The increasingly familiar news that a New Mexico state official has been indicted brought the increasingly familiar response from good-government advocates: We need ethics reform, and now.

The refrain was heard after two of the state's former treasurers went to prison on public corruption charges, as did the former state Senate president.

And it's coming again in the wake of Wednesday's indictment of former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron.

Vigil-Giron was indicted on 50 felony counts of fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, creating false documents and soliciting or receiving kickbacks in a case involving millions of dollars in federal election funds.

A state grand Wednesday indicted Vigil-Giron, political consultant Armando Gutierrez, and lobbyists Joe and Elizabeth Kupfer in the case. Gutierrez and both Kupfers also face 50 felony counts each.

Vigil-Giron currently works at the state's Department of Workforce Solutions as a constituent liaison. She has denied any wrongdoing.

So could the news of the latest indictments be the tipping point advocates need to get more reforms approved?

That's hard to say, says Steve Allen, director of the good-government group Common Cause New Mexico.

"We've had similar stories so many times before, I think the cumulative effect makes it that much more urgent and more apparent to everyone that something needs to be done," he said.

Lawmakers have made some changes to state ethics laws in past years, including a requirement for more frequent campaign finance reporting. There are also new campaign contribution limits in a measure that takes effect after the 2010 gubernatorial race. It calls for candidates for nonstatewide posts and the Legislature to get no more than $2,300 from a contributor for both the general and the primary election. Individuals running for statewide office can receive up to $5,000 for the primary and general elections. Under the law, political action committees can give no more than $5,000 for each election cycle.

But lawmakers want to do more.

State Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said he'll push again for an independent ethics commission, in part because the panel could help public officials avoid making mistakes in the first place.

"What it shows is that there is a real need for oversight before things end up in the courts," he said. "I think that's how the ethics commission can play a real role, to provide a forum so issues can be presented, and not just things that are improper, but it can also play an advisory role ... so someone in government facing an ethical quandary can have a place to go for guidance," he said.

A subcommittee of the interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee is already working on such legislation, Wirth said.

The indictments also drew responses and pledges to battle corruption from some of the 2010 gubernatorial candidates and might-be candidates.

Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez, a Republican, called this week's news "a sad reminder that for too long public officials in New Mexico have used elected office to serve themselves as opposed to serving the public who entrusted them to lead our state. Corruption and misuse of taxpayer dollars and public funds are simply inexcusable and those responsible should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," she said.

Allen Weh, former head of the state GOP, who is considering a gubernatorial bid, said the "news is yet another reminder to all New Mexicans and highlights the need for change in Santa Fe."

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com.