Santa Fe shakeup: Bregman calls for term limits, salaries for state legislators

SANTA FE — In his bid for governor, Sam Bregman is calling for a sweeping modernization of the state Legislature that could draw both cheers and jeers at the Roundhouse.

The Bernalillo County district attorney, who is one of three Democrats vying for the party’s nomination in next year’s gubernatorial race, said Friday he’d push for lawmakers to receive a salary and be subject to term limits.

“We need fresh blood in the Legislature, we need new ideas in the Legislature to take on the challenges this state is facing,” Bregman told the Journal.

“We also need to pay them, and I think we need to pay them a decent wage so that we have people who can afford to be in public service, represent their constituents and move the state forward,” he added.

Bregman, who has criticized the Democratic-controlled Legislature for balking at a proposed overhaul of New Mexico’s juvenile criminal code, also expressed support for changing the length of the annual regular legislative sessions to 90 days. Lawmakers currently meet for 30 days in even-numbered years, and for 60 days in odd-numbered years.

Since session lengths and legislative pay are set in the state Constitution, the changes would require approval from both the Legislature and, at a later date, statewide voters.

Senate Minority Leader William Sharer, R-Farmington, said he would oppose the changes sought by Bregman. He said he entered the Legislature in 2001 as a supporter of term limits, but has changed his position over the years.

“You need some people that have been around long enough to know,” Sharer said Friday.

He also said extending the session length and paying lawmakers a salary would make it even more difficult for business owners, like himself, to serve in the Legislature.

Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, said he supports changing the length of legislative sessions, but said he’d prefer all regular sessions be 45 days long — not 90 days.

He also said implementing both term limits and legislative salaries would put future lawmakers in a bind.

“If you begin to pay someone a salary, then they start to rely on it,” said Cervantes, who filed an unsuccessful resolution in 2021 to implement legislative term limits.

“I don’t think New Mexico should duplicate a dysfunctional congressional model,” he added.

Legislative salary a thorny issue

Recent proposals to pay state lawmakers a salary have stalled at the Roundhouse due to political headwinds and questions over who would set the salary level.

New Mexico is the only state that does not pay its legislators a salary, though lawmakers do receive a per diem payment while in session that’s intended to cover food and lodging expenses. That payment is currently set at $222 per day, but is set to drop to $202 per day in January.

In addition, lawmakers can opt in to a legislative retirement plan that has been expanded in recent years.

However, a number of lawmakers have resigned in recent years for financial or familial reasons, with some saying the sacrifice required to serve in the Legislature was too great.

Under Bregman’s proposal, lawmakers would receive a salary aligned with New Mexico’s median income, which is currently $45,870 per year. An independent commission would then be tasked with determining future salary increases.

Other candidates offer mixed views

Bregman’s opponents in next year’s Democratic primary race had mixed views Friday about the plan to overhaul the structure of the Legislature.

A campaign spokeswoman for former U.S. interior secretary Deb Haaland pointed out Bregman ran for reelection as district attorney last year after previously saying he would not do so.

“Sam’s proposal is pretty rich from a guy who has been running for office non-stop since the early 1990s, and who has already blown past the term limit he imposed on himself when he got appointed DA,” said Haaland campaign spokeswoman Hannah Menchhoff, who did not say specifically whether Haaland supports the proposed changes.

For his part, former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima indicated he also supports paying legislators a salary, but said that change should be accompanied by stiffer conflict of interest laws for lawmakers.

He also said elected officials who perform poorly in office often lose their re-election bids, negating the need for term limits.

Next year’s race for governor will be an open contest since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is barred under state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term in office.

Two Republicans have also announced plans to run for governor — Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and state Sen. Steve Lanier of Aztec — and other candidates could emerge before the Feb. 3 filing date.