近距离内射合集

SANDIA PUEBLO 鈥� Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Tuesday a universal childcare initiative implemented by her administration is here to stay, expressing confidence the first-of-its-kind program will withstand a lawsuit filed by a GOP gubernatorial candidate.

In her final post-legislative session speech to the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the outgoing governor described the New Mexico childcare assistance program as a workforce investment measure.

鈥淚t is not babysitting,鈥� Lujan Grisham said. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 build the workforce in the future and give parents real choices, you will not have a workforce in the future.鈥�

The governor announced last fall New Mexico would be the first state to provide universal childcare by removing previous income limits for receiving state-subsidized childcare. A state early childhood agency then adopted rules governing the program before its November launch.

But Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez filed a lawsuit last month arguing the governor鈥檚 administration illegally launched the childcare program before getting approval from the Legislature to do so.

In response, a state judge last week gave the secretary of the state鈥檚 Early Childhood Education and Care Department a 30-day deadline to show why rules governing the universal childcare program should not be struck down.

Lujan Grisham said in an interview after her Tuesday speech she鈥檚 not worried about potential interruptions by what she described as a 鈥減olitical stunt鈥� by Rodriguez, who is one of three GOP candidates vying for the party鈥檚 nomination in next month鈥檚 primary election.

鈥淚鈥檓 as confident as you could be,鈥� she told the Journal, citing previous state laws establishing the state鈥檚 early childhood department and creating an early childhood trust fund.

Some key legislators initially expressed misgivings about the Lujan Grisham administration鈥檚 rollout of the universal childcare initiative 鈥� along with the program鈥檚 price tag. 

However, the Democratic-controlled Legislature ultimately approved a bill codifying the program in state law and setting financial safeguards 鈥� including possible copays and wait lists 鈥� during this year鈥檚 30-day session. The law is set to take effect May 20 and authorizes up to $700 million to be taken from an early childhood trust fund over the next five years to help pay for universal childcare.

The initiative could continue generating debate in coming years, especially since Lujan Grisham is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term in office and will step down at the end of 2026.

Some Republican candidates have expressed concerns about possible fraud as the state moves quickly to scale up its childcare provider system.

During a televised debate last week, GOP gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull expressed concern about the future sustainability of the program, while fellow candidate Doug Turner suggested income limits should be reimposed.

鈥淎n extremely wealthy person shouldn鈥檛 have the state paying for their childcare,鈥� Turner said.

Meanwhile, past research by Legislative Finance Committee analysts has found that state-provided childcare has led to increased wages for parents, but has not found it improves educational outcomes for children.

But Lujan Grisham and other backers of universal childcare say the initiative will build off the state's recent efforts to create a cradle-to-career pathway, while also making New Mexico a more attractive state for working families.

鈥淚f you want families to succeed, give them a path,鈥� the governor said during her Tuesday speech. 

She also said New Mexico is making progress in national child poverty rankings and hinted the state will report improved high school graduation rates this year.

Lujan Grisham said future state leaders will have to be willing to upset the status quo to sustain those trends, saying, 鈥淪ometimes you鈥檝e got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet.鈥�

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.