State Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces, says her bill that would create a state ethics commission will likely pass the House today, and she’s urging the Senate to give it honest consideration before the session ends at noon on Thursday.
House Bill 309 was approved unanimously by members of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee on Monday, but not before a two-hour debate that resulted in its funding being cut from $500,000 to $250,000.
Garcia said the bill will pass the House, most likely today. If she’s right, the bill would have moved further this year than it did in 2007, when it passed the House but without any funding to implement it.
Garcia said Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, has tried to stop the bill, and she urged him and other senators to read the bill and consider reality before they refuse to hear it or vote against it. Garcia said voters want ethics reform, and she believes they will hold accountable in June and November those lawmakers who oppose the creation of an ethics commission.
“It’s a step in the right direction, and senators need to read the bill so they can understand it, and pass it to restore the trust and integrity,” Garcia said.
Update, 1:20 p.m.
The House unanimously approved Garcia’s ethics commission bill today.