Photo by Kevin Steinhardt/flickr.com
A bill that would require Gov. Susana Martinez to webcast meetings of her cabinet has been on the Senate floor calendar for at least a couple of weeks without getting a hearing.
Whether the legislation is something that will be voted on before the end of the session or is meant as a threat/joke isn’t entirely clear – but if senators intend for it to become law, they’re running out of time to send it to the House for consideration.
Senate Bill 456, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, would essentially require the webcasting of all public meetings in New Mexico – and it would effectively add the governor’s cabinet meetings to the list of those that are public. Cabinet meetings aren’t currently open to the public.
Though it applies to other meetings as well, the bill is aimed at the governor, carrying the title “Webcasting of cabinet and other meetings.”
Many senators have been angry this session at Martinez’s webcasting of their committee meetings. In response they passed a resolution giving themselves authority to shut down her webcasting if they choose. The N.M. Foundation for Open Government and others say that resolution is unconstitutional.
Jennings’ resolution requiring the governor to webcast cabinet meetings was the first item on today’s Senate floor calendar. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez said it would be heard today and called it an important piece of legislation related to transparency.
But when Sanchez actually called the bill up for debate, Jennings said he had to go to a meeting and asked that the hearing be delayed. Then he stayed in the chamber, rather than heading off to a meeting.
Whatever that means.
So whether the bill will get a Senate floor hearing before the session ends at noon Saturday isn’t clear.
Asked for a response to the bill, Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell had this to say:
“The governor will agree to webcast her cabinet meetings when the Legislature webcasts its caucus meetings.”