It's yes to Yazzie and a get to work message for Governor Lujan Grisham. The news:

A state district judge on Monday rejected the governor's motion to dismiss Yazzie/Martinez v. The State of New Mexico, a landmark education funding lawsuit. "Until there are long-term comprehensive reforms implemented by the state," First Judicial District Judge Matthew Wilson said, "the court will maintain jurisdiction over this case." 

In 2018 Judge Sarah Singleton ruled New Mexico's schools had been depriving English-learning, Native American, low-income and special-education students — around 80 percent of the state's 330,000 students — of an education that adequately prepares them for college and careers.

That MLG would challenge Singleton's finding that the state was in violation of its Constitution for failing to provide for children at risk was perplexing. She had said early in her term that she supported Singleton's ruling and would launch an educational "moonshot" to correct deficiencies. But the moonshot was off the pad for only a short time. The oil crash and pandemic took it down. Besides, much of the Governor's education budget increase went to teacher pay--not to programs to satisfy the court order. But she didn't want to give up control of public ed to the courts and fought.

HOUSE CELEBRANTS

Judge Wilson

A number of Democratic Hispanic and Native American state House members firmly opposed MLG's motion and celebrated the ruling:

Rep. Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo): “My district includes all of the children named in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure they have their constitutional right to a sufficient and uniform education. . . It is my hope the work that lies ahead will be done with a spirit of cooperation that will yield many benefits for. . . our children.”

Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Mesilla): ". . . .I send my kids to school hoping their classrooms are safe, equitable, and equipped to get them ready for the future they and all little ones deserve. . . I appreciate Judge Wilson for recognizing that New Mexico is only getting started on meeting the mandates of the historic Yazzie/Martinez ruling.”

Historic indeed and brilliantly reasoned by the late Judge Singleton. Her full ruling is here. To his credit, Judge Wilson, a Democrat appointed by GOP Gov. Martinez, recognized the transformational change his colleague had put forth. Now it's up to Santa Fe to find the funding to make the change--and to obey the law.

HAALAND AND OÑATE (CONT.)

Rep. Haaland

Reader reaction to our Monday blog that ABQ Dem Rep. Deb Haaland is not calling for removal of public statues commemorating Juan de Oñate. Here's the self-proclaimed "Crockagator" from ABQ's westside:

Joe, I think that you better do a little more research before you say Oñate cut off the ankles of Acoma Pueblo men. It was the dedo del pie, otherwise known as the toes. This was the sentence that was handed down at a trial in Santo Domingo. Oñate was not at Acoma when the battle between 70 Spaniards and over 1,000 Acomas took place over five days. Another thing: Oñate was not a Conquistador but more like a Crusader who came from a rich mining Mexican family and funded the settlement and made sure that priests were part of his retinue. 

Reader Tom Miles writes:

The Albuquerque Tricentennial Timeline at the Convention Center lays out a pretty complete history of Hispanic/Native American interactions from Oñate to after the Pueblo Indian Revolt and reconciliation. I created it in 2005-6 exactly for that reason: to give a fuller, richer, accessible view and understanding of Albuquerque’s and New Mexico’s rich and fascinating past. The Timeline copy at the Airport has not gotten re-installed in the visitor wing since the new art went up and came down. I’d love to see it there so folks could gain a better and quicker idea of what New Mexico and Mexico was and is all about.

Mitchell Freedman of Rio Rancho disagrees with our description of Haaland as "unabashedly supporting her party's left wing."

Haaland. . . has not supported Bernie's single payer health care proposal and has voted for every military budget Trump and the Republicans have presented. Deb was mum about Bernie's detailed Green New Deal proposal which environmental groups such as Greenpeace have stated is the best GND proposal so far. Deb supports free public college tuition but was not an early advocate and has continued to refuse to support canceling student loan debt. In 2016, Deb supported Hillary Clinton. Recently, Deb was a late supporter of  presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren but after Warren dropped out refused to back Bernie. As a progressive I fully support Deb for re-election. However, I think it is more accurate to describe her as somewhere in between an Establishment Dem and a progressive--not "unabashedly left wing."

On her campaign web site Haaland says:

We need national public health insurance -- Medicare for All -- a model that has been proven across the world to lower costs, increase efficiency, and ensure the most people have access to care. Health care is a human right.  

As for Warren, she endorsed her in July of 2019.

Haaland is seeking her second term this year. She is being challenged by Republican Michelle Garcia Holmes.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020