Lawmakers proposing joint resolution to create more CYFD oversight
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Reform of the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) is one of the governor's top priorities in this legislative session. Now, lawmakers are proposing their ideas on what that could look like, including the creation of new entities to oversee the department.
Currently, the governor has full authority in selecting and appointing the CYFD cabinet secretary who manages the department. A Democrat-led joint resolution wants to create more transparency by forming a commission that would help oversee the department.
'CYFD is in chaos; we are not doing right by our kids…We need a structural overhaul and that's really the purpose of this bill, we need to move it out from under the governor, we need to get the politics out of it, and we need to stop the revolving door,' said Representative Eleanor Chávez, (D- Albuquerque).
Bill aimed at reducing strain on freshwater reserves returns to legislative session
In the past, the governor's CYFD appointments have sparked criticism for their lack of background in the foster care system. Now, Democratic Representative Eleanor Chavez is the lead sponsor for the house joint resolution that, if passed, would create a CYFD Commission that would add an extra layer of oversight on the department.
It would be made up of five members, each serving six-year terms, who'd have the power to select an executive director for CYFD. The governor and the two top lawmakers from each party would each appoint one member. Although CYFD reform was brought up last session, Representative Chavez says this year, she's confident more change will be accomplished.
Senate Finance Committee weighs proposed behavioral health package
'The difference has been that we continue to see chaos and dysfunction in that department and it's gotten even worse and I think that's part of the momentum why people are feeling compelled to act. We're really in a crisis moment,' said Rep. Chávez.
If the joint house resolution were to make it through this entire session, it would eventually need to be voted on by the public during the next general election. The house Government, elections, and Indian Affairs Committee voted 4-3 to advance the joint resolution.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
10 minutes ago
- The Hill
Vance on LA unrest: Newsom should ‘look in mirror' and stop blaming Trump
Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday tore into California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for suggesting the unrest in Los Angeles is a consequence of federal involvement in state and local law enforcement efforts. 'Gavin Newsom says he didn't have a problem until Trump got involved,' Vance wrote in a post on X, attaching two photos that he said were taken before Trump ordered the National Guard to protect border patrol agents in California. One depicted rioters appearing to attack a 'border patrol' van, and another depicted a car set ablaze. The Hill was not able to verify the authenticity of the photos. 'Does this look like 'no problem'?' Vance asked. Vance suggested Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass 'fomented and encouraged the riots,' with the goal of promoting mass migration into the U.S., adding, 'It is their reason for being.' 'If you want to know why illegal aliens flocked to your state, stop accusing Donald Trump. Look in the mirror,' Vance said. 'If you want to know why border patrol fear for their lives over enforcing the law, look in the mirror.' Vance pointed to California's Medicaid expansion last year to low-income undocumented immigrants as an example of a policy that has 'encouraged mass migration into California.' Newsom has since proposed ending new Medicaid enrollment for undocumented adults, but his proposal faces resistance from the state legislature. 'Your policies that protected those migrants from common sense law enforcement. Your policies that offered massive welfare benefits to reward illegal immigrants. Your policies that allowed those illegal migrants (and their sympathizers) to assault our law enforcement. Your policies that allowed Los Angeles to turn into a war zone,' Vance continued. 'You sure as hell had a problem before President Trump came along. The problem is YOU,' Vance added. Vance's post is the latest in a back-and-forth between the administration and Newsom, who has resisted Trump's extraordinary steps to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops to the area and mobilize 700 active-duty marines. Newsom has insisted that the situation was under control before the Trump administration escalated tensions by making a provocative show of force. He accused Trump of 'intentionally causing chaos, terrorizing communities and endangering the principles of our great democracy.' After Trump suggested his border czar arrest Newsom, the California governor responded by saying, 'The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.' 'I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,' Newsom added Monday afternoon. Vance then replied to Newsom, saying, 'Do your job. That's all we're asking.' 'Do YOUR job. We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. Rescind the order. Return control to California,' Newsom responded, prompting Vance's latest response.
Axios
13 minutes ago
- Axios
Impeachment wars
Rep. Jasmine Crockett's mere mention of a possible impeachment inquiry into President Trump has touched off negative reactions from some colleagues. "I think she's going to turn off a lot more people than gain," a House Democrat told us. Why it matters: House Democratic leaders are staying neutral. But many Democrats are allergic to the word after they impeached Trump twice only for him to return to power with full control of the government. Crockett (D-Texas), asked in a local news interview if she would pursue impeachment if Democrats retook the House in 2026 and she became Oversight Committee chair, said she would "absolutely at least do an inquiry." The other three candidates for the ranking member job on Oversight, Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), told us they wouldn't go that far. 👿 "Turning this ranker race into a proxy for impeachment is unhelpful and unfair to her colleagues," said a House Democrat who predicted Republicans will "try to motivate their base by saying that a Democratic majority will inevitably lead to impeachment." Crockett told us the term "impeachment inquiry" would stress to the public the "next level of gravity" of the subject matter — such as Trump's pardons for big money allies and the Qatari jet scandal. "A lot of times we as Democrats can overthink stuff," Crockett said. "A lot of people ... felt like [Oversight Committee chair] James Comer was an embarrassment. But at the end of the day, who won the House?" The bottom line: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries deferred to House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), whose panel, he said, "has jurisdiction over impeachment."
New York Times
15 minutes ago
- New York Times
Adams Team Works Behind Scenes to Try to Sway Rabbis Against Cuomo
Mayor Eric Adams may be running an unusually low-key race for re-election in New York City, opting out of the Democratic primary and mounting an independent general election run without even a campaign manager to steer it. But behind the scenes, he is making an aggressive play to try to shape the field to his liking and hold onto a key voting bloc. A top aide to Mr. Adams has been calling Orthodox Jewish leaders in recent weeks to urge them not to back Andrew M. Cuomo in the June 24 Democratic primary, or to temper their support for him if they do, according to six people familiar with the effort. Mr. Adams's allies have indicated they believe he would have a better chance of winning the general election if Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist assemblyman now polling in second place, defeats Mr. Cuomo and becomes the Democratic nominee. At the same time, Mr. Adams has used his mayoral powers to make policy pronouncements that seem designed to resonate with some Orthodox Jews. He signed an executive order recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism and created the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism to address the spike in antisemitic hate crimes in the city. 'He is going around to people to ask for support for the general election,' said Rabbi Moishe Indig, a leader of one faction of the Satmar Hasidic group in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 'He would love that everyone just ignore the primary and wait until the fall.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
