State Reps. Jeff Steinborn, Right, and Janice Arnold-Jones talking during today’s vote on the webcasting memorial. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)

The House easily passed a memorial today that, if also approved by the Senate, will direct legislative staff to begin webcasting interim committee meetings held around the state.

The debate on House Joint Memorial 15, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, was mostly cordial. The memorial passed 65-2 with only Democratic Reps. Eliseo Lee Alcon and Andrew Barreras voting against it.

“I think it’s important, Mr. Speaker, because of course during the interim we develop our budgets, we develop policy,” Steinborn said during debate on the memorial.

Two amendments were added to Steinborn’s resolution before it was approved. The first, from Republican Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, changed the wording of the resolution so that it would direct, rather than request, that Legislative Council Service begin webcasting. The second, from Majority Leader Ken Martinez, stripped wording in the bill that would have provided for archiving of video and audio taken during interim committee meetings.

Martinez has consistently argued against archiving. New Mexico isn’t a state whose courts considers legislative intent in addition to the actual wording of legislation, so he has said it’s important to not create permanent records other than the actual legislation.

Steinborn accepted the amendment so the memorial would be consistent with House rules that don’t allow archiving of webcasting from the floor and regular committee meetings.

His memorial allows for the reality that webcasting won’t be possible in some rural areas where the necessary technology isn’t available. Some $35,000 has been included in the budget bill that already passed the House to purchase the equipment for webcasting.

Arnold-Jones, who Steinborn called the pioneer of webcasting in the Legislature, thanked him for taking it to the next level.

“I am just so pleased that you have taken this forward,” she said.

The memorial now heads to the Senate.