Opinion

New Mexico’s unpaid Legislature may benefit those with flexible careers, professional connections, or institutional backing while limiting who can afford to serve. As voters consider Constitutional Amendment 4, the debate also highlights lawmakers’ conflicts of interest, weak recusal rules, and the need for broader reforms, including stronger ethics standards and longer legislative sessions.

New Mexico’s Amendment 4 would give legislators nearly $68,000 in annual pay, alongside existing per diem and generous pension benefits. The Rio Grande Foundation argues the proposal would reward career politicians without improving governance, calling instead for pension elimination, term limits, and restrictions on public employees serving in the Legislature.

Former New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner Valerie Espinoza argues that the Public Regulation Commission must preserve robust public participation in utility cases. She warns that new rules limiting intervention, discovery, testimony and cross-examination could weaken oversight of monopoly utilities, affecting rates and long-term energy decisions. Espinoza calls for fairness, justice and broader community access over administrative convenience.

New Mexico should consider joining states seeking an Article V convention to propose congressional term limits, argues this opinion. Congressional dysfunction and decades-long incumbency have concentrated power, while limits could encourage turnover and accountability. Though concerns about lost experience and greater lobbyist influence remain, the process would require a proposed amendment to be ratified by three-fourths of states.

In this reflection on altruism, the writer questions whether completely selfless acts are possible and considers why helping others matters. Experiences at a leadership workshop and Notre Dame’s Grotto lead to a spiritual conclusion: altruism is not about personal benefit or even helping someone else, but living with God and helping humanity realize its highest potential.

A New Mexico constitutional amendment would replace legislators’ $247 daily per diem with an annual salary of about $67,800. The proposal raises scrutiny of the state’s unusually generous pension system, which allows legislators to retire after 10 years at any age and immediately collect benefits. One hypothetical legislator’s pension could exceed $2.18 million with cost-of-living increases.

Historical doomsday predictions—from the Maya Apocalypse and Harold Camping’s prophecies to Halley’s Comet and a “prophetic” hen—have repeatedly failed. While AI insiders warn that artificial intelligence could threaten humanity, caution rather than panic is warranted. Guardrails may be necessary to prevent misuse, but nuclear weapons remain a more immediate danger to human survival.

Retired Marine combat veteran and Air Force chaplain Jeff Swanson argues that deep cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs threaten care and benefits, particularly for rural New Mexico veterans. He praises Rep. Gabe Vasquez for pursuing bipartisan legislation on healthcare access, GI Bill support, veteran employment, and food assistance, calling him a strong advocate for veterans.

Fans helped rescue “Coyote vs. Acme” from corporate shelving, bringing the New Mexico-filmed Looney Tunes comedy to theaters after a lengthy campaign. The film’s box-office success highlights the power of public support while offering a hopeful note for New Mexico’s struggling production industry, whose workers remain as persistent as Wile E. Coyote himself.

New Mexico’s rising spending has not improved poor outcomes in child well-being or education, argues Rep. Mark Duncan. He says the state’s welfare “snare net” penalizes families for earning more through benefit cliffs, while administrative waste and weak accountability persist. Duncan calls for work-focused reforms, expanded career programs, and electing Gregg Hull governor.

An opinion column argues that past successes and failures should not dictate future expectations. Rather than relying on “in my experience” to predict outcomes, readers should recognize how new skills, patience, and resilience have changed them. The most valuable lessons are the coping mechanisms gained through failure, which can fuel fresh attempts.

Using lessons from his sons’ rodeo careers, Steven V. McCutcheon argues that accountability—not excuses—is what the New Mexico Republican Party needs.