Governor releases budget proposal, including curious $1.5M UNM line-item

As Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham enters her final year in office, her Fiscal Year 2027 executive budget recommendation reveals a series of priorities that appear designed less for short-term needs and more for long-term policy entrenchment — most notably a $1.5 million appropriation to permanently endow a political science faculty position at the University of New Mexico.

In the opening narrative of the budget, Lujan Grisham frames the proposal as a capstone to her administration.

“I enter my final year in office with the same fundamental objective that guided my first — to improve the lives of all New Mexicans,” the governor writes. “It begins with this budget.”

Yet buried deep in the document is a line item that has drawn sharp scrutiny.

$1.5 Million for UNM Political Science

On pages 63–64 of the budget, the governor recommends $1.5 million purporting to be for “an endowed faculty position in the department of political science.”

Endowed faculty positions are not temporary grants. They are permanent, long-term investments that shape curriculum, research priorities, and institutional direction for decades.

The budget provides no explanation for why political science — rather than teacher preparation, nursing, engineering, or public safety — merits a seven-figure endowment, particularly as New Mexico continues to rank near the bottom nationally in education outcomes and public safety metrics.

The timing also raises questions. Lujan Grisham explicitly acknowledges that her administration is nearing its end, writing that the FY27 proposal reflects the values she intends to leave behind.

“This proposal reflects a commitment to responsible fiscal stewardship while continuing to invest in our people, communities, and future,” she states.

Critics argue that permanently funding an ideological academic discipline during a lame-duck year is less about stewardship and more about legacy-building.

Hundreds of Millions for Housing and Homelessness

The FY27 budget also doubles down on homelessness and housing initiatives, with large nonrecurring appropriations:

• $65 million for statewide housing initiatives
  
• $45 million for homelessness initiatives
  
• $5 million for supportive housing linkages
  
• $6 million over three years for Office of Housing operations
  

In addition, the capital section of the budget includes:

“$100 million for fairgrounds revitalization projects.”

While described broadly as revitalization, the fairgrounds funding is included alongside the administration’s housing and homelessness strategy, raising concerns among critics that public property could be repurposed into long-term housing or shelter infrastructure rather than temporary assistance.

Despite years of escalating spending, homelessness has worsened in Albuquerque and other urban areas, prompting questions about whether continued funding increases are producing measurable results.

Expanded Public Health and Social Programming

The Department of Health receives multiple nonrecurring appropriations, including:

• $250,000 for long-acting reversible contraceptives
  
• $1.5 million for vaccine purchasing and a vaccine marketing campaign
  
• $1.24 million for a statewide dance program for low-income at-risk youth
  
• $2 million for facilities operation and maintenance
  

While the administration frames these items as public health investments, critics note that several of the programs extend beyond core health services into behavioral and social policy.

“Free” Daycare

The budget also continues the governor’s heavy emphasis on early childhood spending, directing hundreds of millions of dollars to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) across childcare assistance, pre-K, and early childhood programs. The budget proposal includes $160.6 million requested

This push comes despite the Early Childhood Trust Fund already holding roughly $10 billion, a balance even George Muñoz, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has acknowledged is more than sufficient for long-term sustainability. Lawmakers have increasingly questioned why additional appropriations are needed when the trust fund alone can generate substantial annual revenue without further taxpayer contributions.

Regulatory and Environmental Expansion

The budget also includes significant nonrecurring funding for environmental regulation and planning:

• $1 million for rulemaking, public engagement, and administrative hearings
  
• $2 million for “circular economy” initiatives
  
• $10 million for the River Stewardship Program
  

These items prioritize regulatory capacity and long-term environmental policy infrastructure rather than immediate cost relief for ratepayers.

Bureaucracy Growth Continues

Finally, the budget reflects continued growth in administrative offices, including increased funding for the Office of African American Affairs, as well as additional staffing and operational funding across multiple agencies.

While the governor emphasizes “shared values” and equity in her narrative, critics argue the budget expands government structures even as New Mexico families face rising costs and stagnant outcomes.

A Budget That Tells a Story

The FY27 executive budget totals $11.3 billion, a 4.6 percent increase over the previous year. But beyond the topline number, the details suggest an administration focused on embedding its priorities well beyond its tenure.

As lawmakers prepare to scrutinize the proposal, the $1.5 million political science endowment (permanent, unexplained, and ideologically loaded) may become a focal point in the broader debate over what kind of legacy this budget is meant to secure.