Governor Martinez’s Veto Makes It Harder to Keep Good Teachers in New Mexico

Today, Governor Susana Martinez vetoed a bill that would improve New Mexico’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining good teachers. The bipartisan bill passed the New Mexico House with broad support by a vote of 64 to 3 and unanimously passed the New Mexico Senate by a vote of 39 to 0.

“This bill was part of the bipartisan solution to improve New Mexico’s teacher shortage,” said Stephanie Garcia Richard (D-Los Alamos), a Democratic cosponsor of the bill, House Education Committee Chair, and educator. “Parents and students want good teachers in our schools, and one way to keep good teachers is to ensure New Mexico has a good work environment and fair teacher evaluations. Governor Martinez could not have had the best interest of New Mexico kids, parents, or teachers in mind when considering this legislation. The Governor asks for sympathy for getting hurt on the ski slopes in Utah, yet she denies even a modicum of sympathy to show some to our teachers who can’t afford to take a skiing vacation, let alone to get sick.”

HB 241 would have ensured that teachers are not penalized for using the sick days they are allotted through fair leave policies. The bill was part of a bipartisan effort to make New Mexico a better place to be a teacher and improve education for students.