New Mexico’s Senate on Tuesday endorsed a constitutional amendment that would end the state’s long-standing ban on direct compensation for lawmakers, teeing up a November vote that could determine whether the state keeps its legislature on a volunteer model or moves toward pay tied to median income. The measure passed narrowly in the Senate, according to the Associated Press, renewing a debate about whether New Mexico’s “citizen legislature” can draw a broad range of residents to office.
If voters approve the change, the amendment would allow New Mexico to reconsider providing legislative salaries rather than relying on volunteer service. The AP reported that the amendment would let voters decide in November whether to link legislative pay to the state’s median income level, which the AP said is about $67,000.
Supporters, including Democratic state Sen. Angel Charley of Acoma, argued that the current arrangement makes public service unsustainable for many working families. Charley said: “Can working parents juggle child care, a mortgage and legislative service? Some of us do, but it’s not sustainable,” and added that when “service requires personal wealth or extraordinary sacrifice, representation narrows. … Democracy shrinks.”
The debate centers on more than whether lawmakers receive a salary. New Mexico taxpayers already cover travel expenses and provide an allowance for meals and lodging when the Legislature is in session, the AP said, and many lawmakers have access to public pension benefits. Even so, advocates for paid service contend that the remaining costs and tradeoffs still fall hardest on people who cannot afford to reduce outside work.
The AP reported that the amendment advanced after years of stalling, with renewed promotion by a group of younger female legislators who have highlighted challenges of combining legislative duties with work and family responsibilities. In their view, compensation could help widen who is able to run for office and serve in the state Capitol.
Professionalizing advocates also argue that the volunteer system can inhibit lawmakers’ ability to tackle complex policy as they juggle separate paid and political careers. The AP contrasted New Mexico with other states’ approaches, noting that legislative salaries exceed $100,000 in New York and California and that New Hampshire opts for a nominal $100 annual pay per lawmaker.