After a prominent senator faced a harassment complaint, New Mexico lawmakers narrowly agree to revise their anti-harassment policy – By Dan McKay (Albuquerque Journal) / Dec 12, 2022
SANTA FE — Legislative leaders in New Mexico narrowly agreed Monday to reshape how sexual harassment investigations are conducted at the Roundhouse — a move intended to make it more difficult for inquiries to die on a tie vote.
The new policy adds an outside attorney to a key panel that investigates harassment complaints lodged against lawmakers, putting the lawyer in position to cast a tie-breaking vote on whether a case moves forward.
The five-person group will now include two Democratic lawmakers, two Republican lawmakers and a fifth person — a lawyer who isn’t a member of the Legislature.
Under Monday’s changes, the policy also includes deadlines intended to keep harassment complaints from lingering in a secretive process without public resolution.
