
One signature away from becoming law, lobbyists worry over reporting bill
Mar. 20—SANTA FE — Some New Mexico lobbyists say a bill headed to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk is a targeted, logistical nightmare, but backers say more transparency from individuals who work to influence legislators is long overdue.
Sitting on the governor's desk is legislation that would require lobbyists, or their employers, to file "lobbyist activity reports" disclosing stances on bills they're influencing, and, if positions change, to update their stances within 48 hours.
The legislation, which has failed repeatedly to pass the Legislature in the past, surprised even the bill's sponsors in its passage of both chambers.
Currently, lobbyists only need to publicly report who's employing them and money spent to benefit legislators for lobbying purposes. Bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, described that as negligible, "next to nothing."
So he's been working for years to pass additional reporting legislation, only to have it fail time and time again. He said transparency changes are some of the most difficult measures to pass in the Roundhouse, and this year's passage of House Bill 143 shows the uphill battle is worth it.
"It's given me a hope that we can continue to fight for big things and fight for transparency and good government," Steinborn said.
Who's at the table
The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee passed the bill over the weekend. Charlie Marquez, a contract lobbyist who doesn't support the legislation, said leadership initially said it would be rolled — at which point he left the committee — but ultimately heard it when the bill sponsor showed up.
That was the last chance for public comment, as the bill went to the full Senate after that and then the full House again.
"Lobbyists have a lot to bring to the table, and I think they should be at the table helping craft legislation like this," said J.D. Bullington, a big-name lobbyist of 28 years representing more than 20 clients this year. Both he and Marquez said nobody asked them for input on the bill.
Steinborn said he didn't really confer with lobbyists when crafting the legislation, which he described as straightforward.
"They never liked it, and they never wanted it," he said.
Co-sponsor Rep. Sarah Silva, D-Las Cruces, said the lobbyists she reached out to either would only support the measure off the record or didn't respond.
Silva also expected more of a fight getting it through the House floor again for concurrence, a process of agreement when the other chamber makes changes to a bill. But in about a minute on Wednesday evening, the House floor agreed to send the bill to the governor.
It was different from the version the House sent over to the Senate, which Republicans amended to include restrictions on spending money on meals and beverages for legislators. The Senate stripped that out. Republicans voted against the bill in the House as well as the Senate.
Silva said the last time the Legislature passed a major transparency bill — updating the Lobbyist Regulation Act — was six years ago. Lujan Grisham signed that measure, which gives her hope now.
"I am just really excited that folks that can't make it to the Roundhouse (could) now have a better, more true picture of what happens here," she said, "because these are their bills, this is their Roundhouse, and they can't be here full time."
While the bill sponsors said they haven't heard anything from the Governor's Office, they're relieved it's at least through the Legislature. Lujan Grisham has until April 11 to sign or veto the legislation.
Red flags
The bill has raised red flags for some lobbyists, who are concerned HB143 would worsen existing logistical issues and be overly burdensome. The lobbying activity for specific bills would be linked on the Legislature's website alongside the bills.
Bullington said this has the potential to create a "logistical nightmare" for the Secretary of State's Office, where reports are filed, and the Legislative Council Service, which would have to update the Legislature website to post the filings alongside bills.
The secretary of state's filing system is also incredibly difficult to navigate, according to Marquez, who said it took two months for him to get through the registration process this year because of a glitch in the system.
Both lobbyists said they might support less burdensome filing requirements. Marquez said reporting should only be required once every 30 days in a session, and Bullington suggested filing one report at the end of the session.
Steinborn said the filing will become second nature, and the bill doesn't go into effect, if signed, until 2027 so the Secretary of State's Office can work out all the technical kinks.
"So no, it's not overly burdensome, or maybe even burdensome," he said.
A legislative analysis of the bill describes it as a modernization effort that follows nationwide trends.
Dick Mason, an unpaid lobbyist for the League of Women Voters, echoed the sentiment and said even still, many other states will have better transparency measures than New Mexico.
"It's not a question of trust (for lobbyists). It's a question of putting the information out there," Mason said.
Still, the measure could act as an impetus for now-disconcerted contracted lobbyists to form an organization of their own to lobby on their positions.
"I think there's going to be more conversations about the professional lobbyists organizing a little more formally to better represent our profession," Bullington said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Judge strikes reference to ex-Illinois speaker Madigan's personal fortune from sentencing record
CHICAGO — A federal judge on Tuesday struck from the court record a reference to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's personal net worth of more than $40 million, agreeing with the Democrat's defense team that it should have been kept private, even as the attorneys acknowledged the move was 'hollow' given that it was already widely publicized. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said he didn't find any 'bad faith' on the part of the federal prosecutors who included the figure in a filing last week ahead of Madigan's highly anticipated sentencing on Friday, but found that common practice would be to file such personal information under seal. Blakey's ruling came before the attorneys delivered arguments over sentencing guidelines at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, technically kicking off the sentencing process. Blakey took the matter under advisement until Friday's hearing. Federal prosecutors made Madigan's net worth public for the first time in a response to a sentencing memorandum filed by his attorneys, arguing that the defendant's 'greed is even more appalling given his law firm's success.' Daniel Collins, an attorney for Madigan, called the inclusion of the former speaker's personal fortune improper and a 'gratuitous effort' to publicly identify his net worth. 'It is not necessary to include the number in order for the government to make an argument about greed,' Collins said. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker countered to the judge that the defense left the door open by arguing in filings that Madigan was solely motivated by a desire to help people. She also said the figure is relevant as the government seeks a fine in the case. 'It's fair for the government to rebut that narrative and show the defendant was motivated by greed not need,' Streicker said. 'This is a defendant that enjoyed every advantage and significant financial wealth and still turned to bribery and fraud.' In February, Madigan was convicted of 10 of 23 counts, including marquee allegations that he agreed to squeeze lucrative, do-nothing contracts from ComEd for pals such as former Ald. Frank Olivo and Ald. Michael Zalewski and precinct captains Ray Nice and Edward Moody, all while the utility won a series of major legislation victories. Madigan was also convicted on six of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get former Ald. Daniel Solis, a key FBI mole who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board. Jurors deadlocked on all six counts related to Madigan's co-defendant former ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain. _______
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
House GOP secures four key witnesses in Biden mental-decline probe as former aides agree to talk
Four former Biden aides have agreed to voluntarily testify in House Oversight Republican's investigation into an alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden's mental decline and potentially unauthorized issuance of sweeping pardons and other executive actions. The four voluntary, transcribed interviews, confirmed today by a GOP Oversight Committee aide, will include the director of Biden's former Domestic Policy Council, Neera Tanden, Biden's assistant and senior advisor to the first lady, Anthony Bernal, former special assistant to Biden and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations, Ashley Williams, and Biden's Deputy Chief of Staff, Annie Tomasini. Comer Widens Biden 'Cover-up' Probe, Seeks Interviews With Anita Dunn And Ron Klain Tanden will appear before the House Oversight Committee on June 24, Bernal two days later on June 26, while Williams will testify July 11 and Tomasini on July 18. News of the voluntary testimonies comes after Biden's former White House doctor, Kevin O'Connor, declined to sit for a transcribed interview on June 27, according to Oversight Committee Republicans leading the probe. As a result of O'Connor's refusal to voluntarily testify, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., served him with a subpoena to compel his testimony. Read On The Fox News App Biden's Personal Doctor Summoned As Republicans Dig Deeper Into Alleged Cognitive Decline Cover-up Comer began an investigation into whether those comprising Biden's inner-circle knowingly colluded to hide the former president's declining mental acuity and used methods to circumvent the former president when it came to the issuance of important orders, particularly through the use of an autopen tool used to mimic the president's signature. Last week, President Donald Trump also ordered the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the matter. The president directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington to handle the investigation. In response to the Trump administration's call for an investigation, Biden declared he was the only one who "made the decisions" during his presidency and called Trump's efforts a "distraction." "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false," Biden said. "This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations." Fox News Digital reached out to the former president's office for comment on this new development, but did not hear back in time for article source: House GOP secures four key witnesses in Biden mental-decline probe as former aides agree to talk
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Non-citizen LA rioters could be deported under new House bill
FIRST ON FOX: Some House Republicans are now considering whether non-citizens who are found to have participated in violent anti-law enforcement riots have a right to stay in the United States. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, is leading a bill that would make non-U.S. citizens convicted of "actual or attempted assault, battery, or use of force" against any law enforcement officer eligible for deportation. Any immigrants deported under the legislation, if enacted, would be permanently barred from the United States. "The thing about breaking the law is, there's effectively a waiving of your constitutional rights that's sort of inherent in our system, right? When you go to prison, you're losing your liberty," Crenshaw told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday. California Republicans Slam Newsom, Bass For Letting La Burn With Riots Amid Trump Immigration Blitz "So this is a very normal thing, and in the case of say, people who are here legally, but then committing acts of violence – in this case, we're being really specific, during a national emergency, committing assaults against police officers, and destruction of property – that should have an effect and be on the list of things that allows for revocation of your status." Read On The Fox News App Early bill text obtained by Fox News Digital shows the bill would apply to legal permanent residents, people here illegally, and beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. It would go into effect when presidents, governors or local leaders make emergency or major disaster declarations. It comes amid continued tensions in Los Angeles, where protests against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations turned violent across the city this weekend. Rioters were seen burning American flags and cars stood on the street in flames, while police used pepper spray and rubber bullets on crowds outside federal buildings. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard despite the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and ordered 700 U.S. Marines to Los Angeles as well. Those Marines will be training in Seal Beach for a few more days before deployment, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of escalating violence in Los Angeles, while Republicans argue that federal action is necessary based on the state's handling of the situation. Crenshaw said his legislation would help the administration restore order during such times. "What it would do is, it would give the administration the option to say, yeah we've rounded all these people up, half of them are U.S. citizens, okay, you're going to jail for rioting. Maybe another quarter are illegals, well that's easy you can deport them," he said. "But what about the other quarter? You know, that might be…a number of legal aliens here rioting against America for enforcing our immigration laws. In our minds, you've violated that sort of social contract with the United States at that point." California Lt. Governor Says Los Angeles Riots Are 'Generated By Donald Trump' Crenshaw said he spoke with the White House and that officials there were "excited" about the bill. The White House said it would not get in front of the president on legislative matters when reached for comment by Fox News Digital. Currently, legal U.S. residents, including green card holders, can have their status revoked by an immigration judge if they are found guilty of certain crimes or are found to have fraudulently misrepresented themselves in their application for residence. Crimes that would make legal U.S. visa holders and green card holders eligible for deportation currently include murder, drug trafficking and article source: Non-citizen LA rioters could be deported under new House bill