We’ve made it through the first week of the legislative session with two bills we support moving forward through their first committee assignments.  Here is what is going on with a few key bills:

• SJR8, which is the Constitutional Amendment that would allow the Ethics Commission to set public officials’ salaries (including legislators), was heard in the Senate Rules Committee on Monday and passed 7 to 1. It will move forward to the Senate Judicial Committee.

• SB2 increases judicial salaries and retirement. It was heard Monday in the Senate Judiciary Committee and passed unanimously. It now goes to Senate Finance.

• The Secretary of State’s budget will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday Jan. 25. It includes funding to hire an additional auditor to review campaign finance reports – something essential to both accountability and transparency.

You may have noticed that our bills usually go through two committees in the Senate (Rules and Judiciary) and two in the House (Government, Elections & Indian Affairs and Judiciary).  Check if your senator or representative is on any of these committees and write to them in support of these bills as they come up.

You can see where bills are being heard by checking the bill finder on the state’s website.

You can also find out who your legislator is, along with his or her committee assignments, and contact information on the website as well.

Stay tuned to this space to keep up to date on legislation important to our core values as it moves through New Mexico’s legislature.