The Public Regulation Commission has finally made public the list of finalists for insurance superintendent.
The PRC has been working to replace Eric Serna since he resigned earlier this year amid scandal.
The PRC announced last week that it was negotiating with a candidate, meaning it skipped the step of releasing publicly the 
names of the finalists. The director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government said that violated the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act, but the PRC still refused.
The Albuquerque Journal filed a formal request for records, and Monday the PRC complied, releasing the list of finalists. They are Beatriz Rivera, Morris Chavez, Pete Dinelli and Edward Lopez. Ten were considered for the job, according to the Journal.
A news conference is set for 11:30 a.m. today. The PRC is expected to announce the new insurance superintendent then.
It’s been negotiating with one of the finalists for days. The PRC refused to release information about the finalist to the Journal, including salary, saying only that the salary discussed is between $54,000 and $117,000.
Serna was making $91,000 when the PRC suspended him in May because of conflicts of interest, according to the Journal.
The two candidates for PRC District 5, which includes
Sandy Jones, the Democrat who knocked off incumbent E. Shirley Baca in the primary, issued a news release stating that he “is concerned about the selection process used by current members” of the PRC.
“The recruitment and selection process should be as open and public as possible,” Jones said. “It is critical that the PRC take the necessary steps to restore public confidence in the insurance division in light of recent events.”
Three new commissioners will be elected to the PRC in November. Earl Greer, Jones’ Republican opponent, has called for the PRC to hold off making a decision until those commissioners take office.
“There should be more transparency in the entire process,” he said.
The PRC has never been all that transparent. Hopefully, the successful District 5 candidate will help the sun shine on the commission.