Ethics reform bill prevails over Sanchez’s umbrage

With the clock running out on the legislative session, ethics reformers scored a major triumph last night with the passage by the state Senate of HB393, the bill to open conference committees to the public.
And just minutes before the debate commenced, Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez issued a long and acerbic press release, contrasting his [...]

Free Speech means the right to criticize politicians – and NM politicians don’t like it

Let’s face it.  Elected officials don’t like to be criticized – and especially not in public.
There’s nothing wrong with that.  They have feelings too.  But criticism goes with the territory.  And there’s a big problem when those same officials attempt to use their powers to stifle the public’s exercise of free speech.
Under the U.S. Constitution, [...]

Senator Michael Sanchez: Manipulations, Maneuvers and Manny

While nothing surprises me much at the Roundhouse these days, Senator Michael Sanchez pulled a major shocker out of his hat yesterday afternoon on the Senate Floor.
With Lt. Governor Diane Denish out of the chair and Senator Tim Jennings presiding, Senator Sanchez moved Senate Bill 652 for discussion, literally leap-frogging it ahead of hundreds of [...]

Ethics: The Myth of New Mexico’s Exceptionalism

On Saturday, the NM State Senate delivered yet another blow to the cause of ethics reform.  SB163, a bill to impose a one-year cooling off period before ex-legislators can work as lobbyists, went down by a vote of 14-22.
One of the major purposes of the cooling-off period is to remove the temptation for lawmakers to [...]

Rep. Ken Martinez, Senator Michael Sanchez and the Politician Protection Act of 2009

In years past, the legislature has deployed a defensive strategy on ethics reform – just kill all the bills they don’t want.
That strategy changed this year, with the filing (on the last day to introduce new legislation) of HB891, sponsored by House Majority Leader Ken Martinez and Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez. While a committee [...]