N.M. lawmakers consider proposal to give themselves a salary
Jul. 26—New Mexico voters may be asked whether or not the time has come to pay state lawmakers a base salary.
The Legislature's Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee is scheduled to consider a proposed constitutional amendment Monday calling for the State Ethics Commission to review and establish salaries every two years for legislators, as well as all elected officers of the executive and judicial branches of state government.
"I'd like to actually retitle this segment from 'legislator compensation' to 'depoliticize state elected officer salaries,' " Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, said at the beginning of the presentation.
"We have it in our Constitution that we shall not be paid," he added. "There's been a fair amount of history on this over the years where there's been attempts to change the narrative, and part of the problem is the general public thinks we're overpaid as it is because, after all, what rational person would do what we do for nothing?"
New Mexico is the only state in the nation that doesn't pay its Legislature a base salary, though lawmakers collect per diem when attending legislative sessions and other meetings.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.
Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.
