Vote signals long odds on officials’ lobbying limits
Posted: Thursday, February 13, 2014 7:00 pm | Updated: 12:06 am, Fri Feb 14, 2014.
Vote signals long odds on officials’ lobbying limits
By Milan Simonich The New Mexican SantaFeNewMexican.com
Senate panel vote signals long odds on lobbying limits for ex-lawmakers
The Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Sen. Linda Lopez D-Bernalillo, discusses a bill that would limit lobbying by former state officials and lawmakers. The bill was tabled Thursday. Clyde Mueller/The New Mexican
A bill to bar former legislators from immediately becoming lobbyists was tabled by a 5-2 vote in a Senate committee Thursday, with a mix of Democrats and Republicans voting against it.
Later in the day, the House of Representatives approved a mirror bill on a vote of 43-23. It moves to the Senate now, but opposition from the Rules Committee was a clear signal that any bill for lobbying restrictions faces long odds.