Legislative Finance Committee

State funding for public school student transportation reached a record high of $133.8 million in FY25 despite continued enrollment and bus ridership declines.

New Mexico’s 326 electric vehicle charging stations is far below the 1,300 state average but in proportion to the number of EVs in the state. But stations are not evenly distributed through the state, with three-quarters of stations in urban areas and rural and tribal lands largely underserved.

Around 40 percent of those released from New Mexico prisons will return within three years, but even though national best practices to address recidivism are well-studied, New Mexico falls short of implementing those best practices upon intake, in the reentry process, and in community supervision.

New Mexico revenue growth has slowed, with fiscal year 2025-2026 revenue estimated at just 2.6 percent over the current 2024-2025 fiscal year, but fiscal restraint in years of substantial revenue growth means the amount available for FY26 appropriations remains high, with the state estimated to get approximately $892 million more in total revenues than in total FY25 planned spending.

At the end of first quarter of FY25 at the end of September, outstanding capital outlay balances totaled an estimated $5.8 billion across roughly 5,300 projects.

While a growing number of behavioral health providers could help reduce the number of New Mexicans who abuse substances and suffer other behavioral health issues, the state should also develop high-quality, evidence-based services and use data and analysis to focus efforts.

New Mexico has eliminated a 13-year-old waiting list for home- and community-based services for the developmentally disabled but the additional clients strained provider capacity and quality-monitoring and cost-containment issues remain.

From July 2023 to April 2024, the state collected $55.3 million more than expected for the fiscal year. Through April, the money collected is 12.5 percent more than through the same period last year.