Rep. Joseph Cervantes (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
An independent commission would examine how the N.M. Constitution compares with those of other states and propose changes to the Legislature if a bill sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes becomes law.
“New Mexico is operating under an antiquated constitution that is approaching its centennial,” Cervantes said in a news release. “For us to compete in the 21st century, we must have a way to determine best practices and evaluate the way we govern.”
House Bill 207 has been assigned to the Judiciary and Appropriations and Finance committees.
“New Mexico doesn’t have any procedure to evaluate our Constitution. This legislation creates specific means to do just that,” said Cervantes, D-Las Cruces.
The commission would include 15 members representing both political parties and different regions of the state. Those who would have appointment power include the governor, House speaker, Senate president pro tempore and the N.M. Legislative Council.
All with power to appoint members would have to make bipartisan selections. For example, the bill would give the speaker the power to appoint three members, but no more than two could belong to the same political party.
The commission would be required to report back to the Legislature no later than 30 days before the start of the 2013 session.
The legislation seeks $100,000 to fund the commission’s work.
Cervantes proposed a similar commission in 2009. The legislation passed the House unanimously but died in the Senate.
Guv’s thoughts about a commission
NMPolitics.net asked Gov. Susana Martinez what she thought about the creation of such a commission, or even a constitutional convention, during the 2010 election. Here’s what she said:
“New Mexico state government is plagued by ‘pay-to-play’ scandals and an over-bloated bureaucracy. I understand and agree with the sentiment to create a commission that can tackle those inefficiencies, but the best way to end corruption is to have real consequences for violating the public trust.
“We will fix over-bloated bureaucracies by electing strong leaders that can put an end to them. As governor, I will institute the necessary changes, fight to put an end to the scandals, and guide our state government into a new era of governmental ethics and efficiency.”