Days remaining in session: 1

Ethics commission: An ethics bill that has been crawling through the session unanimously cleared the House on Tuesday. House Bill 309, sponsored by Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces, now goes to the Senate.

"A State Ethics Commission will promote increased accountability for ethical behavior and strengthen the state's ethical standards," Garcia said in a statement. "We must restore the people's confidence and trust in government. The voters want ethics reform."

The bill carries a $250,000 appropriation.

Blow the whistle: The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed Senate Bill 437, the Whistleblower Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Sue Beffort, R-Albuquerque. The bill is designed to protect public employees who expose corruption and illegal activity they discover on the job. It would allow government employees to sue their employer if they are retaliated against for disclosing improper practices or testify as a part of an investigation of wrongdoing.

Beffort said in a news release that 27 other states — including neighboring Texas, Colorado and Utah — protect public employees against retaliation.

The bill goes to the House.

No investigation of contract: A House committee Monday voted against asking the attorney general to investigate the state contract with Election Systems and Software Inc. to buy and maintain its voting systems.

House Memorial 51, introduced by Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, would ask the attorney general to determine whether the contract was properly negotiated and made in accordance with law. Specifically, Foley wanted the attorney general to investigate a deficit that was left under former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron.

"It's a shame that the Democrats on the House Voters and Election Committee don't want to get to the bottom of this issue," Foley said in a written statement. "We will, however, continue to fight for the people of New Mexico on this matter."

In 2006, the state paid more than $18 million for 1,900 paper ballot tabulators and 1,580 AutoMARK voting systems purchased from ES&S Maintenance. The service contract with ES&S for the voting systems has already cost the state and its counties more than $1 million, Foley said.

ES&S also provides voter lists for the state.

Streaming senators: The Senate voted 27-13 for Senate Memorial 45, sponsored by Sen. Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque, which asks the Legislative Council to arrange to start streaming Senate proceedings on the Internet beginning next year.

In 2005, Boitano successfully carried a bill that appropriated $75,000 for webcasting of the Senate. But, Boitano said Tuesday, the Legislative Council has not yet directed its staff to solicit bids so webcasting could begin.

Some senators spoke against webcasting Senate floor sessions, saying this would cause lawmakers to play to the cameras with "grandstanding" speeches.

Human trafficking: The House on Tuesday unanimously passed SB 71, which creates a felony offense of human trafficking. Senate Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, is the bill's sponsor.

The bill defines human trafficking as obtaining another person, knowing that force, fraud or coercion will be used to subject them to labor, services or commercial sexual activity; obtaining a person under 18 knowing they will be caused to engage in commercial sexual activity; or benefiting financially from any of the above. The penalty is a third-degree felony plus restitution, except if the victim is under 16, in which case it is a second-degree felony, or under 13, which is a first-degree felony.

The bill also would create a task force to collect data on the nature and extent of human trafficking in the state as well as developing and conducting training for law enforcement and victim-service providers in how to identify victims. The task force would implement a media-awareness campaign in communities affected by human trafficking and develop recommendations on how to prevent the crime.

Because of amendments made by the house, the bill must now return to the Senate for concurrence.

Looking ahead: Today is the last full day of the session. If lawmakers follow tradition, floor sessions in the House and Senate could go well into the wee hours. The session ends at noon Thursday.

Today is also the 21st annual American Indian Day at Capitol. Rotunda activities are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Richardson and governors and presidents from New Mexico's 22 tribes are scheduled to be on hand, along with veterans, student drum groups and numerous tribal programs and Indian organizations.

Quote of the day: "This is really a sad moment for me because I realize I'm taking a chance on leaving here," — Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque, who is giving up his seat in the Legislature to run for the U.S. Senate. He then sang "That's Amore."

"You've gotten more 'quotes of the day' than anybody who has ever served here." — Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, to Carraro.