Legislative Finance Committee

A $170 million investment intended to boost the number of nursing, teaching, and social work graduates, mostly by adding college faculty, is falling short, with colleges and universities slow to implement programs.

Although medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse is proven effective and is available in more than 30 state public health offices, the offices have treated only a few hundred patients with opioid and alcohol use disorders.

The state collected $272 million more than expected during the first seven months of the budget year—2.9 percent more than in the same period last year—and the state’s main bank account is set to have $200 million more than projected for the budget year.

Piecemeal funding, little review, and other factors mean legislative funding for local capital outlay package is often ineffective, but a better system for assessing and prioritizing projects, along with incentives to encourage better planning and greater use of grants, could lead to better outcomes.

The Legislature has upped spending on science and technology economic development by tens of millions of dollars with the anticipation it will lead to high-paying jobs for New Mexicans.

State election costs nearly tripled between the 2021 regular local election and the 2024 general election, largely due to increased vendor and county costs

Nearly two decades after LFC evaluators began tracking cohorts of prekindergarten students, evaluators are still finding that students who enroll in state-funded prekindergarten score better on literacy assessments and graduate at higher rates.

New Mexico has enacted legislation and significantly increased appropriations in support child welfare system improvements, but the state has faced implementation challenges.