Senator wants ethics panel's work mostly secret

[TexasTowelie]

A state senator has proposed to keep much of the future New Mexico ethics commission’s work secret and potentially impose thousands of dollars in fines and even jail time on anyone who breaks confidentiality rules.

Seventy-five percent of voters in last year’s election approved the creation of a state ethics commission, and legislators are now debating exactly how it should work, including how much the public should know about the cases it handles.

Legislation filed this week by Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, would set up the commission to ensure that ethics complaints remain secret unless it decides there has been a violation of law or the accused waives confidentiality.

Under her Senate Bill 619, the form for filing an ethics complaint would include a confidentiality agreement.

And anyone who discloses confidential complaints or investigations could face fines as high as $10,000 and up to a year in jail. A court could also impose a civil penalty of up to $25,000.

Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/senator-wants-ethics-panel-s-work-mostly-secret/article_fe5c5ae7-b833-5c2f-a341-69b113563ee6.html

The penalty for breaking confidentiality is greater than most of the penalties that the commission can levy.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. No. No, no, no, no, no.

I sure hope that doesn't pass.