SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Lawmakers in New Mexico the nation’s only unsalaried legislature are looking for ways instill greater professionalism in their work that could result in a steady paycheck and lengthier legislative calendar.
In New Mexico, Native American students are expelled far more often than any other group and at least four times as often as white students. Gallup-McKinley County Schools, is responsible for most of that disparity, according to an analysis of state records by New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica.
New Mexico is home to the nation’s only unsalaried legislature. Now, lawmakers there are looking for ways instill greater professionalism in their work that could result in a steady paycheck and lengthier legislative calendar. Democratic state State Rep. Joy Garratt of Albuquerque said she plans to co-sponsor a ballot initiative to create a commission with the authority to set salaries for legislators. A new study from the University of New Mexico ranks the state near the bottom among state legislatures in its capacity to perform a wide range of government oversight duties and acquire broad expertise. In several states, lawmakers have balked at approving their own pay raises in fear of angering voters.
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