Janice Arnold-Jones
I’m writing to let you know that NMPolitics.net has nominated state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones for the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government’s 2010 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award for her successful efforts to force webcasting on the state Legislature.
The award, according to FOG, is for people “who fight for transparency and/or First Amendment freedoms in the areas of business, law, education, government and journalism. These people make open government a reality in our state.”
In my opinion, there’s no one who deserves such recognition more than Arnold-Jones.
Even though Arnold-Jones’ rogue webcasting of last year’s regular legislative session brought a new level of transparency and accessibility to the Legislature and helped create momentum for ethics reform, I considered not nominating her for this award because she’s running for governor and I’m a journalist covering that race. This isn’t an endorsement of Arnold-Jones’ candidacy for governor, and I didn’t want it to be interpreted as such – by her or anyone else.
In the end, however, as I wrote in my nomination letter, “it’s rare for an elected official to stand up to a broken system in such a courageous manner and start a movement that so dramatically changes things.
“Such courage must be rewarded, and though this nomination is not, in any way, an endorsement of Arnold-Jones’ candidacy for governor, it is an attempt to recognize her important work to advance the cause of open and transparent government and to encourage other public officials to follow her lead,” I wrote.
That last part is the key: Arnold-Jones stood up to legislative leaders and risked violating House rules to do the right thing. Such courage is rare. This is simply an attempt to recognize Arnold-Jones for doing the right thing, and to encourage other public officials to do the same.
I share this with you to hold myself to the same standard of transparency that, as a journalist, I demand of government.
Here’s the text of my letter nominating Arnold-Jones:
Jan. 22, 2010
New Mexico Foundation for Open Government directors:
No one did more to advance the cause of government transparency and openness in 2009 than State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones. That’s why I’m nominating Arnold-Jones for the 2010 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award.
Arnold-Jones’ rogue webcasting of the 2009 regular legislative session was the spark that lit a fire. Soon after she risked violating House rules in the name of transparency and accessibility, the New Mexico Independent, KUNM radio and two other House members joined Arnold-Jones in webcasting audio and video of legislative proceedings. That gave citizens several options for accessing legislative proceedings for free from anywhere.
New Mexico Legislative Reports, which has webcasted audio for years but charged a hefty fee for access to its site, made its webcasting free to the public as well.
Suddenly, lawmakers had multiple cameras and microphones in their meetings and no way of knowing who was listening – and who wasn’t. That new reality, many lawmakers later told me for an article I wrote, created momentum that helped propel a number of ethics reform proposals – including open conference committees – to approval in the 2009 session. And it forced the House and Senate to begin their own, official webcasting.
As a journalist who largely covers the Roundhouse from Las Cruces, I can personally attest to how webcasting has made the Legislature more accessible to people around the state. I can listen to floor debates and some committee debates from 300 miles away.
I’ve heard from a number of citizens – from Farmington to Roswell to Las Cruces to Silver City – who are taking advantage of that new reality. Armed with the knowledge of what their legislators are doing in a way that wasn’t available before, people are motivated to communicate with their elected officials and participate in their government.
In a large, rural state with a lot of poverty, there has simply never been a way, before now, for many New Mexicans to see what goes on at the Roundhouse. Arnold-Jones’ webcasting started a movement that gives New Mexicans access they should have had all along.
I have to say, I considered not nominating Arnold-Jones for this award because she’s also a candidate for governor, and I’m a journalist covering that race. But it’s rare for an elected official to stand up to a broken system in such a courageous manner and start a movement that so dramatically changes things.
Such courage must be rewarded, and though this nomination is not, in any way, an endorsement of Arnold-Jones’ candidacy for governor, it is an attempt to recognize her important work to advance the cause of open and transparent government and to encourage other public officials to follow her lead.
I hope you’ll see fit to recognize such courage by awarding the 2010 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award to Arnold-Jones.
Thank you for your consideration. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Heath Haussamen
Owner, NMPolitics.net