By Nicole Maxwell
A Senate bill that would reimburse some legislators for out-of-state legislative business is working its way through the Roundhouse this session.
Legislators not seeking re-election or who lost their primary but are still in office would qualify for the reimbursement under SB 135, sponsored by Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe. Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque presented the bill on Monday to the Senate Finance Committee, which unanimously approved it.
“[Legislators] still represent their districts up until the time that their successors are chosen and sworn in. So we just want to make sure that it’s fair to them,” Padilla said.
Padilla said current law requires a three-fourths vote from the Legislative Council to approve out of state travel reimbursement.
According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, it “would increase costs to the legislative branch by allowing ‘lame duck’ members of the Legislature to automatically submit and receive reimbursement for out-of-state travel.” Since legislature-related out-of-state travel is infrequent, the bill’s fiscal impact would be “indeterminate but minimal,” the report states.
The State Auditor’s Office recommended in the report that the Legislature update its policies about official travel both inside and outside the continental United States.
The bill passed the Senate Rules Committee unanimously on Jan. 31.