A proposal would force New Mexico state government to immediately disclose financial settlements that resolve accusations of wrongdoing by state officials. It also would do away with a system that keeps those records sealed for at least six months.
The proposal comes amid concerns that the current system led to secretive, unjustified payouts during the prior administration of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
The proposal was written by Republican Sen. Sanders Rue of Albuquerque with support from Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. General Service Secretary Ken Ortiz says the current secrecy provision date back to the 1980s.