SB 299: Score=6
Sponsor: Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo)
Problems: The bill would cut contractors from protections under the state’s Whistleblower Protection Act. It also makes vague references to “exhausting all administrative remedies” before someone can blow the whistle and makes it so there have to be “tangible changes” to someone’s employment before they can enjoy the protections of the law. The bill also gets rid of public malfeasance in office as something one could blow the whistle about; essentially protecting only those who blow the whistle on people who break the law.
Unique to this bill: While we’re focused this session on bills related to transparency, IPRA or OMA, this one causes alarm among journalists, too. If anything, we’d like to see protections strengthened for those public employees and contractors who speak out about fraud, mismanagement and law-breaking within the agencies they serve.
