Legislative Council votes to move modernization plan forward
Bipartisan panel that helps oversee resources, services for state lawmakers approves study on salaries, regional offices
Efforts to modernize the state’s citizen Legislature are moving forward.
Members of the Legislative Council voted 9-3 on Monday to approve a study plan that could provide recommendations that would alter the workings of the Legislature, including hiring staff and providing regional offices for lawmakers.
The Legislative Council, composed of members of the Legislature, helps oversee services and resources for both the state House of Representatives and Senate.
The three Republicans who voted against the proposal said the initiative is going to cost taxpayers significant money — including some $6 million appropriated in the 2025 fiscal year budget.
“I didn’t take this job to keep dinging the taxpayers of New Mexico,” said Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell, during Monday’s meeting at the state Capitol. “To me, that’s what we’re doing right here.
“I didn’t sign on to this job to have a full-time staff,” she added.
Some Democrats who voted in favor of the proposal raised concerns about where the legislative offices would be located, who would do the hiring for their staff and how training would be conducted.
Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Albuquerque, said it might be better to give each legislator an equal share of the money so he or she can “work out office and staffing” issues.
Legislative Council Service director Raúl Burciaga said after the hearing the study group, which would include top staffers from both the House and Senate leadership offices, would present preliminary ideas in May.
In June, after taking feedback from the council members, they would return with a final recommendation plan to be voted upon.
The idea of changing the workings of the Legislature has been in the works for years, and hiring more staff members to assist lawmakers is but one step. New Mexico is the only state where lawmakers don’t draw a salary, and some are pushing to pay them. Advocates say it is not only fair to pay lawmakers for the time they put into their work but also would result in more varied candidates running for office.
Others, however, question whether a paid Legislature would actually attract more qualified candidates.
State lawmakers do get per diem and mileage reimbursements for traveling to regular legislative sessions and interim committee hearings.
In the past few years, several legislative efforts to gain support for putting the question of modernizing the Legislature to voters have failed. That was particularly true when it came to the issue of paying lawmakers a salary.
But other efforts not related to salaries, such as increasing the length of legislative sessions every year, have gotten nowhere as well. The Legislature currently meets for 30 days in even-numbered years and for 60 days in odd-numbered years.
During this year’s 30-day session, lawmakers approved $6 million to open legislative offices with staff members. It remains unclear if those offices would be based on the location of legislative districts or regions of the state.
Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, a supporter of the idea, said while the process is “complex, it is not rocket science.”