Effective government (or “good governance”) refers to how elected officials exercise their political authority to serve their constituencies. Good governance with respect to the environment requires that decisions are made and implemented using legitimate (legal), transparent, participatory, responsive, and equitable processes to achieve effective policies that promote the health and resilience of our communities and our environment. 

Effective government requires access to unbiased information on which to base policies and statutes and adequate funding to implement them. It also requires an active citizen body that is involved and invested in the process by having access to decision-makers and the levers of power. Finally, at the most fundamental level, effective government requires a robust and healthy democratic process where all citizens have fair and equitable access to voting. In the 2023 legislative session, New Mexico took steps toward promoting this very idea when we passed the Voting Rights Protections Act, which sought to enshrine more robust voting protections for all New Mexicans.

From an environmental perspective, effective governance is exemplified in protecting New Mexicans’ land, waters, and wildlife. It prepares our state to adapt to our changing climate, it approaches the perils of climate change with intention and focus, and it builds resilience and protections that safeguard our communities. 

New Mexico is only the second state in the nation with an unpaid legislative body, which means that serving as a legislator is out of reach for most New Mexicans. For many in our communities, running for office is simply not an option. Paying our legislators is essential in order to better represent the diversity of our state. Additionally, New Mexico has the dubious honor of having the shortest legislative sessions in the nation; 30 days long in even years and 60 days long in odd years. Modernizing our Legislature will be an enormous step toward achieving good governance in New Mexico. This critical issue is gaining traction, with our elected officials and members of the public continuing to advocate and advance legislation for modernization in the Legislature. 

Effective governance requires the state to adequately fund programs and departments that provide critical services to our communities. The past several years have seen New Mexico receive enormous budget surpluses, which we also know will not last for much longer. By investing these budget windfalls responsibly, we can help New Mexicans navigate a future full of climate action and economic change. Most importantly, our state leadership must center New Mexicans in the decision-making process by creating a culture of transparency and addressing obstacles to full public participation in the policy process, such as language barriers, technology and access, and more.