High costs continue under one-party rule in New Mexico

Affordability is not an abstract concept for New Mexicans; it is a daily concern.

Families feel it every time they buy groceries, fill up their gas tanks, pay rent, cover utility bills or try to save for a home. As the 30-day legislative session approaches, many New Mexicans are asking how state leaders plan to address these rising costs and improve economic stability across our communities.

Some have suggested that today’s affordability challenges emerged suddenly or are the result of recent political changes at the national level. But for families who have experienced steadily rising costs over the past several years, the situation is more complex. New Mexico’s economic challenges did not appear overnight, and meaningful solutions will require an honest assessment of long-term policy choices at both the state and federal levels.

One political party has held significant influence over state government for much of New Mexico’s modern political history, including full control of state government in recent years. During this period, inflation rose sharply nationwide, contributing to higher costs for housing, food and energy. While national factors matter, state policy decisions also play an important role in shaping how well families weather these pressures.

Over the past decade, Santa Fe has pursued an ambitious expansion of government programs and spending. When Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took office, the state budget was just over $6 billion. Today, it exceeds $11 billion. That growth raises reasonable questions about priorities, outcomes and whether spending levels are translating into a lower cost of living or greater economic opportunity for working families.

Many recent policies have focused on broad, universal programs, such as free college tuition, free school meals, subsidized childcare and expanded health insurance assistance. These initiatives were created of course because the cost for these things continue to grow.

Rather than continue to chase rising cost with more taxpayer driven assistance, we should be targeting the reason why prices continue to rise.

New Mexico’s affordability challenges are the result of multiple factors, including energy costs, housing supply constraints, workforce shortages in healthcare, and a tax and regulatory environment that can discourage private-sector growth. Addressing these issues requires more than temporary fixes, it requires a willingness to evaluate what is working, what is not, and where adjustments are needed.

House Republicans believe solutions should focus on strengthening the fundamentals of New Mexico’s economy. That includes supporting affordable and reliable energy to help control costs, retaining doctors through targeted tax relief and medical liability reform, expanding housing supply to make homeownership more attainable and modernizing the tax code so families can keep more of what they earn.

New Mexico faces important choices. Too many indicators remain stagnant, and too many young families feel compelled to seek opportunity elsewhere. As the final year of the Lujan Grisham administration begins, there is an opportunity to truly address growing concerns — public safety, housing, health care access and affordability.

House Republicans are ready to work toward practical, results-oriented solutions. We believe economic opportunity should be broad-based and attainable for everyday families across our state.

We look forward to working with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to restore affordability and create a stronger future for New Mexico.

We are also prepared to aggressively push back on ideas that restrict individual freedoms or that contribute to the growing economic uncertainty that continues to plague our state. New Mexico needs bold ideas, not rehashed social engineering programs that have proven to make life difficult for hard working New Mexicans.