Opinion: NM needs lobbying reform

The governor has a short window to sign much-needed lobbying reform into law. Lobbying reform is one way to ensure that the needs of New Mexicans are prioritized over that of special interests.

House Bill 143 is the biggest lobbying reform passed in New Mexico in the last decade. It strengthens accountability and transparency in the Legislature by requiring increased disclosures for lobbyists for the public to access.

This bill doesn’t prohibit lobbying, but increases transparency about who is lobbying in the Roundhouse, who is employing lobbyists and which bills lobbyists are supporting or opposing. This allows our leaders to make informed decisions that put the needs of the people first.

Lobbyists hold a large amount of power because of the unique nature of New Mexico’s unpaid Legislature.

With over 1,300 bills introduced this session alone, there’s no way for volunteer legislators to review and make informed decisions on each bill. Due to their limited capacity and lack of staff to support their work, legislators rely on lobbyists as the main avenue to educate them on bills.

This leads to an outsized influence of special interests in our state work. Who else can afford to compete with that? Not regular people, nor the unpaid representatives who are elected to uplift their needs at the statehouse.

Lobbying reform is sorely needed. As the state’s democracy watchdog, Common Cause New Mexico has been studying this issue for years. Our research from 2013 and 2016 calls for increased transparency around lobbyists and their work. Our 2019 polling also showed that over 90% of voters agree: Lobbyists should be required to disclose the bills and issues they have been hired to advocate for.

The choice is clear. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham must put the needs of New Mexicans first and sign HB143 into law.