Mama Lucy Gang

The Mama Lucy Gang was an alliance of liberal politicians that controlled the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 1970s.

[1] A former student recalled, "The only things worth eating in the dorm cafeteria were the milk and the bread, the rest of the food was so terrible many of the kids used to get a meal ticket at Mama Lucy's."

Senators Joseph Montoya and Dennis Chávez and of New Mexico governors David Cargo, Tom Bolack, Edwin L. Mechem and Jack M.

[1] The term "Mama Lucy Gang" was coined in 1966 by the Albuquerque Journal columnist John McMillion.

He wrote a column that described a deal he had seen made in the restaurant between Apolonio Duran of San Miguel County and another candidate, and called them "the gang in Mama Lucy's back room".

The term "Mama Lucy Gang" stuck as a name for San Miguel County (Las Vegas) politicians, despite protests from Mrs. Lopez and her many friends that she was never involved in politics and had no back room.

[1] Mark Douglas Acuff of The New Mexico Independent has been credited with applying the term "Mama Lucy Gang" to the group of New Mexican progressive liberal legislators of the 1970s.

[3][4] In 1973 this group of state legislators, some of whom had attended Highlands and learned from Mama Lucy's compassionate example, adopted the name.

"[6] In 1962 the Supreme Court's "one person, one vote" decision in Baker v. Carr forced the states to make electoral districts across the country more equally balanced by population.

As a result greater numbers of liberal representatives from Hispanic and urban intellectual backgrounds began to be elected in New Mexico.

[7] For the next eight years the Mama Lucy Gang led by Martinez controlled the house and kept conservative "Cowboy Democrats" from the ranching areas in the south of the state out of the main committees.

The fund aims to smooth out state revenues which would otherwise fluctuate based on demand for mining products.

[16] David Salman sponsored a higher minimum-wage law and bilingual education [10] He also supported various clean energy and environment protection measures.

[21] The coalition of Hispanics, liberal and moderate Democrats, and a few Republicans controlled the New Mexico legislature until the end of the century.

He belonged to the conservative group that was usually opposed to the Mama Lucy Gang, so his introduction was a gesture of unity.