ethics

While a number of high-profile ethics and transparency measures died as the clock expired on the regular session last week, the New Mexico Legislature also sent a number of significant proposals to the governor for action.

After two days of turmoil, over four hours of heated debate and lots of procedural wrangling, the House on Tuesday passed a major piece of ethic legislation. HB 118 would ban campaign contributions from lobbyists and big state contractors from giving money to state-wide candidates and political parties. The bill now has less than 48 hours to try and get through the Senate.

Senator Steven Neville, R-Aztec is appealing directly to House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Santa Fe, to hear his bill in the House. The measure, which would restructure the State Investment Council, passed the Roundhouse last year but was vetoed by Governor Richardson. In the second time in as many days the Senate voted to override a [...]

Over three weeks ago Governor Bill Richardson handed a full plate of initiatives to the Roundhouse. So with just about one week left, how much are lawmakers listening?

With the proposal to create a state ethics commission under consideration in the Senate Rules Committee, activists lobbying for the bill say they’d like to see a better balance between confidentiality and the public’s right to know than would be created by some of the bills under consideration.

The Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would make changes to the state’s Governmental Conduct Act, including adding local government officials to the list of public employees who are bound by its ethical provisions.

For the third time in about a week, supporters of House Bill 118 tried to move their bill through the House Voters and and Elections Committee. The committee had asked the sponsor of HB 118Rep. Jose Campos, D-Santa Rosa, to combine his bill with a similar one sponsored by Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque. The [...]

On Tuesday the House Voters and Elections Committee tabled a bill designed to combat pay-to-play, asking supporters to work with Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, the sponsor of a similar bill.
House Bill 118 is sponsored by Rep. Jose Campos, D-Santa Rosa, and is supported by Think New Mexico. The bill would stop government contractors, lobbyists and special interests from making [...]

A bill that would prohibit candidates from appearing in public service ads passed through the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee Thursday afternoon.
The most conspicuous example of an elected official appearing on public service ads is former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, who was indicted, along with three others, on 50 criminal [...]

The Wall Street Journal has given the indictment of former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and three others a national profile, the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Steve Terrell blogged this afternoon.

The New Mexico Legislature’s Courts, Corrections and Justice committee met in Red River Wednesday and there were several interesting topics on the agenda, including double-dipping, predatory lending and a proposed ethics commission. NMI live blogged from the meeting.

Gov. Bill Richardson just sent out a press release urging legislators to work on ethics reform. The release said Richardson “applauded” the Senate Rules Committee’s passing a campaign contribution cap.
“I’m pleased that this issue is moving forward, but we don’t need temporary ethics reform,” Richardson said. “I urge legislators get me a bill with a [...]

TruTouch Technologies, an Albuquerque high-tech company on the front lines of battling drunken driving, could lose a substantial contract with Bernalillo County after two of its officers apparently failed to disclose campaign contributions to Republican congressional candidate Darren White. A state ethics law may have been violated.

The last time I saw Manny Aragon, we were at a backyard gathering of Democratic activists to honor women who’d stuck their necks out for the right reasons. It had been years since I’d seen him, and nothing was the same. He sat a patio table with other guests in a corner so secluded that it took awhile before I even noticed him.