By Deborah Baker/
Associated Press
SANTA FE — The co-chairman of a new task force on ethics reform urged the panel on Wednesday to be courageous and not "just nibble around the edge'' of badly needed changes.
Republican former Gov. Garrey Carruthers said New Mexico's system has been in need of repair for a couple of decades. He described campaign laws as "fairly lax.''
The 17-member task force was appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson to make recommendations ahead of the 2007 legislative session.
Richardson said the state is in need of serious reform. New Mexico's ethics and campaign finance laws are weak and need "strong, strong corrections,'' he said.
The Democratic governor also said "everything should be on the table'' as the panel considers changes to state law.
"Recent events at the federal and state level make it clear that tough new ethics laws are needed to restore and protect the public's trust,'' Richardson said at a news conference prior to the panel's organizational meeting.
He said he hoped the task force would consider limits on personal and corporate contributions to elected officials.
"There are no limits. It's the Wild West here,'' the governor said.
Richardson said he would accept whatever the task force proposed and make passage of the package a priority during the legislative session that begins in January.
Carruthers said the panel may discuss something he has long favored — a stipend for lawmakers, who are unpaid although they get expense reimbursement.
When legislators are uncompensated, "there's always one or two that might feel it necessary to take some compensation in another way,'' said Carruthers, who is dean of business at New Mexico State University.
The other co-chair is Suellyn Scarnecchia, dean of the law school at the University of New Mexico.
The task force will hold a series of meetings — open to the public — over the next few months, including hearings at which the public can testify, Carruthers said. Its recommendations are due by the beginning of November.
"I would hope that we be courageous about it, that we don't always just nibble around the edge,'' said Carruthers, who was governor from 1987-90.
"So often when we get into political issues we like to nibble a little bit around the margins, and I think it's time to actually take on the issue, address it,'' he said.
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