On Monday, the New Mexico Senate Finance Committee voted 8-3 to pass S.B. 442, which would give the governor and other statewide elected officials a hefty $59,714 pay raise.
In addition to Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, all other statewide officials, including Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, Attorney General Raúl Torrez, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, State Auditor Joseph Maestas, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, and Treasurer Laura Montoya would get the raise.
According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Current law requires salaries from elected officials be paid from the general fund, except for the commissioner of public lands, who is paid from the state lands maintenance fund.”
During the committee’s consideration of the bill, Sen. Bill Sharer said, “Those are huge numbers; I never got an increase like that,” adding, “I’m concerned by these, what appear to be, colossal pay raises.”
Toulouse Oliver was happy to admit she wants a pay raise, claiming she would “welcome” the salary bump.
She said, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, “We have lives and families to support just like everybody else.”
“This isn’t so much about making money — none of us went into government to get rich or to make money…. I just need to be able to pay my bills and deal with inflation, the cost of living that’s really high right now. I’m a single mom, so for me, it’s much needed and very welcome and appreciated.”
Currently, the governor makes $110,000, while the auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state all make $85,000. The attorney general makes $95,000, and the land commissioner makes $90,000 annually.
The bill now goes to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.
That is ridiculous. The governor and all her officials that are voting for such a pay raise are thieves. Absolutely money hungry thieves. If they needed a pay raise like some of those comments that were made about inflation and having to pay their bill’s like everyone else then they should vote a 3% or 5% pay increase like they give teachers or anyone else that really works for a living. STOP STEALING from us taxpayers already.
I totally agree. How can anyone in our boke government deserve a raise of that size? That is more than the average New Mexican earns. We need to get rid of all of them. Wake up New Mexicans. You are being robbed.
Wow. I am sure anyone would love a 50%+ pay raise. Didn’t MLG already give members of her cabinet healthy pay raises in the midst of the pandemic? $59,714 Is more than the median household income in NM. Let them eat cake!
They cut the state rebate checks in half but yet they receive over $50 in a raise. We have to live and pay bills too. Darn shame. When will America recognize the low and middle income people that are struggling while they get their big salaries. We voted them in but yet they look out for themselves. Our families are drowning.
“We voted them in”. No “we” did not vote them in. We have Dominion voting system to make sure they were seated.
Right on if you watch mlg she wears that much turquoise just to go to the john. The shame of it all.
Exactly! We DID NOT vote them in, as usual they cheated.
Median NM household income is around $54,000. The Senators voting for this obscene pay increase extended the half of the peace sign to hard working new Mexicans.
Wait, wait, they also want to have a paid legislature on top of their 10 year service retirement and stipend they receive. You can bet you won’t be able to find them after the session is over. Very few will even respond to an email. I know of two, one republican and one democrat that answered my email and answered my letters.
Two out of 40. And one of them is the hard working John Block. Thanks John for fighting for so many good bills that would stop the abortion mill, the lack of caring to strengthen laws against repeat offenders, bad gun laws and the Santa Fe swamp. Keep the Faith. We need you there.
I am amazed the low salaries of the governor and her minions are. As a governor of a state I would have figured she would already be making 150k. But on the flip side, she is a socialist democrat. Her salary should be the same as the average NM. I believe that is around 54k a yr. So when do the cuts begin?
Oh they talk the talk, but they Don’t walk the walk! True about all Democrats & Leftists (almost the same anymore).
I love how she’s adorned in expensive jewelry but Maggie says they need the raise to pay bills… unbelievable. If she wants a raise have Bill Richardson use his SOCAR slush fund to fly her out to Azerbaijan again for more illegal bribes and gifts. Make her ask her foreign agent pimps for a raise.
I don’t care how much governors make in other states. this is New Mexico and MLG has put in a great effort in the last 3 years to destroy NM small businesses and destroy some of the main traditional industries of New Mexico. Should we pay these politicians more than they are already stealing from us for destroying our state and the education of our children? Quite honestly I question that we actually voted her back in.
Agree..None of them are worth what their getting now…They’ve run this state into the ground…
Wow, I would love this huge pay raise to support my family. These people voted NOT to give state retirees a raise but instead a thirteenth check till FY 26. Losing out on years of getting a pay raise. Their corrupt control is disgusting!
Tyrants and dictators always steal from the ‘peasants’ over whom they “rule.” They are without ethics or any semblance of a conscience. They will not hesitate to reward themselves at the expense of those whose lives they have destroyed while gaslighting the useful idiots incapable of comprehending that those for whom they continue to vote are the authors of their destruction.
Too loose oliver claiming she is poor at 85k and a single mom….while a great swath of NM’s citizens are below 48k a year and a great many single parents both male and female……get nothing but increased cost of living expenses at the hands of these fuckin bastard democrats.
Seems pretty normal: https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_gubernatorial_salaries
Let’s see here.. f in education.. f in security the border..f in having crime under control.. f in the scamdemic response.. f in everything they do.. and they expect all that money for a raise?.. if this was a private company that had such a bad record as they do.. it would have been adios to the management
So right David..
Yep!
It never fails.. These elected people seem to think they automatically deserve better money than the REAL working class in New Mexico!! How about we decide based on their merits! Just like at a real job -you do good and you get a raise –you DON’T just get a raise for being present!! This is another example of the Moochie Loserjan corruption!
Maggie Screwloose Oliver “welcomes” a raise? FOR WHAT?! For threatening Commissioners with jail for not certifying elections that they rightfully questioned? For overseeing her own reelection campaign? For shoveling a pile of bullsh*t at New Mexicans with her “reality campaign against misinformation” on the state website? We will never have honest elections in this state until we get rid of the machines, withdraw from the ERIC system and dump her out of office. Judging from the feedback from people in my circle, her seat belongs to Audrey Trujillo. Even hard-core Dems didn’t vote for MLG and Maggie. But since Maggie self-selects, she sits there right now.
It won’t change until either enough Republicans get out and vote and break the algorhythm…..or until someone forces a lawsuit to have this looked at.
Communism had already overtaken New Mexico and voting won’t fix this.
NM made such great strides in education under Republics. It has always be a cornerstone of the Republican policy to support education and our youth. English was good enough for Jesus, Spanish, Navajo or Tewa and should be good enough for our classrooms.
It’s disgusting how much of a raise Grishàm and all the statewide officials will be receiving. My husband and I worked like dogs our whole lives and could never have an income of $60.00 a year. Now that we’re retired we live on a fixed income and can’t receive any Snap benefits, medicaid, Liheap or any assistance to help pay for Part B. I can’t believe that our officials are struggling to pay their bills on their current salaries. Try getting a $1.00 raise for each year for a few years. A friend of mine went to inquire with a school administrator some years ago, why we hadn’t received a raise ànd the administrator said, “Yes you did, you got a $1.00”. Maybe you all should be receiving a $1.00 raise a year and know what it feels like to struggle when inflation is at its highest in one of the poorest states!!
I too am very surprised by $60000 raises! I am a voting citizen of NM. I barely make ends meet with social security; 03 percent of 60 thou!! It would be more appropriate to spread the wealth among us struggling citizens!
All you dems voted for this crap.