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Home / NM: GOP Newcomers Want Ethics Reform BillsNM: GOP Newcomers Want Ethics Reform Bills
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 01:16 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 February 2011 01:16
From CibolaBeacon.com:
Rep. David Doyle, R-Albuquerque, who introduced House Bill 383, which would create the public corruption unit, said in a written statement, “Not only would this unit enforce our corruption laws, but it should serve as a deterrent against any elected official who toys with the idea of abusing their power.”
Scott Darnell, a spokesman for Martinez, confirmed in an e-mail that Martinez is backing all five bills.
But while the corruption issue apparently was a winning card for Martinez’s campaign, getting ethics bills through the Legislature won’t be an easy task.
House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Nambe, referred Gentry’s HB 378 to three different committees – usually considered a kiss of death for a bill. That bill would impose mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of a “felony corruption offense” and would expose state workers convicted of corruption to the possibility of losing their pension benefits.
Meanwhile, state Attorney General Gary King told reporters he doesn’t support Doyle’s bill to establish a corruption division within the Department of Public Safety.