Whistleblower act revision sparks furor
SANTA FE – A proposal to revamp New Mexico’s whistleblower protection law came under fire Thursday from a state ethics group, which said it would gut the current law and give government agencies greater ability to retaliate against workers who report public corruption or wrongdoing.
But the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, disputed the claim, saying the legislation would actually improve the Whistleblower Protection Act.
One thing that’s not in dispute is that the measure, Senate Bill 299, proposes sweeping changes to the state’s whistleblower law.
Contractors would no longer be able to file claims, and only non-administrative employees would be eligible to get their jobs back – or a job with the same seniority status. The current law requires that successful whistleblowers be reinstated at the same seniority level.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/946872/critics-assail-proposed-overhaul-of-whistleblower-act.html