Former rep has ideas for a modern Legislature
As a state representative in the 1990s representing southern Sandoval County, I introduced legislation to pay legislators a part-time salary and tied it to term limits. Times have changed — not!
Several decades later, we are still debating if the members of our Legislature should be paid and if they deserve it. The answer is, yes they should be paid. If they don’t deserve it, vote them out. And add term limits, since 96% of incumbents are reelected in spite of low approval ratings.
But, and it is a big but, if we pay legislators we must tie to that salary strong conflict-of-interest measures, making it clear no one can vote on any issue in which they or their family have any interest. And they can’t accept other government salaries — as a teacher, for example — if they are getting a salary as a legislator. No double dipping.
There are three legitimate arguments for paying legislators:
◆ There is an old saying around the Roundhouse: Only rich or retired people can afford to serve in the Legislature. The truth is that a cross-section of New Mexicans can’t afford to serve, and that is wrong.
◆ Paying lawmakers and implementing a ban of accepting anything of value from anyone with legislation in front of them would go a long way in cleaning up the mess during the session, when lobbyists are wining and dining legislators while their bills are being heard in front of the committees on which the representatives serve.
◆ Paying them and providing staff would allow legislators better research and better constituent services. Only the leadership has staff and that puts more power in fewer hands, which is less democratic. Everyone deserves staff support.
No, we don’t need district offices — coffee shops are just fine. But staff support, a salary and strong conflict-of-interest measures offer a balanced solution to upgrade our Legislature and its work product.
And here is the rub: Republicans don’t want any of this for no logical reason, while the Democrats generally don’t want term limits or the other ethics pieces I discuss above. I believe this middle ground I lay out above made sense in the 1990s and still does. Let’s compromise and pay them, rotate them in and out of service, give them staff to work smarter and ban the acceptance of anything of value from anyone.