MLG's scoreboard was lit up with a win as a compromise was crafted that protects her landmark universal child care bill but that same board is dimmed by her continued resistance to reforming the troubled Children, Youth and Families Department where so many child abuse cases have been botched. 

This represents perhaps the most compelling irony of Lujan Grisham's tenure. Her child care concept now leads the nation as her handling of CYFD lags the nation. 

The compromise coming out of Senate Finance adopts some copays for wealthier families who along with all others are eligible for free child care. 

There was concern that the program would be too expensive over the long haul if all families were included but Sen. Bill Soules was among those pointing out that a nearly obscene amount of money rests in the Early Childhood Trust Fund--$11 billion--that can be tapped to extend the program well into the future. 

On CYFD, ABQ Dem State Rep. Eleanor Chavez can't get the Governor to release her grip and support a a constitutional amendmnt (HJ4) that would finally take management of the agency out of the Governor's office and place it with a three member commission appointed by the Governor, House Speaker and Senate President. 

After years of turmoil and tragedy under numerous governors this is a last gasp measure that does not require approval of the Governor but does require a majority of both the Senate and House in order to send it to voters for their required approval. What Chavez needs is moral support from the executive and more of her fellow Democratic progressive women joining her effort. 

Rep. Chavez

There is much hope that free child care will not only alleviate the worry of working parents over what to do with their kids, but also flag possible child abuse and/or neglect issues that otherwise might not surface. That's where CYFD would come into play but in its current condition hope fades that it is up to the task. 

Other fears are getting enough trained child care workers and proper facilities but CYFD watchdogs like state Rep. Rebecca Dow and Sen. Crystal Brantley are on top of that.

Massive investments in early childhood education (approved by state voters) and MLG's universal child care lay a rock solid foundation. It is CYFD's future that is the missing link to complete a transformation that in ten years time could prove if not miraculous certainly extraordinary. Completion of the job will require a gubernatorial vision where these two worlds don't collide, but complement each other. 

A DIFFERENT SIDE 

MLG is known for her stubbornness but she recently showed a different side when it comes to one aspect of the state's child well-being crisis:  

. . . .(The Governor) now regrets signing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act bill into law, which was supposed to support babies born with drugs in their system. “We were releasing, after they were well enough to go home, infants in the care of highly drug-addicted parents who were not required to take any service or get treatment for their addiction. Now I don’t know if there is any better recipe for a disaster in America than that one,” she said.

Last summer, the governor issued an order that a judge had to decide whether babies could go home. She said that out of 180 cases so far, in 178, a judge ruled that under no circumstance was the baby safe at home. Lujan Grisham said since then, they haven’t had babies dying. 

Now, can the same logic be applied to CYFD? 

WHAT'S OFFERED? 

This reader, a possible swing voter, sums up the problems facing the NMGOP as it preps for the '26 campaign: 

What does the NM GOP offer? More Trump, more ICE chaos? My big three issues are income equality, clean energy and protecting our children from gun violence. I’ll add a fourth, due process for immigrants and Americans. I’m not a partisan these days. I line up best with the never Trumpers. I don’t love the Dems. But the Dems in this state better align with my priorities. Back to my question, what does the NM GOP offer us? If it’s Trump, it’s a hard pass. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.