Appeals Court Sides With FOG
The New Mexico Court of Appeals Tuesday reversed a lower court ruling in part and sided with the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (FOG) in reaffirming that the awarding of attorney fees is important to enforcement of the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). The decision overturned a finding by a district court that Read More …
Fee policy violates IPRA
Santa Fe, N.M. — April 11, 2019 — The New Mexico Attorney General today issued a determination stating the Santa Fe Regional Emergency Communications Center’s (RECC) fee policy “plainly violates the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA),” and its insistence on charging a Santa Fe reporter $30 for a tape of a 911 call is Read More …
Sunshine Week
Sunshine Week is a national initiative held annually in March to bring greater awareness to issues of transparency in government. This year Sunshine Week is March 10 – 16, 2019. Click here to read a Sunshine Week Op-Ed by Lucas Peerman, the news director of the Las Cruces Sun-News and a FOG board member. The Read More …
Statement on House Judiciary Committee Passage of HB 4
“A key reason for voters’ overwhelming support of an ethics commission was to build trust in state government. That trust can only exist if the commission operates in an open and transparent manner,” said Melanie J. Majors, executive director of NM FOG. NMFOG strongly supports aspects of HB 4 that allow complainants and those accused Read More …
Bill Would Shine Light On Legislature’s Budget Process
Five New Mexico legislators are sponsoring HB 635, a bill introducing transparency into the budget making process and holding lawmakers accountable for how taxpayer dollars are allocated and spent. “The current budget will be in excess of $7 billion and it is more important than ever that lawmakers be more transparent about how taxpayer dollars Read More …
SB 619 Far Too Secretive
Senate Bill 619, creating a State Ethics Commission, is far too secretive and non-transparent. Any commission created to hold our elected officials to high ethical standards can only be effective if its proceedings are as open as possible. This bill is deficient in several areas: It starts from the presumption that all Commission meetings and Read More …
New Legislation Aimed at Promoting Transparency in Government
Attorney General Hector Balderas and the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government Feb. 13 announced new legislation aimed at increasing transparency in government and reducing access barriers to New Mexico’s citizens and members of the press in their pursuit of public information. HB 26 would limit the amount that public agencies can charge the public Read More …
N.M. Senate Bill Seeks To Codify Court Of Appeals Decision
The Senate Public Affairs Committee today gave a do pass recommendation to a bill which clarifies language in the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) and makes it clear that noncompliance with IPRA carries damages. Sen. Jacob Candelaria District 26 (Bernalillo County) introduced SB 285 which adds language to the current law spelling Read More …
Alarming Anti-Transparency Bill Introduced in N.M. Senate
Sen. John A. Sapien, District 9, (Bernalillo and Sandoval) has introduced a bill in the New Mexico Senate that would significantly change the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) – requiring New Mexicans to pay substantially more for electronic copies of public records. Under SB 442, New Mexicans would be required to pay Read More …
Effort to restrict public records access proposed — Threatens Public’s Right to Know
A New Mexico state senator has pre-filed a bill that would significantly limit access to public records in New Mexico and threaten the public’s right to know. Senate Bill 232, introduced by Sen. Pat Woods (District 7, consisting of Quay County and parts of Curry and Union Counties), would sharply eliminate access to public records, Read More …