State Representative Marian Matthews Cares About New Mexico

State Representative Marian Matthews believes that New Mexico can work even better for New Mexicans, especially our families, our children, those with disabilities, and our seniors.

We must move beyond the entrenched interests and the old ways of doing things. Our legislators must be willing to ask the tough questions and not be intimidated by special interest groups and powerful lobbyists.

Marian Matthews isn’t afraid to question the vested interests and those already empowered in New Mexico and in the legislature.

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Ensuring Public Safety

Marian is the only Democrat in the House of Representatives who has been a criminal prosecutor.

She co-sponsored a human trafficking bill in the 2024 session to strengthen our laws related to sex trafficking and labor trafficking and asked the Governor to include it in the special session. She didn’t, but Marian will reintroduce the bill in the 2025 session.
She is looking at changes to the Children Code to reduce violence by juveniles.
She co-sponsored the 'Safer Communities Act' to strengthen public safety in 2022.
She passed the Organized Retail Crime Act in 2023.
She has been recognized by the NM District Attorneys Association for her work.

Protecting the Homes of Seniors

Seniors are being priced out of mobile home parks for seniors by out-of-state landlords or the parks are being converted to other uses.
The automatic 3% increase in our property tax laws for homeowners can be particularly burdensome for older individuals on fixed incomes, threatening them with the loss of homes they've owned for years.
Marian is working on legislation to better protect seniors from losing their homes, whether they’re mobile or constructed from the ground up.

Ensuring New Mexicans Have Access to Affordable Healthcare

The legislature has made some questionable decisions in recent years relating to healthcare, including "tort reform," arguably leading to a reduction in the number of our healthcare providers. Our lack of healthcare providers needs attention now!

To expand our access to healthcare providers, including specialists, Marian sponsored 5 interstate healthcare compacts in 2023 and will sponsor compacts again in 2025. These compacts provide access to health care professionals like physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists.
Marian continues to support grants, increased educational loan repayment help, mortgage assistance and other economic incentives to make NM more attractive in retaining and growing the number of our health care providers, including those in our rural communities.

Building Strong Families and Children

Marian worked for PB&J Family Services, a child abuse and prevention program, litigated on behalf of children with special needs, and is a long-time advocate for families and children.

She believes our state House of Representatives should create a permanent committee to focus on issues related to families and children, including CYFD, Paid Family Medical Leave, domestic violence, and other issues that reduce or impact family stability.
The goal: to replace the gaps and lack of continuity and sustainability in services to families and children with seamless, comprehensive programs and services that will lead to healthy families and children.
She supports changes to improve CYFD’s functioning, including an independent ombudsman, more openness in this secretive agency, and more accountability for its failures.

Serving the Most Vulnerable New Mexicans

The disabled, those with special needs, and the elderly.

Marian has been an advocate for those with disabilities and special needs since the1970s when she represented school children in a lawsuit against the state at the request of their parents who had become increasingly frustrated by the failure of the state legislature to fund and require appropriate special education services for the kids.

The suit lasted seven years and resulted in some improvement in services for children in special education. Unfortunately, the state's disregard for the constitutional and statutory rights of those with disabilities or special needs has continued to the present time. (See Op-Ed May 13, 2024)

Marian will sponsor legislation to end the unfunded mandates the state imposes on caregiver organizations that contract with the state and results in reduced services to the most vulnerable New Mexicans, including a requirement that no increase in minimum wage or employee benefits will go into effect until and unless the state provides for the funds necessary to caregiver organizations that contract with the state to cover the cost of the additional wages or employee benefits the state is requiring.
Marian will work to assure that the additional costs imposed on caregivers by the Healthy Workplaces bill enacted in 2021 will be reimbursed in full to caregivers retroactively to the extent those costs have not been reimbursed.
Marian will work to assure that the additional costs imposed on caregivers since the last increase in minimum wage will be reimbursed in full (including federal and state payroll taxes and Social Security benefits) retroactively to the extent those costs have not been reimbursed.
Marian will continue to oppose bills like the proposed SB3 and HB6 in the 2024 legislature that would have had the effect of reducing care and services for the most vulnerable.

Creating Jobs and Economic Opportunity

As a moderate Democrat with a background in business, entrepreneurship and workforce development, Marian asked to serve on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee to advocate for:

Small business development, creation of financially stable nonprofits, public/private partnerships where appropriate, and the growth of medium and large businesses that provide quality jobs, good wages and contribute to our quality of life with sound environmental and labor practices and policies.
Workforce development to provide workers the skills needed in the jobs of today and the future.
The availability of sources of capital, funding mechanisms, and tax policies that encourage new ventures, grow existing ones. and maintain our large employers.
Development of infrastructure needed to make it possible for business to flourish in different parts of the state and make it possible for New Mexico to compete with richer, more populous states.

Creating Livable Communities

Marian will continue to invest capital outlay funds in a variety of facilities including those responding to homelessness, health care, behavioral health, providing law enforcement and public safety, public and charter schools, city and state cultural facilities, parks and other recreational facilities including pickleball courts, Eastdale Little League, and the long-promised North Domingo Baca Aquatic Center.
Marian will continue to seek additional contributions from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, other state representatives, and senators, the county, the city, and APS for the NDB Aquatic Center that will serve the thousands of residents in the NE Heights, including the swim teams at Eldorado and La Cueva High Schools, and be New Mexico’s premier aquatic facility for competitive swimming meets.