Rio Grande Foundation on proposal to pay legislators: ‘It’s not the worst idea’

(The Center Square) – A proposed constitutional amendment that would provide New Mexico state legislators a salary is on the docket for next year’s legislative session.

Proposed by State Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Bernalillo, the amendment was put before a legislative committee to be heard in a 30-day legislative session. It would change New Mexico’s current policy where legislators are not paid, but their expenses for serving are covered.

Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, a free-market research institute, said it’s not the worst idea.

“We would never say, ‘Oh, the thing that’s wrong in New Mexico is that we don’t pay our legislators,’” he told The Center Square. “That being said, the legislature is the single greatest obstacle to New Mexico progressing as a state – and by ‘progressing,’ I don’t mean ‘progressive’ policies, we’ve got those in spades – I’m talking about economic liberty, education reform and a bunch of other long-overdue policies.”

Whether making state legislator a salaried position will affect the change Gessing sees as necessary is an open question, he said.

“But what we’re doing right now is resulting in a legislature that is, quite frankly, not getting the job done,” he said.

Offering a salary would make serving in the state legislature feasible for more people, according to Ivey-Soto, KOB reported.

Gessing said that providing a salary could expand the pool of people willing to run for office with more business and professional experience.

But, he adds, it is a balance.

“There still should be an element of community service with the legislature,” he said. “We’ve had situations with other governing bodies where people have seemingly gotten into it for the fat paycheck. That’s not what we want, either.”

He pointed out the current system, which rewards legislators with a pension after service, doesn’t make a lot of sense because it doesn’t hold much attraction for younger residents who may have an idea to serve.

“Personally, I think if you’re going to pay them, you should eliminate the pension system,” Gessing said. “You should set it on a glide path and allow it to expire.”

If the amendment makes it through, Gessing notes the days of a 30- and 60-day alternating legislative session would likely disappear as legislators would become more interested in legislating thanks to the incentive of a paycheck.

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