Our state originally intended to have a citizen-led legislature, but in modern times, an unpaid, voluntary legislature has had the opposite effect -- with ordinary New Mexicans unable to afford to serve.
Having an unpaid legislature “may have worked over 100 years ago during the creation of our state when we were horse-and-buggy but in our modern day, we need to have a paid legislature because right now really the only people who can afford to legislate and participate in the legislative process are often individuals who are retired or independently wealthy,” Mario Jimenez III said.
