OPINION: We can hold violent offenders accountable while also tackling root causes of crime and poverty

State legislatures have become more important than ever – in many ways they are our last line of defense on many critical issues.

It has been an honor to serve my constituents over the last four years in the New Mexico state Senate. During my first term I have taken on a host of tough issues that affect our everyday lives, standing up to the bullies to protect our freedoms and our hard-working families.

I’m proud of my vote to repeal New Mexico’s anti-abortion law, and proud to have led the Senate debate on legislation that made N.M. a nationwide leader in protecting doctors and other reproductive health care providers from harassment.

I’m proud that we established a seven-day waiting period for gun purchases, and protected voters and election workers by banning guns at voting locations. These bold steps took a lot of work, and we stood up to institutions who fought us every step of the way.

I helped make N.M. first in the nation for secure and accessible elections by passing the New Mexico Voting Rights Act. My Patients’ Debt Collection Protection Act protects residents from crippling medical bills. Plus, I ended predatory lending by dramatically lowering the cap on interest rates for pay-day and other storefront lenders.

I helped to create new economic opportunities, and decriminalize cannabis, building a new industry with consumer safety at the forefront. I reformed guardianships and conservatorships to prevent abuse and neglect of our most vulnerable neighbors.

I closed loopholes preventing workers from being paid a fair wage. I increased transparency by giving the public timely access to the Legislature’s work. I made New Mexico the first state in the nation to take big money out of judicial elections by expanding public financing to district court judicial elections.

I’ve taken on crime, including eliminating the statute of limitations on second-degree murder, and now serve on a bipartisan, multi-disciplinary work group brought together by a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice to develop evidence-based solutions to crime to New Mexico.

We passed budgets that fund recruitment, training and equipment for law enforcement. We gave our State Police raises. We funded new programs to reduce homelessness, and we instituted efforts to increase affordable housing.

I still have much more to do. A top priority of mine is to create oversight over hospital and health care acquisitions in our state. New Mexico has the highest percentage of private equity-owned hospitals in the U.S., which has increased prices for patients while lowering the quality and accessibility of care.

I am also working to refine our Red Flag Law so we keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a risk to themselves or others.

I will be bringing, once again, a bill to fix the unconstitutional confidentiality law that keeps much of what is happening with CYFD in the dark. And, with my work group under the guidance of the DOJ, I am pursuing almost 20 public safety initiatives to continue addressing crime in our communities while protecting New Mexicans’ constitutional rights.

We can and should hold violent offenders accountable while also doing the long-term work of addressing root causes of crime and tackling poverty, including increasing addiction treatment and mental health care.

There are no easy answers to many issues we face, but I never back down from a challenge. I was born and raised in Senate District 10 and will use my years of experience fighting for everyday New Mexicans as a consumer protection attorney, a former city clerk, and a voting rights and ethics advocate to make sure no New Mexican is left behind.

Katy Duhigg, of Albuquerque, is the Democratic candidate for District 10 in the New Mexico Senate, which she currently represents. Duhigg faces Republican Rudy Mora in the Nov. 5 election to represent the Albuquerque-based district.