Toney Anaya
Toney Anaya (born April 29, 1941) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 26th governor of New Mexico from 1983 to 1987.
Toney Anaya | |
|---|---|
| 26th Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1987 | |
| Lieutenant | Mike Runnels |
| Preceded by | Bruce King |
| Succeeded by | Garrey Carruthers |
| 24th Attorney General of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1975 – January 1, 1979 | |
| Governor | Jerry Apodaca |
| Preceded by | David L. Norvell |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Bingaman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 29, 1941 Moriarty, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Three |
| Education | Georgetown University (BA) American University (JD) |
Early life and career Edit
Anaya was born on April 29, 1941 in Moriarty, New Mexico. He earned a Bacheor of Arts degree from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor from American University's Washington College of Law in 1967.[1]
Anaya met his wife, Elaine Anaya, in Washington D.C. during the 1960s while he was an aide to Senator Joseph Montoya and she was working for the United States Department of Labor. The couple dated for two years before marrying in 1969.[2] They returned to New Mexico and settled in a home near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. They had three children - Kimberly, Kristina, and Toney Jr.[3][2][4]
Career Edit
After returning to New Mexico, Anaya worked as a Santa Fe County attorney and assistant district attorney for the First Judicial District. He later established a private law practice in Santa Fe.[5]
New Mexico Attorney General Edit
From 1975 to 1979, Anaya served as New Mexico Attorney General. During his service as attorney general, Anaya oversaw an investigation of the upward curve in the level of drugs in the Penitentiary of New Mexico after 1972. In 1975 his investigation found that some penitentiary staff members not only overlooked drug trafficking but were actually involved in it. The trafficking involved both street drugs, such as heroin, and drugs pilfered from the prison's pharmacy. The 1975 investigation reported very loose controls on pharmacy drugs.
Anaya launched a nine-month investigation of the Penitentiary of New Mexico administration, resulting in a 27-page 1975 report.[6] The report documented traffic in heroin, cocaine, cash and liquor in the penitentiary. It also concluded that sides of beef had been regularly diverted from the prison kitchen loading docks into the pickup trucks of certain favored correctional officers.[7][8]
Anaya and state Corrections Department Director Michael Francke signed a consent order in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico compelling the Penitentiary of New Mexico to improve classification practices, stop illegal disciplinary procedures, reduce overcrowding, and significantly improve the food, water supply, plumbing, heating, ventilation and electricity. Ordered by District Judge Edwin Felter, the decree was largely ignored and unenforced for more than three and a half years prior to the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot.[9] In 1978, Anaya ran for United States Senate, but was defeated by incumbent Republican Pete Domenici. In 1982, he was elected the 26th governor of New Mexico.[10]
Governor of New Mexico Edit
As governor, Anaya focused on energy alternatives, water development and conservation, the environment, education, and economic development. Known as a visionary, he steered the state through a national recession, transforming New Mexico into a more technology-based economy and laying the groundwork for future deployment of rapid rail transit, education and social reform.[11] In 1986, after the election of his successor, Garrey Carruthers, Anaya commuted the death sentences of all five death row inmates in New Mexico. He is a longtime opponent of capital punishment,[12] had campaigned against the death penalty and in later interviews expressed no regret for the commutations.[11] Anaya made headlines on March 28, 1986, by declaring New Mexico the nation's first "State of Sanctuary" for refugees from Central America.[13]
Anaya served one term as governor, from 1983 to 1987. At that time, the New Mexico Constitution did not allow executive officers to succeed themselves for consecutive terms. That changed when a 1986 Constitutional amendment allowed state executive officers to serve two consecutive four-year terms for terms beginning January 1, 1991.[14]
Later career Edit
Since leaving office, Anaya has served on numerous boards, commissions, and at nonprofit organizations, primarily focusing on Hispanic issues, education, and politics. He contributed significantly to the Democratic National Committee and the North American Free Trade Agreement.[citation needed]
In 2009, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson appointed Anaya to head the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment. In that role, Anaya was responsible for overseeing the spending of the $1.8 billion in federal stimulus money expected to be invested in New Mexico during the next two years. Anaya worked closely with state agencies to facilitate access to funding, assist with compliance, and promote transparency throughout the process.[15]
From August 2009 to January 2011, Anaya served as CEO of Natural Blue Resources, a Woburn, Massachusetts-based penny stock company specializing in investments in environmentally friendly companies, including a New Mexico-based initiative to sell purified water. In July 2014, Anaya was accused of serving as a front man for the company, which was actually controlled by an ex-convict who was legally barred from acting as an officer of a public company. Anaya entered into a civil settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to charges that he committed fraud.[16] Under the terms of the settlement, Anaya agreed to a five-year ban from penny stock offerings and a cease-and-desist order without admitting or denying the charges.[17]
His wife, former First Lady Elaine Anaya, died in November 2021.[3]
See also Edit
References Edit
- ^ "Green Energy Project - Toney Anaya". www.generalservices.state.nm.us. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ a b Lundstrom, Patricia A. (2022). . New Mexico House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b Ruggles, Rick (2021-12-07). "Elaine Anaya, former first lady of New Mexico, worked outside politics to help those in need". Santa Fe New Mexican. from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ Nathanson, Rick (2021-12-11). "Former NM first lady Elaine Anaya was an artist, businesswoman". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "Toney Anaya". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ Roger Morris (1983), The Devil's Butcher Shop: the New Mexico prison uprising, p. 198
- ^ Roger Morris (1983), The Devil's Butcher Shop: the New Mexico prison uprising, pp. 144, 157
- ^ Mark Colvin (1992), Penitentiary in Crisis, p. 207
- ^ Roger Morris (1983), The Devil's Butcher Shop: the New Mexico prison uprising, pp. 159–160
- ^ National Governors Association Biography
- ^ a b [1] February 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 5 Death Sentences Commuted, Washington Post, November 27, 1986. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- ^ Garza, Aimee V. "The Social Life of a Controversial Proclamation, 1980-1988". New Mexico History. New Mexico Office of the State Historian. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ . Nmcpr.state.nm.us. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ Monahan, Joe (2009-03-12). "New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan". Joemonahansnewmexico.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ Former New Mexico Governor Pretended To Run Penny Stock For Ex-Con (Forbes.com article-July 16, 2014)
- ^ Former New Mexico governor Anaya settles SEC fraud charges (Reuters.com article-July 16, 2014)
External links Edit
- Appearances on C-SPAN