Amendment 4 would remove a financial barrier that keeps many younger New Mexicans and working families from considering legislative service

Logan Howard, Families and Youth Innovations Plus

Every year, I meet young people in Las Cruces and across southern New Mexico who show strong leadership skills long before they are old enough to run for office. They organize their peers, speak up about what students need and show up for their communities in ways that make it easy to imagine them serving New Mexico one day.

I lead community impact and public policy work for Families and Youth Innovations Plus, where much of my career has focused on working alongside young people to build the skills to engage civically, especially around behavioral health. Part of my work is helping young people see themselves as leaders and showing them that public service can be a meaningful way to change the systems that shape their lives, especially around issues like behavioral health.

But there is another truth I have to acknowledge: under our current system, many of these young people could grow into exactly the kind of leaders we need and still be unable to afford to serve.

New Mexico legislators do not earn a salary, even though legislative service requires significant responsibility throughout the year. For young people early in their careers, working families, behavioral health workers and others who depend on a regular paycheck, that can put legislative service out of reach before they ever consider putting their name on the ballot. This is a blatant equity issue.

That is why I support Constitutional Amendment 4.

The amendment would allow legislators to earn a limited salary tied to what a typical New Mexico household earns. To me, that is not about rewarding politicians. It is about removing a financial barrier that shapes who can realistically consider public service.

This isn't about which party wins a particular seat. It's about whether people within every community have a real opportunity to step forward and serve. Too often, that opportunity depends on whether someone has savings, a flexible job or another source of income to rely on.

Too often, the answer depends on whether someone has savings, a flexible job or another source of income to rely on. Young people who are just beginning careers and building financial stability are especially likely to be shut out by that reality.

Although the young people I work with are still years away from being able to serve in elected office, I can see the fire starting to burn within them. The truth is, that fire is often quickly extinguished once they find out that these positions are unpaid. If we want dynamic young leaders with lived expertise to shape our policies, we must address compensation. The choices we make now will help determine what opportunities are available to them when that time comes. This is undoubtedly a critical moment in New Mexico history.

I want them to grow up in a state where running for the Legislature is a real option, not something reserved for people who can afford to work without a salary.

This November, I’m voting yes on Amendment 4 because the young leaders I work with deserve that opportunity.

Logan Howard is director of community impact and public policy at Families and Youth Innovations Plus in Las Cruces and an adjunct instructor at New Mexico State University’s School of Social Work.