Lawmakers must be fed

One of the first bills New Mexico lawmakers pass each year is the “feed bill,” which allocates funds for the legislative session.

This year, they’ve proposed almost $5 million for 30 days. Those fees include $144 per day per lawmaker for expenses.

New Mexico legislators are not otherwise paid for their work, but that could soon change. Dana Bowley, executive director of New Mexico Press Association, reports a constitutional amendment has been proposed that would establish salaries for legislators – about $25,400 per year.

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Clovis’ historian Don McAlavy reports Gayla Brumfield or Gloria Wicker would be the city’s first female mayor if either is elected in March – “as best my memory tells me,” he writes.

“If you wait a while,” he adds, “you might discover a woman becoming president of the United States. But being the Republican that I am, I’ll not vote for her.”

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