Joy Garratt is the State Representative from House District 29. She was elected to the House in 2018, defeating David Adkins by just over 1,000 votes. In 2016 Adkins won this seat by 9 votes out of 14,000 votes cast. It is great that HD 29 elected a Democrat in 2018, but this seat is far from safe. As a retired educator, Joy has worked hard for the children in New Mexico. Joy has also sponsored key legislation to promote sensible gun control, such as background checks and the Red Flag law.

Joy is a tireless campaigner and she appreciates the enthusiasm West Side Democrats bring to her campaign. Let’s make sure Joy Garratt is reelected in 2020.

 

Campaigning in a pandemic: What are the challenges and how are you overcoming them?

The challenge—pandemic or no pandemic—is how to reach each and every voter, starting with the base voters who align with me as a Democrat and then reaching decline-to-state, minor party and Republican voters. I love door-knocking and having conversations with voters at their doors. Since I am unwilling to do that during COVID-19, I am calling every single voter with a telephone number that I can possibly reach. I am totally supported in this by the dozens of volunteers who are calling on my behalf and on behalf of my fellow Democratic candidates. We may not be able to gather together for burritos, chile and coffee before or after we canvas, but we can gather on Zoom to encourage each other! One positive outcome of COVID is that you can invite friends and family from around the country to join you for virtual fundraisers and town halls, and special guests can join you from throughout the state and country. The final point I’d make is that additional mailers and digital outreach to make up for no door-to-door work mean my outreach budget is higher than in the past.

Accomplishments and disappointments. Describe your first term in the legislature.

I am most proud of sponsoring and passing “Grow Your Own Teacher Act,” which provides educational assistants with two years of experience a scholarship to complete their teacher certification. Without this financial support, Most EAs could not pursue becoming a teacher. This act has encouraged school districts and teacher preparation programs to collaborate on class times that align with EAs’ schedules and needs, a very practical step. Working to pass the Extreme Risk Firearm Protective Order (Red Flag) legislation took two years. Members of law enforcement themselves requested this initiative because they encountered too many situations where they, or family members who contacted them, had no way to remove firearms from a person who posed an extreme risk of committing suicide or harming others. This law provides a tool for law enforcement to use in those situations. A disappointment that provided a valuable learning experience is that you may not have time to complete the bill process from writing it to going through the committee process and then the final passage. I introduced a consumer protection bill regarding notification that a contract will be renewed; it drew the interest and suggestions of Match.com, AARP, the gaming industry and the banking industry. After getting all the feedback and revisions completed, and passage of the bill by its first committee, the session ended—the bill process has to begin again next year!

What are your priorities for the 2021 legislative session?

I have several priorities:

  • Continuing to work on improving PreK-12 education and ensuring equal educational opportunities for our students with disabilities, English language learners, and our Hispanic and Native American students as well as our African American students
  • Working on a statewide conference and associated legislation to develop and carry out the expansion and availability of broadband, Internet access, and advanced communication technology to every corner of the state for the purposes of education, businesses, economic development, health, remote workers, government offices (local, state, federal, and tribal), and media/digital needs.
  • Expanding and ensuring access to affordable health care.
  • Ensuring consumer rights, particular in online contracts, and in light of the domination by a few huge companies
  • Continuing to expand Career and Technical Education and apprenticeship opportunities
  • Continuing to work on multi-pronged ways to improve community safety

What are you focused on for the West Side?

My legislative priorities, of course, apply to all the residents of the West Side.

I will focus on:

  • Bringing capital outlay and any additional funds to expanding Paseo del Norte, and, on fixing McMahan at Kayenta and Anasazi Ridge (the dangerous zigzag there)
  • Staying on top of Atrisco Vista and the Upper Petroglyph Industrial Park’s development.
  • Supporting the public schools on the West Side, including CNM West where the Law Enforcement Academy is located.
  • Collaborating with my fellow legislators on the West Side as well as federal, state, county and city elected and appointed officials to accomplish initiatives. For example, the West Side Homeless Shelter is in my district. Addressing solutions for homelessness involves all of us as well as many nonprofit organizations.

How do you differentiate yourself from your opponent Adelious Stith?

I try to understand policies and proposed legislation from multiple points of view. If I do not understand something, such as the Land Grant Permanent Fund, I will take hours to research it, talk to experts, and get feedback from constituents and others. I cultivate relationships with as many stakeholders as possible regardless of political affiliation or positions in order to get things done. I try to live up to my campaign motto: Priorities. Not Politics. There will be another effort to remove the old NM law regarding the criminalization of abortion. I support Rose v. Wade and taking the old law off the books. Going door to door combined with polling showed me that my belief in women having the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions–not the government–was shared by the majority of those in my district. Mr. Stith believes the government has the right to interfere with women’s’ health care decisions. Stith supports school vouchers. I do not.