New Mexico

money from oil, gas and mineral leases were all to go into a permanent fund, needing legislative approval to tap into in a fiscal emergency, the interest on the fund padding the budget.

Enter Susana la Tejana Martinez, our current GOP governor, who decided the state didn't have enough money to fund higher education or pay the legislature, among other things. Her line item vetoes are now being overturned by the courts, but damage has been done. I can only think she must've been plastered when she went through the budget and crossed things out. The state is a lot more flush than she indicated it is.

So it's an incredibly poor state, but solvent thanks to the wisdom of former leaders. It's nearly impossible to get a dime taken out of the permanent fund through the lege, last time was after the crash and they needed to pay teachers. It was also the only time since I've been here.