You shouldn’t have to be rich to serve in public office. But right now, New Mexico has the only remaining unsalaried legislature in the nation. The current framework no longer serves our state well. The complex issues we face now require a vibrant, diverse body with the tools and time necessary to find the right solutions for New Mexico. The reality is that our unsalaried legislature restricts who can afford to serve as an elected official and limits the legislature’s effectiveness.
We need a legislature that looks like our state and understands the needs of our people. Currently it’s primarily wealthy or retired candidates who can afford to mount a campaign and have the time off and means to serve in an unpaid post. We need better supports for New Mexicans from all walks of life who want to represent their communities as legislators.
Furthermore, New Mexico’s 30-day and 60-day sessions are among the shortest legislative sessions in the U.S. This results in debates that are curtailed and cut short in many instances. Worse yet, some of the priority legislation undertaken every year stalls simply because time runs out to advance the bills. If New Mexico is to keep pace with the rest of America, we need to allocate adequate time to write, debate and pass new laws.
For the first time, beginning in 2025, all New Mexico lawmakers will have dedicated year-round staff and district offices. This long-needed reform was passed thanks New Mexicans like you, who spoke out demanding better constituent services and more access to your representatives. The change represents a huge improvement and will provide legislators more capacity to research issues, craft policies, and reduce their dependence on lobbyists for expertise.
More must be done to ensure our legislature is an effective, co-equal branch of state government.
We can accomplish this by :
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A modern New Mexico Legislature will afford our state the opportunity to grow and thrive. We deserve elected officials who are reflective of our communities and who work as hard as we do with the necessary time and resources to tackle complex problems and find solutions to improve the lives of all New Mexicans.
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