Priorities

Real Progress. Real Results

As a State Representative, Andrea has led some of the biggest efforts to improve Northern New Mexico and the state. She:

  • Sponsored the landmark Cannabis bill in 2020, legalizing cannabis for sale in New Mexico, containing the most robust water protections for any industry in the state. Andrea’s bill is estimated to create 11,000 jobs, $300 million in sales, and $50 million to the state budget in the first year alone. 

  • Supports all housing bill that keep families in a safe and healthy home. In 2022, she supported a $25 million/year fund for affordable housing, the first of its kind for steady, statewide housing funding. She serves on the Mortgage Finance Authority Committee, governing all affordable housing in the state, and has been a strong advocate for better landlord/tenant relations.

  • Sponsored the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women bill that developed a task force in 2019. Working through the pandemic, the task force launched their first policy recommendations. And in 2022, we passed two laws that created a "Missing in New Mexico Day" and established a position in the Attorney General's office to liaise with all indigenous Pueblos and Tribes.

  • Passed the Community Energy Efficiency Development Act, which provided much-needed relief on utility bills to low-income families and helps renovate our housing stock for lower energy consumption. 


Andrea’s priorities for the State Legislature are:

  • Small businesses, entrepreneurs and local jobs:  Northern New Mexico needs better paying jobs. That means smarter economic development that supports local small businesses, promotes tourism and outdoor recreation, and provides hope for young people so they stay in northern New Mexico and raise their families here. My plan will:

    • Support small businesses and local entrepreneurs.

    • Increase job training and apprenticeships.

    • Create wind and solar jobs.

    • Expand needed broadband infrastructure.

  • Water and Our Environment:  We have always tried to live in harmony with the natural environment around us—the places we rely upon for our livelihoods, food, recreation, tradition, prayer, and family gatherings. Together, we will:

    • Champion clean and safe drinking water for all and reform the ways in which we manage water in our state.

    • Ensure the traditional and agricultural uses of water are always protected.

    • Make sure every resident affected by the Aamodt Settlement agreement understands their rights and way forward.

  • Community & Public Health: I stand strongly for healthy communities, by ensuring we have vibrant community health programs and do what is necessary to strengthen preventative protections for all. I will:

  • Protect and expand access to affordable healthcare and social services for women, seniors, veterans, and all New Mexicans.

  • Set up strong behavioral health services funding mental health and drug treatment programs, and focus more on treatment than on systematic incarceration.

  • Fight for strong common sense gun laws like background checks, keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, and “Gun Violence Restraining Order” laws that enable courts to to temporarily remove guns if family members or law enforcement believe that someone is a threat to themselves or our community (Download my Gun Safety Platform here.)

  • Support a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions.

  • Defending the Underserved: Under the Trump Administration and in Republican states hard fought protections for women and other communities are being threatened and rolled back. We cannot allow our state or country's progress for women's, LGBTQ, and minority rights to be rolled back. I will:

    • Strongly defend a woman's right to choose, including decriminalizing abortion in NM.

    • Strengthen laws and practices to combat sexual harassment, domestic violence, and other forms of violence again women so that all women feel safe coming forward and we can help to prevent future incidents from happening.

    • Fight for equal pay for equal work (Download my Women's Platform here).

  • Respecting our Cultures & Traditions: House District 46 includes four sovereign nations—the Pueblos of Tesuque, Pojoaque, Nambe and San Ildefonso; longstanding Hispanic communities; a vibrant Sikh community’ immigrants’ and many, many others. As neighbors and as a state, we must deal respectfully and honestly with one another to improve relationships and create community-oriented solutions that benefit both Native and non-Native residents in our community. I commit to:

    • Convene dialogues regularly on issues facing all of us, starting with water, roads, and public safety.

    • Develop an active dialogue with our communities to identify opportunities that can bring our communities together, such as sustainability, renewable energy, food production, and capital projects.