Denish, Martinez talk about PRC, SOS reform

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish supports requiring minimum qualifications for service on the Public Regulation Commission and wants to consider other reforms to the PRC and Secretary of State’s Office in a new constitutional convention.

Republican Susana Martinez says problems in the Secretary of State’s Office point to New Mexico’s need for a new secretary of state, but she does support reforms to the elections process and commissions such as the PRC to increase transparency and accountability.

I asked the candidates about the PRC and the Secretary of State’s Office at once because there’s been talk about reforming both in recent years. Because some of the duties of both offices are similar, there’s even been talk about combining some duties or moving some from both to other state agencies.

Some have suggested making PRC members appointed instead of elected. Some have recommended taking elections and ethics/disclosure duties from the secretary of state and placing them in the hands of independent commissions. With that in mind, here’s what I asked the candidates:

• Do you support reform of either state agency, or both?
• If so, what specific reforms do you propose?

Their responses:

Diane Denish

“I have proposed a new constitutional convention to coincide with New Mexico’s centennial in 2012. This would be an excellent opportunity to completely reform government, including constitutionally created offices such as the Office of Secretary of State and the Public Regulation Commission.

“The PRC this is a very powerful body with the power to set consumer rates for a wide range of industries. Because of the depth of knowledge commissioners should have, it would make sense to require that the people who sit on this commission have specific qualifications and expertise and be able to pass stringent background checks. Unfortunately that is not the way it is structured.

“In the 12 years since the PRC came into its current incarnation, there have been many commissioners who served competently and with honor. It is unfortunate that their professionalism has been overshadowed by the actions of other members. That’s why I support adopting minimum qualifications to serve.

“I also propose that we rethink the basic structure of the PRC and how commissioners are chosen. Though on principle, I oppose taking choices away from voters, I am open to a discussion of changing the way PRC members are chosen. This could mean at-large elections, continued district-based elections, appointment or a hybrid process that includes multiple methods of selection to ensure balance and expertise on the commission.

“However, we must be careful in how we handle any proposal with regard to the structure of the PRC, and I would task the constitutional convention with reviewing that structure and making recommendations.

“As for the secretary of state, this is a constitutional office that has been with us since statehood. Any change to the office would also need to be handled either by election or through constitutional convention.

“As someone who has been out front in support of the creation of an independent ethics commission, I envision this commission also playing a role in the adjudication of election complaints and potentially working to ensure more accurate and timely campaign reporting. The role of the commission as it pertains to its potential oversight relationship to the Office of the Secretary of State would need to be more thoroughly discussed and addressed as part of the constitutional convention.”

Susana Martinez

“First and foremost, we need public servants to do the job entrusted to them by the voters. For example, it may appear from the recent scandals that the Secretary of State’s Office needs drastic reformation, but the reality is we simply need a new secretary of state. New Mexico deserves a competent and honest secretary of state who can provide more transparency and better reporting when it comes to campaign finance, candidate disclosures and a fair electoral process.

“Specific election reforms I support include requiring photo voter identification at the polls, more timely campaign reporting, and requiring the secretary of state to post randomly audited campaign reports online.
“With regard to the Public Regulatory Commission, I support any effort to cut wasteful spending, reduce government inefficiency, and eliminate conflicts of interest. As it stands right now, the PRC is in charge of regulating utilities, telecommunications, motor carriers and insurance industries. It is also in charge of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the firefighter training academy, pipeline safety and the registration of corporations doing business in New Mexico.

“In an office that oversees so much, there are opportunities to reduce over-bloated bureaucracies and consolidate duplicative administrative functions to achieve budget savings.

“More than anything, the PRC is a very powerful body whose decisions have great impact on the people of New Mexico. With that in mind, it is critical that the public have confidence that their business is being conducted honestly. Specific reform principles that I would support for this, or any board or commission of this kind, include increasing transparency, eliminating conflicts of interest, and providing for meaningful enforcement for officials who violate the public trust.”