‘A good place to work': Westside ABQ lawmakers open offices, part of modernization push
Albuquerque-area lawmakers cut the ribbon Saturday to mark the official opening of their new legislative offices at CNM Westside, part of a broader modernization push. Lawmakers Sen. Harold Pope, center, along with Rep. Charlotte Little, second from left, and Rep. Joy Garratt, while share the office space. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM)
A trio of Albuquerque-area Democratic lawmakers opened an in-person office space in a community college campus Saturday, one of several recent office openings that the legislators hope will boost services for constituents and also build momentum for a professional, paid Legislature in the near future.
Newly hired district legislative aides for Sen. Harold Pope, state Rep. Joy Garratt and state Rep. Charlotte Little will regularly work from a newly leased office space at Central New Mexico Community College's Westside campus. The office is in the 'WSII' building on the north side of campus.
Thanks to a provision in the state budget two years ago, at least 20 House lawmakers have opened individual or shared office spaces since late last year in or near their districts, according to Pamela Armstrong, spokesperson for the office of House Speaker Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque). More offices are expected to open soon, she said. The same provision allowed lawmakers to hire paid legislative aides.
NM legislative recap Feb. 12: It's still too cold to harvest, but the session is heating up
Garratt, whose District 29 covers from Albuquerque's West Side to Laguna Pueblo, told Source New Mexico at the Saturday ribbon-cutting that, outside of the obvious benefit of the office being 'a good place to work' where constituents can reach their representatives year-round, the new office could demonstrate to the public why a more professional, modern Legislature is needed.
'Step one is actually having a staff person. Step two is having a space other than Starbucks, Panera Bread and a local coffee shop. Step three, and this is something I've worked on for three sessions, is modernization, paid legislators,' she said.
New Mexico's remains the only unpaid Legislature in the country, though lawmakers receive per diem payments during the session and for interim committee meetings. Lawmakers and good-government advocates say paying lawmakers would elicit better candidates and reduce the influence of lobbyists or other outside interests.
'I think if people see the effectiveness of being able to easily contact your state legislator, I think there would be greater public support,' Garratt said. 'If we do our jobs. They'll see it's beneficial. People don't know their state legislators. I got an angry phone call yesterday saying, 'Congressman Garratt, what are you going to do about the Trump budget?''
Lawmakers this year considered a joint resolution, which, if approved by voters, would create a commission that would determine and approve lawmaker salaries. But it never made it out of the Senate.
An independent review of the legislation noted that a base salary of $50,000, for example, for 112 lawmakers would be cost taxpayers about $5.6 million annually.
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