Join Us for Our Annual Luncheon and Awards

Common Cause New Mexico will honor four separate groups of citizens and elected officials with its Best in Government Awards at its annual luncheon in Albuquerque on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

Common Cause New Mexico sponsors the lunch each year to recognize individuals who have made the year a bright one for good government and transparency. This year’s luncheon will be at the UNM Continuing Education Building, 1634 University Blvd. NE, at noon. 

Las Cruces City Councilor Olga Pedroza (D) and Rio Rancho City Councilor Cheryl Everett will be honored for work at the local level. Pedroza was a champion of public financing of elections in Dona Ana County and Everett led Rio Rancho’s enactment of an ethics code this year.

Brad Winter, who stepped in as interim Secretary of State this year, along with Stuart Bluestone, a longtime lobbyist for the Attorney General’s Office on campaign finance reform and ethics issues, will be honored for their important contributions.

Sandra Fish, a data reporter for the online news service, New Mexico In Depth, will be honored for her work in making campaign finance information accessible and understandable to ordinary citizens during this election year.  

Two TV reporters, Ryan Luby and Chris Ramirez, of KOB TV, are also award winners for their unprecedented series on legislators’ and lobbyists’ faulty campaign reports. Their reporting led to the passage of House Bills 105 and 137, tightening expenditure reporting for lobbyists and legislators. Luby is currently a reporter for a TV station in Denver, Colorado. 

Two of Common Cause New Mexico’s important allied organizations, the League of Women Voters of New Mexico and Strong Families NM, will be honored for their efforts at the legislature and at during the recent elections.

This year, the League was the lead plaintiff in a case before the NM Supreme Court, which validated the legislature’s ability to consolidate school board and municipal elections as approved by the voters in two separate constitutional amendments.

Strong Families New Mexico assisted voters at polling places in November and testified on behalf of ethics and campaign issues during the 2016 legislative session.

Tickets to the event are $25. Register at nm.commoncause.org/16lunch or call 323-6399.