In the News
October 5, 2024: New Mexico Attorney General seeks changes to protect crime victims from revictimization, KRQE
Teaming up with state representatives, AG Torrez is now backing new efforts to give victims more protection during court processes. “No victims should be forced to unnecessarily relive that trauma over and over again yet all too often this is exactly what happens in our current system in New Mexico,” said Rep. Tara Jaramillo (D-Socorro.)
October 3, 2024, Former lawmaker Dow sinks to cheap-shot ad, The New Mexican
A Republican from Truth or Consequences, Dow resorted to a vague but vitriolic broadcast advertisement to attack her opponent, Democratic state Rep. Tara Jaramillo. Dow's handiwork amounts to character assassination in 20 seconds.
Dow's ad lists no sources or documentation for the claim that Jaramillo enriched herself from state contracts. The ad has other deficiencies in truth-telling. Dow ignored that the ranch has been in Jaramillo's family since the 1800s. Just as important, Jaramillo made her own way financially as an entrepreneur. I phoned Dow in hopes of interviewing her, too. "I don't have a comment," she said. Then she hung up the phone.
October 2, 2024, Dow’s textbook projecting, by Neri Holguin for Tara Jaramillo’s campaign
Dow’s ad slanders Tara and her business, saying she’s been stealing from taxpayers for her personal profit. Dow claims Rep. Jaramillo has “funnel[ed] over 1 million taxpayer dollars … into her pocket.”
If a state politician had stolen $1 million in taxpayer funds—as Dow alleges Tara has done—it would be on the front page of every newspaper in the state and leading every local television news report. But that’s not the case—you know why? Because the allegation is a flat-out lie. It is an utterly baseless smear with no basis in reality.
Meanwhile, Rebecca Dow’s unethical behavior is a matter of public record.
In fact, there is a candidate in House District 38 who enriched herself from state contracts and obstructed justice to try to hide her wrongdoing: Rebecca Dow.
April 4, 2024, Socorro School Board Joins Lawsuit Against PED, El Defensor Chieftain
During the meeting, Tara Jaramillo shared the background information on House Bill 130, which gave school districts a requirement of hours not days; the bill was passed and signed into law and was effective as of July 1, 2023, that students were required to have 1,140 hours of learning time, offering flexibility to schools. Tara Jaramillo said that employers, such as herself, have moved to 4-day weeks, and Magdalena has historically been doing a four-day week for a long time, “What does that do to local economies?”
March 25, 2024: Emily's List endorses Rep. Jaramillo for state Legislature, Source New Mexico
Emily’s List, a nonprofit that supports women candidates and reproductive rights, endorsed seven incumbents facing general election opponents in New Mexico legislative elections.
February 29, 2024, New Socorro affordable housing project breaks ground, El Defensor Chieftain,
Five years after its inception, Vista de Socorro, an affordable housing project, broke ground on Tuesday. They received support from the City of Socorro who donated the land and local representatives, Tara Jaramillo, and Gail Armstrong who secured funding for the project. The affordable housing development is tucked behind Socorro Mental Health and Socorro General Hospital off Highway 60. The design will have two wings of 16 units each, of one- and two-bedroom units, with a community center connecting them.
February 13, 2024, Bipartisan bill to support local pharmacies co-sponsored by Rep. Jaramillo is approved, Source New Mexico
Maintaining community pharmacies is especially important to elderly patients and people living in rural areas, where chain pharmacies are less likely to be available. HB 165 would raise the amount of money paid by private health insurance networks contracted by the state to local pharmacies to cover the cost of dispensing drugs to Medicaid patients.
January 24, 2024, Rep. Jaramillo bill to compensate ranchers for Mexican gray wolf damages moves forward, Source New Mexico
Wolf presence payouts are law in some other states such as California, a model that wildlife advocates and many ranchers support.
January 1, 2024, Albuquerque Journal, Bold new ideas for fixing CYFD are proposed Albuquerque Journal
Lawmakers impatient and angry about the “failures” of the state Children, Youth and Families Department are on tap to consider some bold reforms this session
May 24, 2023, Editorial: 4 years in, CYFD has no handle on drug-exposed babies, by Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board
Rep. Tara Jaramillo, D-Socorro, asked CYFD acting Secretary Teresa Casados on Tuesday how many CARA babies are there in New Mexico. Casados said there were 1,388 plans of care submitted in fiscal 2022, but only 535 children were screened for abuse prevention. "Do you test those babies to see if they have exposures in the home?" Jaramillo asked of children sent home without CYFD oversight.
March, 23, 2023, Letter to the editor: Kudos to Rep. Jaramillo for supporting colleges of education El Defensor Chieftain, by Fred Nathan, Think NM
House Bill 460 proposed to convert the final year of a four-year teacher training program into a teacher residency, a paid year-long experience in a classroom alongside an experienced teacher. Teachers who participate in residencies are better prepared and are much less likely to leave the profession.
March 8, 2023, [Rep. Jaramillo] bill to create more oversight of CYFD passes House, KUNM
With the goal of improving child safety in New Mexico, Rep. Jaramillo sponsored a bill which would increase oversight of the Children, Youth and Family Services Department (CYFD) and establish an Office of the Child Advocate within the Attorney General's office.
January 11, 2023, 2022 Readers' Choice for best Socorro workplace: Positive Outcomes, El Defensor Chieftain
According to El Defensor Chieftain readers, the best place to work in Socorro County is Positive Outcomes. Readers also chose Positive Outcomes as the best customer service and it tied with SCOPE Health Council for best community service/nonprofit organization. “I always wanted the company to be the place that I wish I had when I was raising kids,” said Jaramillo.
January 11, 2023, 2022 Readers' Choice for best local politician: Tara Jaramillo, El Defensor Chieftain
Jaramillo said she was humbled by Socorro’s support in her District 38 race. “They believed in me, and I need to count my blessings for those people that believed in me.”