Contact: Jacob Candelaria (505) 847-5079
or
Erika Martinez
(505) 986-4263
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2014
Senator Candelaria Files Bill to Boost NM’s Transparency Grade in Judiciary System
Bill on Session Agenda
Santa Fe, NM —In December, the Center for Public Transparency gave the New Mexico Supreme Court an “F” for transparency on a report card that scored high courts in all 50 states when it came to disclosing financial documents.
This year one legislator aims to change that and get New Mexico to a higher grade with Senate Bill 62, sponsored by Senator Jacob Candelaria’s (D-26-Bernalillo). The bill received a message from the governor and aims to promote transparency within New Mexico’s judiciary by requiring financial disclosures filed by judicial officers to be posted on the Secretary of State’s website, as well as The Sunshine Portal site.
“Our judicial system only works when people trust the impartiality and fairness of our judges,” said Sen. Candelaria. “This important legislation goes a long way to protecting public trust in the judiciary by shining a bright light on judges’ financial disclosures.”
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