Jerry Ortiz y Pino

I think everyone is breathing a sigh of relief over the outcome of the grand jury that was investigating allegations of pay to play in the Richardson administration, but it in no way should that outcome cause us to waver in the long-overdue campaign for serious ethics reform in New Mexico.

There should be a legal bright line between contributors to political campaigns and the state’s contracting and procurement processes — an absolute prohibition against contributions from anyone or any corporation under consideration for the state’s business.

Then we need a whistleblower protection bill to make sure no retaliation can be taken against a public employee or any private citizen who comes forward with information about unethical contracting practices or hidden contributions.

Finally, we need an ethics commission — a place for the whistleblowers to take information about attempts at evading the ethics law. I think that commission ought to be small (five to seven members, tops) and made up of men and women appointed to staggered terms by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Its membership ought to be men and women widely recognized for their integrity, experience and objectivity. Retired judges, former deans of law schools or ex-university presidents or academics, professional ethicists, active or retired clerics, civic leaders with long records of public service — these might be examples of where persons nominated for the commission might be found.

True ethics reform is necessary if public confidence in state government is to be restored. And all three pieces are necessary for it to be considered “true:” contribution/contracting prohibition, whistleblower protection and an ethics commission with teeth.

If any one of the three is missing, we will have evaded the fullness of reform that is called for.

Ortiz y Pino is a Democratic state senator for Albuquerque and a candidate for lieutenant governor.