State Senator David Gallegos of District 41 has expressed concerns about the priorities of Governor Lujan Grisham's administration. He believes that the focus on political agendas, such as the construction of a $10 million abortion clinic in Las Cruces, overshadows critical issues like child welfare.
Gallegos highlighted New Mexico's poor ranking in child well-being and pointed to administrative failures within the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD). "We have the worst child well-being rating in the nation in large part due to the administrative failures of the Children, Youth, and Families Department," he stated.
He also noted that recent wrongful death lawsuit settlements involving CYFD have cost taxpayers $21 million over three years. "Your tax dollars have paid out $21 million to families of children harmed or killed under the department’s watch in the last 3 years," Gallegos said.
The senator criticized what he sees as a misallocation of funds and resources. "That is $31 million of your tax dollars being spent to advance the political agenda of our Governor while also obscuring her failures while in office," he argued.
Gallegos called for serious reform within CYFD and urged voters to hold elected officials accountable. "Enough is enough, we must hold our elected officials accountable," he concluded.