New Mexico is the only state that doesn’t pay its state legislators a yearly salary. Instead, legislators currently earn a $247 daily per diem for their responsibilities, including annual legislative sessions, serving on committees, and being responsive to their constituencies.
But this year’s midterm election could change that.
On this year’s ballot, buried beneath candidates for office and three other ballot measures, is an opportunity for voters to amend the state constitution so that legislators would receive a salary “limited to the median household income.”
According to legislative analysis, this would equal approximately $67,800.
The question of whether to pay legislators a yearly salary was sent to New Mexican voters earlier this year after the legislature narrowly approved proposed changes to the state constitution.
A “yes” vote for Constitutional Amendment 4 would approve the legislators’ capped salaries; the constitutional amendment wouldn’t go into effect until 2029.
What advocates and opponents say
Organizations like Vote for Change are advocating to support the ballot measure, arguing that compensating these positions and capping their income makes running for office more accessible to working class New Mexicans and allow a more diverse group to run for office, not just those who can afford to take time off work.
“Creating a limited salary for legislators, tied directly to how New Mexico families are faring, is a commonsense solution to bind our lawmakers to the economic realities of their constituents,” shared Vote for Change campaign manager, Eli Cuna, in a statement to Courier New Mexico.
Some Republican state legislators and four Democrats have opposed the constitutional amendment and voted against it in February. According to Source New Mexico, Sen. Larry Scott (R-Hobbs) voted against the amendment because it would reward legislators for ineffective policies.
In a recent Albuquerque Journal poll, 39% of likely voters support the ballot measure to pay legislators. Only 21% said they would vote “no” on Constitutional Amendment 4, but 40% said they didn’t know enough to make a decision.
“Vote for Change is building a robust campaign effort to educate folks on the issue and reach them online, where they read or watch their news, and at their doorstep,” wrote Cuna in a statement.
New Mexicans will have a chance to vote on the ballot measure when early voting starts on Oct. 6 up until Election Day, Nov. 3.
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