Lt. Governor Diane Denish issued a statement today saying she had met with the Governor as well as legislators on both side of the aisle about how to address the state’s budget shortfall, urging them to make “necessary long-term structural changes” quickly.

Denish said she is “fundamentally opposed” to classroom cuts, and that she urged legislators to avoid cuts that would impact job creation. That said, she said she  recognizes that cuts are necessary but they should be fairly applied and special interest loopholes should be closed.

Legislators should act quickly, she said–putting “personal animosity aside”–because the state doesn’t have “time or money to waste”:

I know that we are facing historically difficult times and difficult choices but I hope that this work can be done efficiently and a resolution can be reached as quickly as possible.  We have no time or money to waste.  I challenge all stakeholders to put personal animosity aside and commit to working together to resolve the budget shortfall collaboratively.

We know temporary “band aids” applied to remedy our budget shortfalls are not the answer to long-term, structural problems with the state budget.  We must craft solutions that work for future generations of New Mexicans.

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