Susana Martinez wants incoming state lawmakers to know that the state's permanent investment fund should be off limits from efforts to resolve a state budget deficit. Efforts to the increase distributions to education initiatives from the $15 billion permanent fund have become a perennial source of political conflict. Martinez cast blame on the state Senate for not resolving the state's budget deficit during a special session in October. "They could have done more ... so that we don't have more people wanting to raid the permanent fund." Republican lawmakers in February blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that would have sidestepped the governor and let voters decide whether to increase fund distributions for education.

Source: Fox News November 23, 2016 18:34 UTC