NMPolitics.net (https://nmpolitics.net/index/author/sarah-welsh/)
It’s simply a misconception to believe that by keeping public salary information obscure, we are protecting public employees. I believe what we are really protecting are illegal and unfair hiring practices that ultimately harm the public and the vast majority of public employees who are qualified and hard-working. Continue Reading
The Senate and AFSCME are proposing to pull private information into the public domain, using the Sunshine Portal as the vehicle. That was never the intent of the Sunshine Portal, which is meant to make already-public information available at the click of a mouse. Continue Reading
There’s a stunning parallel between the state GOP’s lawsuit against Bill Richardson and the ACLU’s lawsuit against Dianna Duran. The bipartisan principles underpinning open government are rarely on such obvious display. Continue Reading
I’m going to celebrate this week – National Sunshine Week – by giving thanks for America’s many sunshine guarantees. In New Mexico, thanks to a legion of dedicated activists, we now have some of the toughest freedom-of-information laws in the nation. Continue Reading
Information is power, and right now the public has none about the governor’s exempt employees. But there is hope, if the House will do its part and pass legislation that would create an online “Sunshine Portal” that would publish detailed, up-to-date financial information from state government. Continue Reading