Albuquerque Journal (Op-Ed): NM needs a modern Legislature to cope with modern challenges

To that end, a coalition of legislators, with help from the Legislative Council Service, has been hard at work, drawing on two UNM studies of this issue and discussions in multiple interim and regular committee meetings. In the process, the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures has traveled to our state to give members comparative data from other states. An outside contractor, The Focus Group, has outlined three possible models of staffing patterns that would put members in better touch with their constituents and allow for more policy research.

Yet, according to a Research and Polling survey we commissioned last year, the public understands, and overwhelmingly wants to modernize the Legislature. Seventy percent of the registered voters polled support longer sessions of the legislature; 67% support paid staff and 64% support paying legislators.

Folks close to the New Mexico Legislature — including legislators — know that our short sessions, unpaid legislators and staffing patterns are inadequate for the complex problems facing the state in the 21st century. As the budget has risen to over $10 billion, and the number of constituents each member represents has grown dramatically, there have been scores of measures introduced over the past decade to address the outdated situation. Rep. Montoya himself just introduced a bill to provide more staff.

Statistically, women, Hispanics, Native Americans and Blacks are underrepresented in the N.M. Legislature, as well as many working-class citizens since only those able to subsidize their own service can run and hold office without a paycheck.

Several reasonable measures to change a system rooted in the 1900s are now pending before the Legislature. Two of them are constitutional amendments, which will ultimately let the voters decide.

We urge readers to support House Joint Resolution 7, sponsored by Rep. Angelica Rubio, to create an independent commission to set legislative salaries and Senate Joint Resolution 5, sponsored by Rep. Natalie Figueroa, to extend the length of the 30-day session to 60 days to allow for more deliberation, and fewer mistakes. Another amendment this session to create two 45-day sessions is simply the status quo, rearranged.

The current inclusion of funds for district staff for all legislators in the budget is a step toward a more responsive, professional and informed body. The details, which we hope will provide for nonpartisan staff, can be worked out by the Legislative Council Service, based on data — not politics.

Molly Swank is the executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.