League shall be assumed by the members of LWVNM.]~~

Section [3] 2. Dues. ~~[Members enrolled in local Leagues shall pay annual dues as adopted at their Annual Meeting.~~] Members shall pay dues in accordance with LWVUS policy.

Members who fail to renew within the period specified by LWVUS will be removed from the roster.

~~[Members enrolled in local Leagues shall pay annual dues as adopted at their Annual Meeting.~~
~~Dues for members-at-large shall be recommended by the state board and adopted at state Convention.~~]

~~[Section 4. Per Member Payment.~~

Each local League shall make an annual member payment (PMP) to LWVNM for local League members, additional members in a common household, student members, and associate members, the amount to be determined at state Convention by a three-fifths vote of the delegates.
Each local League shall pay the PMP in full directly to LWVNM by December 31 of each calendar year. The state treasurer shall notify each local League of the amount of PMP due not less than sixty days in advance of the due date.
~~The state treasurer shall make a PMP to LWVUS for each member-at-large in accordance with the bylaws and procedures of LWVUS.]~~

Section [5] 3. Budget Committee. The state board shall appoint a budget committee at least four months in advance of Convention. The treasurer shall be [~~an ex-officio~~] a member of the committee but shall not serve as chair. The committee shall prepare a balanced budget for the next two fiscal years and present it to the state board for approval during the state board meeting preceding the convention.

Section [6] 4. Budget. The state board shall approve and distribute a proposed budget for the next two fiscal years to the membership at least 30 days prior to the Convention. A budget shall be adopted by the Convention. The state board shall review the budget prior to the [~~succeeding~~] next Council and distribute proposed modifications at least 30 days prior to the Council. Modifications may be made by the Council.

Section [7] 5. Distribution of Funds on Dissolution. In the event of the dissolution of LWVNM for any cause, all moneys and securities which may at the time be owned by or under the absolute control of LWVNM shall be paid to LWVUS. All other property [~~of whatsoever nature~~], whether real, personal, or mixed, which may at the time be owned by or under the control of LWVNM shall be disposed of by any officer or employee of the organization having possession of the same to such person, organization, or corporation, for such public, charitable, or educational uses and purposes as may be designated by the current state board of LWVNM.

Article VIII. CONVENTION

Section 1. Place, Date, and Call. A convention of LWVNM shall be held biennially at a time and place to be determined by the state board. The president shall send a first call for Convention to the membership not less than four months prior to the opening date of the Convention [~~fixed in~~ ~~said call~~]. Thereafter the state board may advance or postpone the opening date of the Convention by not more than two weeks. A final call for Convention shall be sent to the membership at least 30 days before Convention.

Section 2. Composition. The Convention shall consist of the delegates chosen by the members through the local Leagues and member-at-large units as prescribed in Section 4 of this article and the members of the [~~state board~~] LWVNM Board of Directors.

Section 3. Qualifications of Delegates [~~and Voting Members]~~. Each delegate shall be a voting member in the state of New Mexico. [Each delegate representing a local League shall be entitled to vote only if that League has met its per member payment responsibilities to LWVNM. The state board may make an exception in the case of proven hardship.] Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote only at Convention even though the delegate may be attending in two or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted. The Convention shall be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.

Section 4. Representation. The ~~members of LWVUS who are organized into recognized]~~ local Leagues and [~~state~~ ~~MAL~~] member-at-large units in the state of New Mexico shall be entitled to voting representation in the Convention as follows:

The president or designated liaison and one delegate who shall be chosen by the board of each local League; each local League having more than 15 voting members shall be entitled to one additional delegate for each additional 25 voting members or major fraction thereof.
Each member-at-large unit shall be entitled to one delegate chosen by their members.
Members-at-large shall be represented by a member-at-large delegate to be selected by the state board.
The numbers of delegates shall be established by membership count of paid voting members as of February first of said year.
In the event any delegate chosen is unable to attend the Convention, a substitute may be selected by the board of the local League, [~~provisional League,~~] or member-at-large unit.

Section 5. Powers. The Convention shall consider and adopt a program for study and action, shall elect officers and directors, shall adopt a balanced budget for the ensuing two years, and shall transact such other business as may be presented.

Section 6. Quorum. Forty percent of the possible number of voting delegates other than members of the state board shall constitute a quorum provided that there is representation from a majority of the local Leagues.

Article IX. COUNCIL.

Section 1. Place, Date, and Call. A meeting of the Council shall be held in the interim year between Conventions, approximately twelve months after the preceding Convention, at a time and place to be determined by the state board. A formal call shall be sent to the presidents of the local Leagues and member-at-large units at least 30 days before a Council meeting. Special Council meetings may be called by the state board.

Section 2. Composition. The Council shall be composed of the following delegates: the presidents of the local Leagues, or a designated liaison [~~an alternate in the event the president is unable to attend]~~; one delegate chosen by each local League and each member-at-large unit; a member-at-large representative to be selected by the state board; and all members of the LWVNM state board.

Section 3. Qualifications of Delegates [~~and Voting Members~~]. Each delegate shall be a voting member in the state of New Mexico. [Each delegate representing a local League shall be entitled to vote only if that League has met its per member payment responsibilities to LWVNM. The state board may make an exception in the case of proven hardship.] Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote only at Council even though the delegate may be attending in two or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted. The Council shall be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.

Section 4. Powers. The Council shall give guidance to the board on program and methods of work. The Council is authorized to change program only in the event of an emergency, using the following procedure:

At least eight weeks prior to the Council meeting any local League proposing a change shall submit it to the state board, which shall decide whether to recommend it.
At least six weeks prior to the Council meeting, the state board shall send to the presidents of the local Leagues all proposed changes.
Any change proposed by a local league but not recommended by the state board shall first require a majority vote of the Council for consideration.
A two-thirds vote of the Council shall be required to adopt any change.

The Council shall confirm or modify the budget for the ensuing year and shall transact such other business as shall be presented by the state board.

Section 5. Special Council Meeting. In the event of an emergency, the state board may call a special meeting of the Council. A formal call specifying purpose, time and place shall be issued to local presidents and member-at-large units at least 30 days in advance.

Section 6. Quorum. A majority of the possible number of voting delegates shall constitute a quorum provided that there is representation from a majority of the local Leagues.

Article X. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS.

Section 1. Nominating Committee. The nominating committee shall consist of five members, two of whom shall be members of the state board. The chair and two members, who shall not be members of the state board, shall be elected by the Convention. Nominations for these offices shall be made by the current nominating committee. The other members of the committee shall be appointed by the state board. Any vacancy occurring in the nominating committee by reason of death, resignation, or disqualification shall be filled by the state board. Contact information for the chair of the nominating committee shall be published in [~~the state newsletter and on the state]~~ La Palabra and on the LWVNM website.

Section 2. Suggestions for Nominations. The [~~chairman~~] chair of the nominating committee shall request, through the president of each local League and member-at-large unit, suggestions for nominations for offices to be filled. Suggestions for nominations by local Leagues shall be sent by the president or secretary of such local Leagues to the [~~chairman~~] chair of the nominating committee at least three months before the Convention. Any member may send suggestions to the [~~chairman~~] chair of the nominating committee.

Section 3. Report of the Nominating Committee and Nominations from the Floor. The report of the nominating committee of its nominations for officers and directors, [~~and]~~ as well as the chair~~man~~ and two members of the succeeding nominating committee shall be presented to the state board and sent to the membership at least 30 days before [~~the date of~~] the Convention. The report of the nominating committee shall be presented to the Convention on the first day of the Convention. Immediately following the presentation of this report, nominations may be made from the floor provided that the consent of the nominees shall have been secured.

Article XI. PRINCIPLES AND PROGRAM

Section 1. Principles. The principles are concepts of government supported by the League and are the authorization for adoption of national, state and local program.

Section 2. Program. The program of LWVNM shall consist of action to implement the principles and those governmental issues chosen by the Convention for concerted study or concurrence and action as follows:

The boards of local Leagues, LWVNM committees, and member-at-large units may make recommendations for program including amendment of a state League position or adoption of a position by concurrence. Recommendations must be sent to the state board at least [~~ten~~] eight weeks prior to the Convention.
The state board shall consider these recommendations and formulate a proposed program, which shall be sent to the membership at least 30 days prior to the Convention.
Any local League, LWVNM committee, member-at-large unit, or the state board planning to propose the amendment of a state position or adoption of a position by concurrence shall send background information, including pros and cons on the issue and an explanation of the rationale of using concurrence, to all Leagues at least 30 days prior to the Convention.
The Convention shall adopt a program by a majority vote on each subject presented to it.
A program recommendation properly submitted by a local League, LWVNM committee, or by a member-at-large unit at least [~~ten~~] eight weeks prior to Convention but not proposed by the state board may be so considered only if it is ordered by a majority vote of the Convention on the first day. [~~and the~~] The vote on adoption comes on the following day. Adoption of any such recommendation will require a two-thirds vote.

Section 3. Program Action.

League members may act on national and state program only in conformity with League positions. Members may act in the name of the League only when authorized to do so by the appropriate board.
After the LWVNM board approves a new or amended position for inclusion in the program, it becomes LWVNM’s position and basis for action on the issue. Changes to the position may be made by the Convention according to the procedures described above in Section 2.
The state board shall have the power to request emergency concurrence action. Requests for emergency concurrence may be initiated by local Leagues or by the state board. The state board shall establish procedures for emergency concurrence action.

Section 4. Council Action. The Council may change the program as provided in Article IX.

Article XII. NATIONAL CONVENTION

Section 1. National Convention. The state board, at a meeting before the date on which names of the delegates must be sent to the National Office, shall elect delegates to that Convention in the number allowed the LWVNM under the provisions of the bylaws of LWVUS.

Section 2. National Council. The state board, at its meeting preceding the meeting of the Council of LWVUS shall elect delegates to such Council in the number allowed the LWVNM under the provisions of the bylaws of LWVUS.

Article XIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the corporation in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.

Article XIV. AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended at any Convention by a two-thirds vote provided that the proposed amendment was submitted to the state board at least ten weeks prior to the Convention by a local League, member-at-large unit or has been proposed by the state board. The state board shall send all such proposed amendments together with the recommendations of the board to the membership at least 30 days prior to the state Convention.

If LWVUS changes any of the first three Articles of the LWVUS Bylaws, the LWVNM Board must change its Bylaws to conform; no vote is required at Convention.

Report of the Nominating Committee, March 2025

The nominating committee is preparing a final report to the state convention in April. We are continuing to search for a member for the Voter Services position and for a person to fill the position of first vice-president. This position is reserved for a person who is willing to fill the position of president in the future. Here is the proposed slate of board members for 2025-2027.

OFFICERS

President: Hannah Burling (Santa Fe)

1^st Vice President – vacant

2^nd Vice President – Barbara Calef (Los Alamos)

Secretary –Edwina Jaramillo (Southern New Mexico)

Treasurer – Kathy Brook (Southern New Mexico)

Action Chair – vacant

Past President – Kathy Brook (Southern New Mexico)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Elected (up to eight)

Archives – Jody Larson (Santa Fe)

Communications – Janet Blair (Central New Mexico)

Special Projects, Women’s Issues, Immigration, Education - Meredith Machen (Santa Fe)

Voter Services – vacant

Voters and Elections – Felicia Orth (Los Alamos)

Nuclear Issues – Karen Douglas (Central New Mexico)

Website – Akkana Peck (Los Alamos)

Program – Judy Williams (Santa Fe)

The four local League presidents or their designated liaisons also serve on the board.

The Board of Directors may appoint up to six additional members after the convention.

Respectfully submitted by the 2025 Nominating Committee: Karen Wentworth (Central New Mexico), Rebecca Shankland (Los Alamos), Felicia Orth (Los Alamos), Dick Mason (Central New Mexico.)

Action Report

Submitted by Akkana Peck, Action Committee Chair

Our priorities for the session were Voting & Elections & Ethics; Environment; Health care; and Housing. We also advocated on bills related to Budgets & Taxes; Immigration; and other topics including the gun and public safety bills. For details on the bills supported in the legislative session and how they have done, see the tracking sheet linked from the Action page on our website: https://www.lwvnm.org/Action/

Program items to be considered by the 2025 Convention

By Judy Williams, LWVNM Program Chair

LWVNM Positions

Revisions from Council 2023

The 2024 LWVNM Council considered and adopted some revisions to positions. They are being brought to the 2025 Convention for ratification. The following positions were revised at Council: The Ethics position was revised by concurrence; and the Transparency position was revised by adding a statement from another LWVNM position.

Ethics. The Board considered a concurrence with the LWV of Connecticut position on ethics. The position, to be added to our position on Campaign Finance and Ethics: “The League of Women Voters of ~~Connecticut~~ New Mexico supports government officials and employees being held accountable for carrying out their duties in an effective and ethically responsible manner.” https://my.lwv.org/connecticut/position/ethics

Transparency. The Board voted to move a statement on transparency that is currently in the position on Land Use to the LWVNM position on Transparency. The LWVNM position on Land Use includes this statement: “Transparency and public participation in decision-making must be part of the process at all levels of government.” https://www.lwvnm.org/positions.html#landuse

New Proposal: Revision of the Affordable Housing Position with concurrence requests indicated by underlining.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports current and future efforts to increase the availability of safe, decent affordable housing for moderate and low-income households through the following actions.

Increase housing options for households in New Mexico, including but not limited to seniors, the disabled, and first-time homebuyers.
Promote a variety of housing styles and types for rent and for purchase that are integrated within communities, which should have a mix of market-rate and affordable units. (LWV Los Alamos)
Support strategies including public and private partnerships and grants, developmental agreements, rehabilitation, fee waivers, density bonuses, and an affordable housing trust fund and land bank.
Support programs and policies that link energy-efficient building electrification, transportation, land use, and affordable housing. (LWV Southern New Mexico )
Support protection of the rights of both tenants and landlords. (LWV California)
Support assistance for homeless programs which provide both shelter and services for targeted populations, particularly families and the mentally ill. (LWV Central New Mexico)

Justification

In recent years, the availability and affordability of housing in New Mexico has become a critical issue. Three of the local Leagues, as well as the State League have Housing positions. The State position was adopted in 2013 and requires amendments in order to address the changing landscape of housing needs in New Mexico and allow advocacy. The sheer number of housing related bills and the issues they are addressing is proof that members of the Legislature are engaged. However, the current LWVNM Affordable Housing position does not explicitly address the rights of tenants or landlords.

In the 2025 Legislature there are several bills addressing the terms of rental applications, background and screening processes as well as adequate notices of fee and rent increases, e.g. SB267, SB 216, HB43, HB98, HB339. While there is language in both the LWVNM Affordable Housing position and LWVUS position on Meeting Basic Human Needs that can be construed to support advocacy in this area, we would welcome an explicit statement regarding tenant and landlord rights in the LWVNM position removing all doubt.

Another area missing from the LWVNM current position is allowing advocacy for supportive services for transitional or permanent supportive housing. Supportive housing is a highly effective strategy that combines affordable housing with intensive wrap-around services to help people struggling with chronic physical and mental health issues maintain stable housing. Senate Bill 273, Transitional Housing for Veterans, is an example of this deficiency and no support or oppose action can be taken because the action is to provide supportive services along with housing.

Finally, the United States is in a time of transition from reliance on fossil fuels to more renewable and efficient energy. Building electrification technologies are available now and this transition requires us to ensure our LWVNM position is up-to-date with the moving landscape of electrification and energy efficiency in affordable housing.

LWVNM Positions

From lwvnm.org

SUSTAINABILITY (Adopted 2007)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that potential impacts on sustainability should be considered in formulating new positions and in advocating using current positions. Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the current generation without impairing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

CIVIL ENGAGEMENT/CIVIL DISCOURSE (Adopted 2019)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico promotes civil discourse through action and education for all government bodies, staff, and citizens for the purpose of improved public policy decisions and processes. Civil discourse means, at a minimum, mutually respectful, courteous, constructive, and orderly communication.

GOVERNMENT (Revised 2019)

Administration of Justice (Adopted 1962; revised 1987, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022)

Position in Brief:

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes in a justice system that ensures fair and humane treatment under the law for all persons regardless of legal status, is effective, equitable, and transparent, that fosters public trust at all stages, including law enforcement practices, pre-trial procedures, alternative sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry. All components must be adequately funded and coordinated in order to carry out these goals.

A high functioning law enforcement system is committed to the following principles and policies:

eliminating systemic bias;
focusing on humane treatment and rehabilitation with the goal of promoting the successful reentry into communities of those who have been incarcerated;
standardizing and sharing data among criminal justice and law enforcement agencies;
relying on evidence-based research in decision-making about law enforcement programs and policies (including scheduled, periodic audits of program and policy effectiveness).

LWVNM supports the following policies for law enforcement:

promoting safety practices for both law enforcement officers and the communities they serve;
building public trust and positive collaborative relationships through engagement with community members;
providing accountability via independent civilian oversight of law enforcement and publicly available data on officer conduct;
providing sufficient psychological services and counseling to meet stress-related needs of personnel;
staffing departments to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve;
training officers to identify individuals with behavioral health conditions, disabilities, or substance abuse/addiction, so that officers will request support from appropriate medical and behavioral health professionals with the goal of diverting those individuals into treatment instead of jail;
training officers on de-escalation techniques;
providing anti-bias training for all staff;
requiring all officers to render first aid to people who have been injured as a result of officer action;
conducting comprehensive background checks for all applicants to law enforcement and corrections positions;
authorizing minimal use of force and considering deadly force only when necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury.

Selection of Judges

Judges of New Mexico’s state courts, i.e. Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, District Courts, and Metropolitan Courts should be appointed by the governor from a screened list submitted by a non-partisan nominating commission and only be subject, at intervals, to non-partisan election for retention or rejection.

Public Defender Program

The League supports an adequately funded government-supported public defender program that provides legal aid to those unable to pay.

Guidelines for Criminal Penalties

The League supports consideration of the individual circumstances of the person charged and the nature of the crime. When appropriate, split sentencing and/or alternatives to incarceration should be explored and utilized to ease the burden on the criminal justice system. The League opposes mandatory minimum sentences, especially for drug offenses. The League supports the expansion of prevention and treatment programs, therapeutic courts, and pre-trial diversion programs. Alternatives to incarceration programs should emphasize diversion and reintegration into the community. These programs should be separate from correctional facilities. The community must be educated regarding these alternatives.

Death Penalty

The League opposes the death penalty and prefers a sentence of life in prison without parole as an alternative.

If the death penalty is reinstated, LWVNM supports the implementation of the recommendations in the Final Report of the State Bar of New Mexico Task Force to Study the Administration of the Death Penalty in New Mexico (January 2004) including:

adequate defense funding for capital cases;
a comprehensive proportionality study, including the development of a complete database of homicide prosecutions in New Mexico;
higher standards for defense counsel at all stages of the proceedings;
allowing opponents of the death penalty to serve on the jury for the first trial (to determine guilt or innocence in a capital case.

Funding

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a unified court system, adequately financed, with centralized administration and fiscal control.

The League believes that the law enforcement, judicial, and corrections systems must be adequately funded and professionally staffed in order to carry out their goals. Funding of specialized programs for offenders, including behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, is essential. The League supports sufficient funding to guarantee humane incarceration and to provide programs and services that offer the opportunity for self-improvement. The League believes that state funding should be provided for alternatives to incarceration. There must be adequate personnel for all courts.

Policies for Incarceration

LWVNM supports the following policies for incarceration:

ensuring that incarcerated people and corrections officers have clear, safe and accessible ways to report abuse;
addressing recidivism by instituting programs that focus on rehabilitation, education, behavioral health treatment, substance abuse recovery, and transitional programs;
adapting case management services to match education, behavior, job training, work, and behavioral health programs with the needs of incarcerated individuals;
providing sufficient psychological services, including training and evaluation, to meet the needs of the corrections officers;
encouraging family and community visitations and ways to maintain contact.
eliminating private prisons. Until space in public prisons is available, ensure that private prisons comply with all of the standards for state-run jails and prisons.
providing pre- and post-release programs, inclusive of probation services, to prepare as well as assess and address the needs of people re-entering the community.

Juvenile Justice

LWVNM believes that the system should provide:

trained and qualified judges, police, probation personnel, lawyers, providers, appointed advocates and others in the juvenile justice system;
local forensic diagnostic and/or evaluation services;
treatment programs to meet identified needs;
due process and legal representation at all stages of the child's contact with the law;
provision of legal and safe detention accommodations for all juveniles in custody;
monitoring of substitute care through Citizens Review Boards and Court Appointed Special Advocates;
education for all youth in the juvenile justice system.

Apportionment and Redistricting (Adopted 2009; revised 2013)

LWVNM supports a redistricting process and standards that provide the people with a meaningful choice in electing their representatives and facilitate holding government accountable.

The criteria for preparing redistricting maps should require that districts meet all Federal criteria including equal population and the provisions of the Voting Rights Act. In addition, it is important that districts:

be contiguous;
be reasonably compact, in terms of travel time from one part of the district to another;
avoid crossing geographic barriers to travel, such as mountain ranges;
minimize the partition of major jurisdictions (counties, municipalities) to the extent possible;
not intentionally favor any political party.

The League supports having an independent commission or other independent group develop redistricting plans meeting these criteria.

The public must have access to all information used in the redistricting process on a timely basis and have the opportunity to comment and be heard on the proposed redistricting processes, criteria, and results.

Campaign Finance and Ethics (Adopted 1993; revised 1999, 2002, 2007)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that methods of financing political campaigns and public offices should ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, maximize fiscal accountability and transparency, and allow maximum citizen participation in the political process.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a fair, equitable and reasonable combination of public/private funding of campaigns for New Mexico state elective offices. Participation in the public/private financing should be voluntary. Participants should agree to voluntary spending limits. The legislation should provide for a source of revenue to fund the program.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports limits on gifts and contributions to candidates for elected offices and to the holders of elected and appointed offices.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports firm and consistent enforcement of campaign finance, gift and contribution reporting laws with significant penalties for non-compliance and wide public dissemination of reports.

An independent office or commission should have the authority to oversee campaign finance and gift laws as well as other ethics rules and lobbying laws, to receive allegations and complaints, to conduct investigations and to present cases to the appropriate enforcement agencies.

Constitution (Adopted 1969)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a New Mexico Constitution which is concise and comprehensible, providing a basic framework adaptable to present and future needs of state government. LWVNM supports a less restrictive amending process in the Constitution.

Election Procedures (Adopted 1969; revised 1999, 2001, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports:

protection of the right of every citizen to vote;
verifiable and auditable procedures to guarantee the integrity of all statutory methods of voting in New Mexico;
funding to meet the requirements of the law and to serve the needs of the voters to ensure that elections are conducted accurately, fairly, and efficiently;
a centralized voter registration and election management system;
statewide uniformity in early voting for all elections;
an all-inclusive system of voting that allows all registered voters to participate in the primary election so that voters who are not enrolled in a major political party may vote on one ballot per primary without having to enroll in that particular party;
more direct citizen involvement in the candidate selection process for special elections to fill a vacancy;
consolidation of elections in New Mexico;
methods that increase voter participation, including automatic voter registration and same-day voter registration;
systems that improve the election experience and provide ease of ballot access including vote-by-mail, supplemented by secure ballot drop boxes and accessible voting centers;
amending the State Constitution to allow run-off elections in the case of non-partisan elections;
ranked choice voting for all statewide elections.

Executive (Adopted 1969; revised 1983, 1995)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports four-year terms for state executive officers, preferably elected in non-presidential years with limitation of two consecutive terms in the same office.

Legislature (Adopted 2019)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports legislative compensation that is fair and reasonable, recognizing that there is a cost to government and that the cost should be paid by the taxpayers of New Mexico.

The League recommends:

paying a salary that is high enough to attract and retain qualified, committed legislators;
providing legislators with adequate legal research and office assistance;
requiring legislative procedures and schedules to promote efficiency, transparency, accountability, and public accessibility.

Local Government (Adopted 1969; revised 2000)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports home rule for municipalities.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a combined form of city/county government.

Public Regulation Commission (Adopted 2012; revised 2013, 2023)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports the following with respect to the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) and the entity regulating insurance:

PRC candidates should be evaluated on the basis of qualifications by a broad-based nonpartisan process.
Candidates for the PRC should have education and/or appropriate professional experience in a related field or in consumer advocacy. There should also be mandated, ongoing professional training for Commissioners.
The PRC should be funded by assessments on the industries that it regulates and those funds should be sequestered from the general fund.
The legislature should approve a budget sufficient to enable the PRC to carry out its allotted duties successfully.
Insurance and Utilities should be regulated by separate agencies.
The laws forbidding ex parte communications between Commissioners and those who are interested parties in cases before the PRC should be very strong, and penalties for violating these laws also should be strengthened.
The PRC should have an inspector general charged with reviewing practices for handling incoming payments properly, conducting internal audits of other functions, and pursuing such other investigations as are deemed necessary.
The PRC Commissioners and advisory staff should be prohibited from working in a business regulated by the PRC for at least 1 year after they complete their tenure at the PRC.
Consumer interests should have strong representation when the PRC is making policy decisions and setting rates.

State Finance (Adopted 1971; revised 1975, 1983, 1989, 2014, 2017)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that a fair tax must be:

equitable, taking into consideration relevant differences between persons, such as their annual income;
certain, not arbitrary;
convenient with respect to timing and manner of payment;
economical to collect;
adequate to finance the essentials of government.

The tax system in New Mexico should be progressive. LWVNM may support taxes that are regressive if it is determined that the tax will achieve a socially desirable objective.

In evaluating the average burden of taxation within the state, taxes should be compared with income of New Mexico residents; in comparing the burden of taxation in New Mexico with the burden imposed by other states, state and local taxes should be combined.

Tax credits and/or deductions should be evaluated based on promotion of equity and the efficiency with which they achieve their purpose.

Tax credits may be a means of providing relief from the regressive nature of the sales and property tax.

The League believes it is the state's obligation to collect revenues to fund services that are generally state responsibilities, rather than depend on cities and counties to raise the funds.

State Personnel (Adopted 1954; revised 1983)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a merit system of selection, retention, promotion and dismissal of personnel in state government.

Term Limits (Adopted 1992; revised 1995)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico opposes term limits for our state legislators.

Transparency in State and Local Governments (Adopted 2011)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico (LWVNM) expects all state and local governments, executive and legislative, to follow the requirements of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act (OMA) and Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA).

LWVNM also recommends that all state and local governments, executive and legislative, adopt the following policies and practices regarding open meetings and public records, over and above what is legally required by the OMA and the IPRA, within reasonable budget constraints.

Open Meetings
Maintain a comprehensive list of all meetings that are open to the public, along with their time, place, and agenda. With the exception of emergency meetings, announce public meetings at least one week in advance, using display ads in standard public media and on the government web site. To the extent that is practical, have all written materials that will be used in a public meeting available a week in advance, preferably on-line, or let the public know where and how such materials can be obtained.
Broadcast as many public meetings as possible, in both real-time and an archived format, preferably on-line.
Allow time and access for public input on important issues.
Develop and publish a policy concerning public attendance and participation at meetings of government bodies that are not covered by the OMA.
Make draft minutes of public meetings available to the public as soon as they are filed with the clerk or other appropriate official.
In order to avoid the possibility or the perception that executive sessions may be used to keep from informing the public on certain issues, the League recommends the following policies on executive sessions:
- 1. Hold meetings in executive session only when absolutely necessary, even though the OMA may allow otherwise.
  2. Include an explanation of the purpose of the executive session in the meeting agenda.
  3. Keep a public record of all attendees at executive sessions and make that information public when the public body reconvenes after executive session.
  4. On important matters of wide public interest that have been discussed in executive session, publish a draft motion based on what was discussed in executive session and allow public input on it at a public meeting before a vote is taken.
Inspection of Public Records
Create an inspection of public records policy and procedure whose goal is to help the public obtain the maximum amount of information they may want to discover about their government and do so in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Publish a price list for copying different types of public records.
Develop a policy regarding the production and cost of spreadsheets, lists, and other reports which may not already exist as public documents but whose data exist within government files and in which there is a public interest.
Use the government website as a repository of all information that is most likely to be needed by the public, including (but not limited to) open meetings and public records policies, meeting lists, proposed agendas, minutes, contents of meeting packets, frequently requested documents, contact information for government employees, resolutions and ordinances, personnel and procurement policies, and the location and mission of various departments and divisions.
Use the government website as a repository for searchable budget and financial records, including operating budgets, expenditures over a specified amount, checks/warrants and any other budget and financial information made available to the governing body. These data should be in a non-proprietary format that maximizes the public's ability to download and analyze data.
Ensure that the government website is easy to use and search, that the information posted there is timely and up-to-date, and that it provides for interactive processes, such as requests for public records, whenever feasible.

LWVNM recommends that state and local governments go beyond open meetings and inspection of public records in their efforts toward open, accessible governance. We especially recommend these practices:

State and local governments' resolutions, ordinances, or published policies should cover ethics and conflict of interest, providing sanctions for violations.
Managers responsible for transparency should be trained and evaluated according to relevant statutes, policies, resolutions and ordinances. Elected officials should receive training on statutes and other mandates applicable to them.
State and local governments should encourage input and listen to their constituents. They should make it easy for constituents to comment on local issues, and as budgets allow they should periodically assess the needs, desires, and satisfaction of their constituents. They should respond to constituents' recommendations by changing policies and practices or providing explanations when they reject such input.
State and local governments should provide timely and complete information to their constituents on current topics.
State and local governments should provide up-to-date, easy-to-find information about their office locations, building directories, organization charts, and contact information for managers of key functions.

ENVIRONMENT (Adopted 1976; revised 1987, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that government should promote and ensure responsible stewardship of our natural, human, and cultural resources, particularly in the face of growth and development.

An essential prerequisite for protecting our resources is to require comprehensive analysis of the environmental and fiscal impacts of applications before issuing a development permit.

Agriculture

LWVNM recognizes the vital contribution that New Mexico farmers and ranchers make to our health and welfare by supplying us with food and promoting a vibrant economy for the state. LWVNM urges the state to work with the industry to promote research and education about more sustainable agricultural practices. As stewards of our natural and human resources, we must preserve healthy local ecosystems for future generations.

LWVNM urges the State of New Mexico to:

provide training programs on sustainable farming and ranching practices;
provide assistance to institutions of higher learning within the state to integrate sustainable agricultural practices into their curriculum;
regulate the management of livestock and crops to prevent contamination of soil, air, and water;
encourage farmers and ranchers to cooperate with wildlife managers to actively preserve and restore riparian habitat and natural stream flows;
provide more funding for the Cooperative Extension Service for the support of local agriculture.

Air Quality

The League supports programs that protect clean air. Effective air pollution controls should be implemented for both stationary and mobile sources of emissions.

The New Mexico Environment Department is the chief regulatory agency responsible for air quality protection in the state. It is important that the public has access to the regulation development process and that the subsequent permitting and enforcement ensure that air quality is protected from deterioration. Permitting and enforcement must be performed in a transparent manner.

Climate Change

The scientific evidence is clear that our climate is changing and that human activities resulting in the emission of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases are significant factors in the heating of the planet. The League supports policies and incentives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting greater energy efficiency; by developing clean, renewable energy sources; and by encouraging further research on alternatives to the combustion of fossil fuels for energy. Industries in New Mexico should be required to pursue carbon reduction strategies. The League also believes that government should educate the public about how to reduce individual carbon footprints and should offer incentives to do so.

Energy and Mining

The League supports:

environmentally sound resource extraction, power production and transmission;
strong measures to promote conservation of energy and water;
rigorous regulation and enforcement to prevent mining and drilling activities from contaminating surface or ground water or the surrounding landscape;
taxes on resource extraction and energy development in order to assist communities with associated infrastructure costs;
adequate bonding or other financial guarantees for mining and drilling activities to fund clean-up operations in the event of abandonment by companies.

Environmental Justice

The League believes that government must conduct its programs, policies, and activities in a manner that promotes equity and affords fair treatment, accessibility, and protection for all residents, regardless of race, age, culture, income, or geographic location. Land Use

The League finds that the responsible management of our land is critically important to ensure the long-term health and well-being of all New Mexicans, to protect the resilience of our urban and rural communities, and to preserve habitats and natural landscapes for the continued viability of all species.

The League further notes that land use is inextricably linked with other important issues such as water, energy, food, transportation, air quality, and climate change. Strategic planning at the local, regional, and state levels must not consider land use in isolation. Government subsidies for development should only be approved when the benefit to society justifies the full cost and outweighs any detriment to the natural environment.

The League believes that, as the responsible steward of our land use resources, state government should:

revise land use planning, zoning, and subdivision statutes to better protect our natural resources;
provide oversight, technical assistance, and funding to ensure that all communities are able to comply with comprehensive planning requirements;
require comprehensive planning by local governments that is
updated on a regular basis;
consistent with regional water plans;
implemented by zoning and subdivision ordinances;
ensure coordination among key state agencies responsible for stewardship of our state’s resources;
improve communication and coordination between Native American communities and federal, state, and local governments in New Mexico;
encourage local communities to enact measures to conserve energy, integrate transportation planning, consider availability of water and other resources;
protect the quality of the environment for people of all economic levels;
preserve open space and natural habitat for wildlife by identifying and regulating areas of critical concern including fragile areas, wildlife corridors, historic areas, riparian habitats, and natural hazard lands.

Transparency and public participation in decision-making must be part of the process at all levels of government.

A substantial portion of the land in New Mexico is controlled by the State Land Office (SLO). The LWVNM believes that the SLO should practice transparency and accountability in its actions and should include local communities in decision-making. The State Legislature should ensure that the State Land Commissioner has the support needed to maximize profits and minimize administrative costs, while protecting the environment and preserving the long-term value of the land.

Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Greater than Class C Waste (Adopted 2021)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico (LWVNM) supports comprehensive measures to provide protection of human health and the environment from any adverse effects of the storage of radioactive materials produced by nuclear energy, including Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and Greater than Class C Waste (GTCC).

LWVNM supports the storage of SNF/GTCC only when it is implemented in a manner that protects public health, safety and the environment and when it is in compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations. In general, the League supports:

Policies for the management of SNF/GTCC wastes to protect public health and air, water, and land resources;
The establishment of processes for effective involvement of state and local government and citizens in siting proposals for storage of radioactive wastes;
Full environmental review of storage facilities for radioactive wastes;
Safe transport, storage, and disposal of radioactive wastes;
Financial guarantees to cover costs of accidents, clean-up and reclamation; and
Federal ownership and management of storage facilities.

1. Federal vs Private Site Ownership and Management

The League strongly recommends Federal management of SNF/GTCC storage facilities rather than management by private corporations to maximize oversight and transparency. The public must be able to monitor the adequacy of operations and the implementation of safety measures to reduce radiation exposure to the lowest reasonably achievable level.

Radiation exposure must consider time (radioactive decay), distance (proximity to radioactive material), and shielding (adequate containment that maintains its integrity throughout the storage and related transport, inspection, and handling operations). Contamination of the soil and surface and ground water must be prevented.

Privately owned/operated facilities should be considered only if the operations comply with all federal laws.

2. Public Participation

The public has the right to know the potentially harmful effects of materials they encounter in the workplace and community. Residents must be included in the planning and decision-making processes for SNF and GTCC material management decisions. Adequate funding to promote public participation should be available and all options, including in-person and virtual means, for participation during public comment periods must be made available to all residents. Local communities of all sizes, including sovereign nations, must be involved to the greatest extent possible.

3. New Mexico Regulatory Structure

The State of New Mexico should establish an integrated regulatory structure with provisions at least as strict as those of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) clearly delineating jurisdictional and agency responsibilities for the safe storage of radioactive waste generated from power operations. The regulatory agency should include adequate budget and staff and be accountable to the public. It must be adequately staffed by qualified technical personnel with the education, experience, and authority necessary to sufficiently monitor SNF/GTCC storage facility compliance. The body must have the authority to impose penalties for any violations.

4. Specific Criteria

When considering any license application or proposal for developing an interim storage site, whether from a public or private entity in New Mexico, the following criteria must all be satisfied:

Ensure that any privately owned/operated SNF/GTCC storage facility, if approved, operates in accordance with all safety controls required for licensing of government-owned or utility-owned SNF storage facilities;
Ensure that current Aging Management Programs (AMPs) are imposed at all SNF and GTCC storage facilities. The AMPs must be monitored and upgraded as new research results become available and new technologies are developed to minimize radiation exposure and to extend storage for a longer period if needed.
Require that SNF storage facility owner/operators adequately characterize the subsurface geology and hydrology of a proposed site using modern techniques to ensure that no potential hazards are present and to ensure that no hydraulic fracturing or wastewater disposal wells are located close to the site. Require the evaluation of the impact on local archaeological and cultural sites and consultation with the New Mexico Environment Department.
Ensure that any private contracting of SNF/GTCC transportation complies with both NRC/Department of Transportation/Agreement State requirements and with the same New Mexico and tribal notification requirements as for government transportation.
Ensure that financial and liability responsibilities for transporting the waste, for funding for necessary upgrades to rail lines and roads used for SNF transport, and for cleanup in case of an accident are assigned to the federal government, not to New Mexico, prior to license approval for interim storage facilities.
Ensure that the federal government is responsible for costs associated with emergency responders in case of accidents during shipping.
Ensure that requirements for repackaging SNF/GTCC prior to acceptance at a proposed SNF storage facility will be sufficient to resist fuel degradation and cask corrosion or deterioration so integrity of casks is maintained throughout the storage period. Require contingency plans for maintaining cask integrity at interim sites.
Ensure that NRC evaluation of the licensing documents for a SNF/GTCC storage facility adequately covers all risk factors prior to approval. Ensure that the 2020 NRC rulemaking for GTCC storage provides adequate protection of the public and the environment until a permanent U.S. solution for SNF/GTCC disposal is approved.
Require a private applicant for a storage facility license to establish a liability trust fund, analogous to the decommissioning fund, as a financial assurance to the community in case of an accident. Alternatively, require a private owner/operator of a nuclear waste storage facility in New Mexico to have a letter of indemnification from a bank or other financial institution to pay for costs incurred in the event of an accident at the site, a leak of radioactive materials, and clean-up of the site after abandonment. Such indemnification should cover individuals and/or communities for economic damages caused by involuntary exposure to radioactive materials.
Require that financial resources be available to comply with safety regulations or that the storage facilities be indemnified by federal government extension of the Price Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnification Act to ensure continued worker and public safety and protection of the environment.
Require compensation to the local community and to the state for normal operations. Funding committed to communities should be defined prior to approval and transparency measures should permit New Mexico to determine whether these financial assurances are adequate. The compensation should be commensurate with the risk of having a SNF/GTCC waste storage facility in New Mexico for sixty or seventy years as tourism and development may be impacted significantly, requiring more incentives than the limited employment that these facilities will contribute to the economy.

Transfer of Federal Public Lands (Adopted 2019, Revised 2020)

The League believes that federal public lands should benefit all Americans. The lands should remain under the jurisdiction of the federal government with Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands managed according to the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield policy. We support improvements in management and regulation.

Federal law allows for the sale or exchange of federal lands if it is in the public interest. Prior to any transfer, a comprehensive assessment that covers the following issues should be performed:

environmental analysis, including air and water quality, biodiversity, endangered and threatened species
health impacts
environmental justice
suitability of proposed land use
subsurface resources
financial/economic impacts
cultural resources
public access
management for fire and other natural disasters
tribal consultation.

The League is opposed to the sale of federal lands to private entities except for small tracts surrounded by nonfederal lands.

The League is opposed to the transfer of subsurface rights to the state or other entities. Any development of subsurface rights on federal land should benefit all Americans.

Transportation

The League believes it is important to integrate transportation into land use planning. To reduce vehicle miles traveled, it is essential to encourage alternatives to the single occupant vehicle. Thus, the League supports government decisions to:

improve public access to integrated mass transit systems, especially to link workplace and neighborhood destinations;
improve public access to alternative forms of transportation such as cycling and walking.

The League calls for government agencies responsible for transportation planning to reach out to the general public to improve public participation in transportation-related decisions. All future road projects should take into account the needs of all people.

Waste Management

The League supports policies that:

reduce the generation and promote the reuse and recycling of waste materials;
ensure safe treatment, transportation, storage and disposal of materials that cannot be re-used or recycled in order to protect public health and natural resources;
involve state and local governments and citizens in the consideration of proposals for treatment, storage, disposal and transportation of materials;
ensure that the full cost of remediation is borne by those who cause the pollution.

Water Quality

The League supports stringent regulations to protect ground and surface water quality from pollution that can impact human health as well as the natural flora and fauna. Such regulations must be strictly enforced.

Water Resources/Supply (Adopted 2010)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that consumptive use of water in New Mexico must be in balance with renewable supply. Healthy ecosystems naturally perform services that benefit both people and nature, such as cleaning water, reducing floods, and creating fish and wildlife habitat. To secure the benefits of functioning ecosystems and to conserve New Mexico's biodiversity, sufficient water must be budgeted for environmental flows. The creation and adherence to comprehensive water budgets is essential to preserve public lands, water, and open space, and to ensure that there will be enough water for future generations of New Mexicans. The state, water regions, and local governments must:

monitor and measure all water resources and uses, and publish this information;
use a public process to create and follow water budgets;
educate citizens on their responsibilities as well as their rights;
promote strategies to reduce demand;
minimize water contamination in order to promote the health and safety of all life;
preserve and restore rivers and watersheds.

Conservation of water and efficiency of use must be encouraged to enable New Mexico to meet its interstate compact obligations, to help balance use with supply, to relieve stress on the physical system, and to reduce net depletion.

Regional Water Planning

The League supports continued funding for regional planning. Using a public process, regional planning should:

gather and publish data on supply and demand and provide regular updates;
create a balanced water budget;
identify critical and emerging issues.

Local land use plans should be required to be consistent with applicable regional water plans.

The public welfare statements of a regional water plan should be considered by the State Engineer when reviewing applications for transfer of water rights.

Land Use and Water

Land use and development must be tied to water availability. To encourage this:

Compliance with water availability determinations by the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) under the Subdivision Act should be mandatory.
Review of subdivision applications pursuant to the Subdivision Act should be expanded to encompass all divisions of land.
Long-term cumulative impacts as well as short-term water requirements of development should be taken into consideration by the local permitting authority.
The applicant must be required to acquire water rights before development can proceed.
The impact of any transfer of water rights on the area of origin must be assessed.
The permitting authority should evaluate the impact of proposed developments on "public welfare" as defined by the applicable regional water plan and be able to demonstrate that the proposed development is consistent with the plan.
New residential and commercial developments should be water-efficient.
Growth should not be permitted where water is not available.

Local zoning and subdivision statutes should be updated. State and local governments should collaborate in addressing the problem of antiquated subdivisions in order to facilitate planning and to make the water budget process meaningful.

Role of Government

State government and the legal process must work to reconcile the many claims on New Mexico water in a manner that is open and as fair as possible. Among other considerations:

Communal as well as private interests must be respected in applying water law;
Maintenance of in-stream flow and general ecological health must be recognized as a "beneficial use" of water.

The Office of the State Engineer should be adequately funded to execute its functions. In addition:

The OSE must be given more authority to regulate domestic well permits. Improved regulation and monitoring of domestic wells and septic systems is essential to protect groundwater supplies and should be adequately funded.
The effort to gather data must be coordinated and adequately funded by the state, which should establish consistent protocols, accounting methods, and terminology.
The state should also help implement the regional water plans and provide coordination among planning activities at the different levels of government and across river basins.

Government should support research on water-related issues including:

methods to manage and store water that lose less to evaporation;
best agricultural practices that optimize the use of water for both farmers and downstream users, while sustaining the natural flow;
urban systems that maximize water re-use;
health of the state's rivers and watersheds.

Governments at every level must educate citizens by developing and disseminating data about water resources. Local governments must promulgate and enforce regulations promoting conservation, including positive incentives and rate structures.

Wildlife (Adopted 2018)

The League supports the conservation and protection of wildlife and their habitats for the contribution they make toward the health and sustainability of the environment.

EDUCATION (Adopted 1987; revised 1995, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that education is the foundation for a strong and viable democracy. As a multicultural and multilingual state, New Mexico must incorporate the principle of educational equity in its practices and policies to ensure the highest level of academic achievement for all students. The public education system should impart to students an understanding of the nature of democracy, the ability to think critically, and the skills necessary to function successfully in a complex society.

LWVNM believes that every student should have access to a high-quality, equitable, publicly funded education regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, family income, or geographical location. Each student should be respected as an individual in learning environments that value diverse cultures.

The League supports public schools as the primary institutions for educating students and opposes the presence of private, for-profit companies in the governance, management, and provision of public education. LWVNM believes that the Public Education Commission should use its Constitutional authority to advise the department on policy matters and perform other functions as provided by law.

The League believes in accountability, transparency, and equity in the use of public funds for education.

Essential elements for a high-quality, equitable education system include knowledgeable and skillful educators provided with relevant professional development options; early childhood education and care programs; multicultural and multilingual education with challenging academic content; physical, social, and mental health support services for students based on data; learning technologies and infrastructure; college and career preparation programs; and opportunities for post-secondary education, with sufficient funding and resources distributed effectively and equitably.

Teachers, Administrators and Staff:

1. Implement measures to improve the preparation, recruitment, and professional development of quality educators with in-depth knowledge in core academic subjects and instructional strategies.
2. Provide adequate funding to attract and retain an educational workforce that reflects the diversity of New Mexico’s students.
3. Ensure that educators utilize materials that are culturally sensitive and address potentially prejudicial or biased information and behavior.
4. Provide educators with strategies to help them explore the cultural backgrounds of their students and develop content relevant to their students’ experiences.
5. Train educators to use effective strategies to help English language learners.
6. Provide meaningful, ongoing professional development in technological, multicultural, and social-emotional learning to support students in classroom and online learning.
7. Provide high-quality mentoring and teaming opportunities for teachers.
8. Compensate educators with salaries that are competitive with other professions requiring similar skills and implement measures to attract and retain well-qualified teachers, support personnel, and administrators.

Early Childhood Education:

1. Fund sufficiently a broad base of social service agencies, providers, and schools to foster the development of children from birth to age five and prepare them for success in school and life.
2. Provide quality early childhood care providers and educators with culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate programming and access to resources through cross-agency partnerships.
3. Emphasize holistic development of preschoolers through programming that supports social, emotional, cognitive, and physical learning.
4. Provide programs that encourage increased family involvement in the education of their children.

K-12 Education:

Use the Common Core State Standards to provide a framework for knowledge and the academic skills that students are expected to master, with flexibility to determine how the standards are learned and assessed.
Develop to each student's highest potential the knowledge and skills needed for success along with a broad understanding and appreciation of history and prospects for the future.
Cultivate each student’s capacity to solve problems and make decisions.
Provide opportunities for all students to develop their aesthetic awareness and creative abilities.
Foster an awareness of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of participation in a democratic society.
Foster an understanding of basic economic principles and the need to manage resources for the benefit of both present and future generations.
Provide the tools to make wise college and career choices and to understand the importance of each individual's work in the local, national, and world economies.
Promote practices that lead to physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Enhance the sense of community within the school, as a microcosm of the larger society, through standards of conduct that reflect a concern for the opinions, values, aspirations, and well-being of all.
Develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of students through experiential learning, project-based learning, and through the use of technology.
Maintain and use health and social service teams in the schools to identify and work with students and their parents or caregivers, with referrals to appropriate community agencies when necessary.
Integrate civics education at all educational levels.

Promoting Continuous Improvement in Learning:

1. Focus student evaluation on student academic progress rather than rigid standards of proficiency.
2. Use student testing to assist teachers in providing effective and timely strategies for student academic achievement.
3. Implement measures to improve the preparation, recruitment, professional development, and retention of quality educators with in-depth knowledge in core academic subjects and instructional strategies.
4. Follow due process procedures when terminating teachers and principals who do not meet minimum standards.
5. Base assessment of school and teacher performance on overall quality of the education provided to the students and improvements in student academic growth as measured by multiple methods, including professional observations.

Post-secondary Education:

The League believes that all qualified students should have the opportunity to acquire a post-secondary education and that successful participation should be aided by a variety of resources. Post-secondary education includes public career-technical, community college, undergraduate, and graduate institutions. Preschool, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education should be viewed as a continuum leading to lifelong learning.

Effective programs:

1. Prepare students for increasingly difficult academic work and explain graduation standards and expectations.
2. Provide information to middle school and high school students and families regarding academic and financial issues related to attending postsecondary education institutions, including the variety of options and dual credit.
3. Provide state-funded need-based financial aid to enable all qualified students to attain a postsecondary education.
4. Increase state-funded merit-based scholarships to attract and retain high quality students from New Mexico.
5. Facilitate positive engagement in learning, using a variety of resources to support students socially and emotionally and improve academic performance.

Community Involvement:

Collaborate with all sectors of the community to improve public education at all levels.
Seek business cooperation in offering work schedules that support school attendance.
Ask businesses and community organizations to provide support and find work or service opportunities for students, to create incentives to encourage students to develop career skills and graduate from high school and post-secondary institutions.
Implement programs that increase the engagement of families in the education of students at all grade levels.
Develop partnerships in order to provide expanded and enriched learning opportunities, student health and social services, active family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership practices.

Charter Schools: (Adopted 2016)

Charter schools are discretionary programs intended to fill unmet needs and/or to test innovative instructional strategies to produce quality educational outcomes. Before authorizing or reauthorizing charter schools, policy makers must ensure that adequate funds are available for traditional public schools. A charter school should not be authorized unless it would serve a need the traditional schools cannot and there is a demonstrated need based on student population projections. Appropriate instructional and support services must be provided in all public schools to meet the diverse needs of individual students.

For the sake of assuring accountability and transparency and minimizing the fiscal impact of charter schools, LWVNM recommends the following:
Require charter school finances and budget processes be available for public scrutiny and provide opportunities for public input into decision-making.
Require charter school governing council members to adhere to standards and best practices as delineated by the NM School Boards Association, Public Education Department regulations, and state statutes. Minimize the amount allocated to for-profit management and business operations with oversight provided by state-approved auditors.
Make funding equitable for charter schools and traditional public schools.
Fund virtual charter schools less per student since schools do not require brick and mortar facilities.
Enforce an effective performance-based accountability system with benchmarks for increased proficiency, academic growth, and college/career readiness standards to ensure that charter schools demonstrate positive student outcomes.
Put charter schools that do not meet the established benchmarks on time-limited improvement plans and do not allow them to increase enrollment or continue unless they have met the benchmarks.
Disseminate effective charter and traditional public-school innovations to improve the educational system at large.

Funding for Public Education: (Adopted 1973; revised 1983, 1993, 2002, 2007, 2015)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports sufficient funding for a high-quality, equitable educational system for all students that is consistently and fairly applied across the state.

Fund programs that foster children’s development from birth to age 5 for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Use the New Mexico State Equalization Guarantee funding formula to achieve equity and provide fair funding for every student based on need, regardless of location, making periodic modifications to assure that the formula is faithful to its original intent.

Fund internet services and technology infrastructure, educator training, extended learning time, and other programs to support students in high-quality online, hybrid, and remote instruction. Fund structured information exchange among educators to improve learning outcomes.

Fund career-technical programs and magnet schools in accordance with their increased costs.

Fund programs that support successful transitions from high school to postsecondary education, careers, and work, including dual credit.

Fund school social workers, health care providers, and career counselors as professional educators.

Allow local school districts to control the funds distributed to them.

Fund all state and federal mandates so as not to place an undue burden on public schools.

Fund public post-secondary education sufficiently reflecting the types and levels of educational institutions, program offerings, differences in student needs and preparation, educator

qualifications, and other expenses.

Fund scholarships, low-interest loans, and loans for service to incentivize students’ completion of post-secondary degrees and certificates.

SOCIAL POLICY (Revised 2019)

Affordable Housing (Adopted 2013)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports current and future efforts to increase the availability of safe, decent, and affordable housing for moderate and low-income households through the following actions:

increase housing options for households in New Mexico, including but not limited to seniors, the disabled, and first-time homebuyers;
promote a variety of housing styles and types for rent and for purchase that are integrated within communities;
support strategies including public and private partnerships and grants, developmental agreements, rehabilitation, fee waivers, density bonuses, and an affordable housing trust fund and land bank;
support policies that link transportation, land use, and affordable housing.

Child Care (Adopted 1978; revised 1983, 2003)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes there should be an adequate supply of good quality child care throughout New Mexico, both in child care centers and in family day care homes, to be implemented by:

fiscally responsible planning and use of private, industrial and government funds;
appropriate licensing requirements and supervisory procedures;
support services for parents;
efforts to make quality child care available to all who need such services;
programs to meet the before and after school needs of school-age children.

Children and Families (Adopted 1977; Revised 1978, 1979, 1985, 1993, 1995, 2003, 2015)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that our state has no resource of greater importance than its children. Programs, personnel and facilities that promote and encourage the child's fullest development must be a high priority within the private sector as well as in city, county and state governments.

LWVNM believes that social, economic and legal concerns must be interconnected for the fair and equitable treatment of all children.

LWVNM supports a continuum of services that is available to all children and their families.

The programs in the continuum should include, but not be limited to: prevention, intervention, family support, education, enhancement of physical, emotional, and social well- being; substitute care; and juvenile justice programs. The programs and associated services in the continuum should be community-based wherever feasible.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports the establishment of rigorous standards for all facilities serving children and youth and the development of clear professional guidelines for all staff members. Programs should include but not be restricted to:

Physical and Emotional Health and Well-being

Crisis intervention services available locally;
Community diagnostic and/or evaluation procedures.

Substitute Care (out of home care)

Carefully supervised crisis shelter care that would separate neglected and abused children from juvenile offenders;
Provision of group homes, residential treatment centers, foster and therapeutic foster homes.

Family Support

Community-based programs for intervention and diversion. Services should include family, individual and group counseling and therapy, youth advocacy and referrals;
Parenting education;
Family crisis and domestic relations intervention.

Economic Development (Adopted 2003)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports economic development with a focus on:

economic growth more than population growth;
good jobs with good wages;
quality of life;
consistency with protection of the environment and natural resources, particularly water; and
capitalizing on what is already here, such as existing businesses, technologies, and people (e.g. creativity).

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that the state should have a strong leadership role in planning, implementing, and funding economic development. This role should include:

supporting/assisting state regions in developing their own unique plans;
developing an excellent educational system;
expanding the use within the state of the capabilities of the universities and the labs; and
providing centralized expertise for specialized areas such as technology commercialization, international trade, intellectual property, and regulatory approvals

Fair Lending Practices (Adopted 2017)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports policies, legislation, and programs that enable a small dollar loan market that maintains access to affordable credit while safeguarding consumers.

The League believes that a loan is affordable if the borrower can repay the loan and cover basic expenses without borrowing again or obtaining money from another source. Governments should be able to regulate lending in order to achieve a viable small dollar loan market that provides consumer access to affordable credit and safeguards against predatory lending. Criminal charges and penalties for loans in default should be explicitly prohibited by New Mexico law.

The League supports:

consumer credit regulations that increase restrictions on short-term loans and require lenders to offer affordable loans;
financial education measures that increase the ability of consumers to successfully use small dollar loan financial products.

Gun Safety (LWVUS position on Gun Control in brief, revised 2019)

The LWVNM supports regulation of firearms for public safety.

Health Care (Adopted 1991; revised 1993, 2005, 2007, 2017, 2019)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a health care system that provides a comprehensive level of health care for New Mexico residents and recognizes the need for efficient management of health care costs.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.

Every New Mexico resident should have a comprehensive level of health care. The League favors a national health insurance plan, but until one is in place, the League supports expansion of state and federal plans. (Revised and adopted 2005.)

LWVNM believes that any health system implemented should have the following:

Quality health coverage for all New Mexicans: Every New Mexican should have full health care coverage, a benefit package that is at least equal to the best plan offered to state employees, and access to the services covered. Participation should be mandatory. Pre-existing conditions should not be excluded from coverage.
“Seamless” coverage and continuity of care, to the extent possible, regardless of changes in life circumstances such as change in employment, marital status, financial status, or health status.
Effective cost management: Cost management should increase the health care benefits that accrue to patients from any given level of spending. Cost and pricing data from private and government sources should be transparent.
Improvement of health care quality and safety: A comprehensive effort to improve the quality and safety of health care in New Mexico should be launched and sustained, with dramatically increased public funding.
Equitable funding: Reform should seek to reduce or eliminate cost-shifting across categories of insurance programs and payers, both public and private, and to make the distribution of financial burdens more equitable. Billing should be comprehensible and transparent.
No one should be forced into poverty because of medical needs.
Simplified administration: Reform should include the development of standardized forms, minimization of complicated co-pays/deductibles, and assurances of timely payment to provider. (Adopted 2007.)

Death with Dignity (Adopted 2017)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes:

State laws should grant the option for terminally ill people to request medical assistance from a licensed physician to end their lives;
Such legislation should provide safeguards against abuse for the dying and/or medical personnel.

Mental Health (Adopted 2013)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico (LWVNM) expects state and local governments to support an adequately funded mental health care system that provides comprehensive services to the acutely, chronically and seriously mentally ill of all ages; maintains optimal mental health services for all clients; places emphasis on meeting the needs of children; offers mental health services for the homeless; seeks additional funds for preventive services; implements a master plan to integrate services; raises awareness of critical unmet needs; and emphasizes case management.

LWVNM specifically supports:

Adequately funded mental health care systems that:
- 1. provide comprehensive services to the acutely, chronically and seriously mentally ill of all ages;
  2. place emphasis on meeting the needs of children;
  3. seek additional funds to provide preventive services;
  4. offer mental health services for the homeless;
  5. maintain optimum mental health services for all clients.
Implementation of a master plan that:
- 1. ensures that there will be a network of integrated services, clearly defined and consistent with a community support model;
  2. advocates an awareness of and concern about the critical unmet needs;
  3. emphasizes case management that includes assistance with housing, financial entitlements, rehabilitative and vocational programs.
Centers for the seriously and chronically mentally ill apart from the county system.
Regulations that provide an adequate length of time for evaluation and treatment of involuntary holds.
Model mandatory outpatient care programs with adequate supervisory staff.

Reproductive Health (Adopted 2019)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports every woman’s right to access affordable, high-quality reproductive health care, including access to abortion services and birth control.

LWVNM supports:

reproductive rights — including access to abortion — as a health care issue decided by a woman and her health care provider
birth control as well as access to publicly funded family planning services.

LWVNM opposes:

statutory and regulatory restrictions on birth control and/or abortion.

Immigration (Adopted 2019)

LWVNM supports immigration policies that:

promote reunification of families;
meet the economic, business and employment needs of the United States;
provide due process for those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises;
provide for student visas;
ensure fair treatment under the law for all persons;
incorporate immigrants into our communities by providing access to education;
endorse the development of secure identification documents;
respect the right of state and local law enforcement personnel to perform their duties without the burden of enforcing federal immigration policies.

In transition to a reformed system, LWVNM supports provisions for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status.

Living Wage (Adopted 2015)

LWVNM believes that alleviating poverty is the shared responsibility of government, employers, individuals, and non-profit assistance organizations. All sectors should be involved in setting an adequate minimum wage or living wage. The living wage is the minimum required to avoid poverty without government assistance and subsidies. The living wage (gross income) should cover the costs of food, clothing, housing, energy, transportation, health care, K-12 education, child-care, taxes (income, Social Security), and supplemental expenses for work and school.

The LWVNM supports the passage by the state legislature of a minimum wage law tied to the cost of living and also supports the passage of minimum wage ordinances by local governments, if they perceive a need.

Net Neutrality, High-Speed Internet, Public Access Media (Adopted 2018)

Net Neutrality

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that a free and open Internet is increasingly important to the protection of individual liberties - freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association - guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. LWVNM also believes that net neutrality protections are essential for political discourse, dissemination of news, and democratic participation. Therefore, LWVNM supports protecting the open, neutral, and nondiscriminatory nature of the Internet.

Universal High-Speed Internet for New Mexico

High-speed affordable Internet access is an essential service that should be readily available to all New Mexico residents and businesses. State and local government policies should support affordable broadband, wireless, and other means of high-speed Internet deployment throughout the state and should encourage consumer choice in broadband providers. Furthermore, LWVNM supports making high-speed Internet access available to all New Mexico residents, without charge, through schools, libraries, and other secure public buildings.

Efficient, high-speed access to the Internet for all New Mexico residents - regardless of geographic location or neighborhood demographics - is a necessity for ensuring equal access to local and state government, for maintaining openness and transparency in government activities, for communicating with legislative leaders, for engaging in political discourse, for competing in the global marketplace, and for assuring that voters receive the information they need to participate in our democracy.

Public Access Media

LWVNM believes that community access television and radio channels – for public, educational, and governmental programming – must be adequately protected, promoted, and funded for New Mexico residents. Community access media should be available on basic service tiers and over the Internet. Government should provide opportunities for citizen participation in decisions regarding community access media.

Access to the public airwaves is essential to the public interest and to the League of Women Voters’ mission and purpose: to protect civil liberties, to ensure open, transparent government, and to promote the public’s right to know.

Substance Abuse Policy

Drug Policy (Adopted 1984; revised 2002, 2003, 2007, 2015)

The term “drug” is meant to include all addictive drugs, including alcohol. The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports:

treatment for all persons with drug addiction;
syringe exchange programs in New Mexico;
rehabilitation programs;
public education programs;
close cooperation between tribal, local and state officials;
adequate funding for enforcement, rehabilitation and education programs. These programs should be prudently and appropriately funded.

Alcohol (Adopted 2014)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that alcohol abuse is a public health issue and can be most effectively approached as such.

To address the impact of alcohol abuse, the League supports the following:

raising taxes on the sale of alcohol. Research has shown increasing taxes is the single most effective way to reduce death, harm, and costs associated with alcohol abuse.
dedicating all funds raised by increasing taxes on alcohol to treatment and prevention programs. No taxes on alcohol should be distributed to the New Mexico General fund.
giving a high priority to screening and treatment solutions for alcohol abuse;
consolidating prevention programs to make better use of limited resources;
increasing the emphasis on community after-school services and supervision programs for minors;
enacting laws making consumption of alcohol by minors illegal except under the supervision of their parents.

The League’s priorities for taking action to reduce alcohol abuse are:

1. establishing education and prevention programs, especially for minors;

2. developing and funding well-organized, efficient, and effective treatment programs with dedicated revenue streams;

3. increasing parental responsibility by means of education and social responsibility laws.

LWVNM may adopt new positions by consensus or concurrence. Once they are formally accepted by the Board, they may be used for advocacy. In odd-numbered years, LWVNM Convention delegates formally vote to adopt the new, updated, and continuing positions or to drop or modify them.

www.lwvnm.org leaders@lwvnm.org