Days remaining in session: 1 day

Ethics commission bills: Bills to establish a state ethics commission are being opposed — at least in their current form — by several organizations, some of which for years have advocated an ethics commission. Senate Bill 43 is awaiting action by the full Senate. That's also the case in the House for the similar House Bill 43.

Sarah Welsh, director of New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said most of the groups support "an independent, bipartisan commission to field and investigate ethics complaints against public officials, as well as to serve in an advisory capacity on all issues related to ethics in government." But confidentiality requirements in the bills are too strict and fly in the face of the state's "sunshine" laws, which "start from the presumption that government must be open by default, with any secrecy provisions carved out as narrowly as possible."

Welsh noted that under the bills "a private citizen who files an ethics complaint and then decides to talk about it publicly could face penalties of up to $26,000 and a year in jail. Ironically, a public official, public employee or lobbyist found to have actually committed an ethics violation in betrayal of the public trust would only receive a public reprimand from the ethics commission."

Besides NMFOG, other groups unhappy with the bills include Common Cause New Mexico, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, AARP and the League of Women Voters of New Mexico.

Online driver's licenses: The Senate on Tuesday passed HB 25, which would allow New Mexicans to renew their driver's licenses online or over the phone. House Bill 25, sponsored by Rep. Nate Cote, D-Las Cruces, goes to the governor.

The bill is a mirror bill of SB 137, which passed the Senate last week only after debate on the bill grew into a free-wheeling discussion of issues including illegal immigration, terrorism, drug abuse, Guatemalan gangs and Islam and racism. It eventually passed the Senate by a lopsided vote.

The consideration of the House bill Tuesday barely lasted a minute before the Senate voted 31-2 to pass it.

Campaign contributions: A proposal to prevent lobbyists, state contractors and prospective contractors from making campaign contributions to New Mexico candidates and political parties has been passed by the House.

Lawmakers debated House Bill 118 for close to four hours over two days before voting 46-24 in favor of the measure. It was a mostly party-line vote.

Supporters say it would help stop potential pay-to-play corruption in which contributions influence governmental decisions and the awarding of contracts.

Democrat Rep. Joe Campos of Santa Rosa says the measure would ensure that state contracts are awarded on the basis on merit and go to those contractors who offer the best goods at the lowest price.

Critics say the measure fails to solve the problems that led to New Mexico's pay-to-play scandals, and it would trample free speech rights for lobbyists and contractors.

The bill was first proposed by Santa Fe think tank Think New Mexico, whose director, Fred Nathan, said after the vote that he remains optimistic about pushing the measure through the Senate despite the fact the session ends at noon Thursday.

Natural Heritage Conservation Act: The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would set up a fund in hopes of attracting federal funds, private donations and other money to pay for conservation projects.

By a 27-14 vote, SB 186, sponsored by Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, would set up the fund in the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department that eventually would protect and restore working farms and ranches, forests and watershed, outdoor recreation areas (including hunting and fishing) and cultural and historic sites.

The bill goes to the House.

Looking ahead: Country singer and Hobbs native Ryan Bingham will be honored 12:15 p.m. Thursday at the Capitol Rotunda — which is 15 minutes after the session ends. Bingham and T Bone Burnett, co-wrote "The Weary Kind," a song featured in the film Crazy Heart. The song won the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and an Academy Award nomination in the same category. Bingham will be joined Thursday by songwriter David Manzanares and other local musicians who appeared in Crazy Heart.

Former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly is scheduled to speak in the Rotunda at 10 a.m. today. Kelly, who lost his son, Hunter, at the age of 8 to Krabbe leukodystrophy, is founder of an organization addressing the need for information and research on the disease. Krabbe leukodystrophy would be one of five added to newborn screening requirements for New Mexico infants under HB 201, sponsored by Rep. Rhonda S. King, D-Stanley.
u Today is Transportation Day at the Roundhouse, hosted by the state Department of Transportation. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express, Safer New Mexico, Santa Fe Trails, Park and Ride, Aviation Division, Traffic Safety Bureau, North Central and Rio Metro regional transit districts, New Mexico Passenger Association and each of the state's six transportation districts are among participants in the event to provide information and highlight achievements.




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