SW New Mexico News

Rep. Jim Townsend introduced House Resolution 1, a proposal that would require the New Mexico House of Representatives to publish a list of legislators who make a motion or vote to table a bill. 

The New Mexico Political Report said that Townsend was somewhat pleased to receive bipartisan support. Tabled bills usually die in committee without being considered further. House Resolution 1 would make the information public, displayed on the legislative website, not just maintained in the House records.

“The people of New Mexico expect ethical transparency,” Townsend told the committee members, according to the NM Political Report. “This is just one more step in making our processes much more transparent to the public.”

All but one member of the House Rules and Order of Business Committee voted to endorse the resolution. After discussion, it was decided that an amendment would exempt two committees from having to disclose their votes. Rep. Damon Ely added this amendment that would let the House Appropriations and Finance Committee and House Taxation and Revenue Committees to skip disclosure. Ely said this is because the language of those bills usually ends up getting tied into the final state budget. It might confuse the public to see that a tabled bill made it into the final budget.

Townsend insists that the resolution is not intended to suggest that bills are tabled because of party differences, but allows the public to understand what actually happens in legislative session. This is one of three resolutions Townsend has introduced for the purpose of transparency with the public.

Townsend's proposal next goes to the full House where it must pass by a majority to be binding on next year's legislative session.