I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
A bill that would require public officials convicted of felony corruption to forfeiture their pension benefits cleared the Senate Rules Committee this morning.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee without a recommendation, primarily because of questions that were raised during the hearing.
Legislative committees usually vote on one of two motions — “do pass” or “do not pass.”
The “no recommendation” motion came from Sen. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, who raised several concerns, including whether this legislation would require the state’s public defender office to represent a defendant in civil proceedings. Public defenders represent defenders only in criminal proceedings by state law.
Sanchez said if public defenders were called on to deal with civil proceedings as well as criminal proceedings, the public defender’s office likely would need additional resources.
Had Beffort thought about that? Sanchez asked.
Beffort responded that she assumed public officials to whom this legislation would apply would use private attorneys, and not public defenders. State public defenders are generally used by low-income defendants.
Beffort also told the committee that the bill would give a public official convicted of corruption three years to appeal the loss of pension benefits. And the legislation would not affect child support payments that are paid for with pension benefits.
The bill ensures that public officials who have “unique access to power … are not able to misuse the public trust and profit from their misdeeds,” Beffort said.
Several groups, including the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and the New Mexico chapter of Common Cause, stood up during the hearing to express their support for the legislation.
The bill was passed out of the committee on a 4-1 vote. GOP Sen. Dianna Duran, R-Tularosa, voted no on the motion to send the bill on with a no recommendation because she wanted it to move on with a “do pass” from the Senate Rules Committee, she said.
