Ethics-related legislation heads to session
SANTA FE – A new and expansive piece of legislation that would provide a place to file complaints against local, as well as state-level, public officials will be among the ethics-related measures greeting lawmakers next month.
The proposed 12-member Public Accountability Board, like previously proposed ethics commissions, would investigate and rule on complaints against public officials and employees, candidates, lobbyists and government contractors.
But this legislation would be even broader: It also would give the board enforcement authority for civil violations of the laws governing open meetings and inspection of public records, which now falls to district attorneys or the attorney general.
The Public Accountability Act also would beef up the existing Judicial Standards Commission and create a permanent, year-round Legislative Ethics Committee to replace the separate committees that currently exist only either during or between sessions.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/901631/ethicsrelated-legislation-heads-to-session.html