HOUSE MEMORIAL 6

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Nathan P. Cote

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP A COURSE ON ETHICS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's public officials hold positions of trust and are expected to act in the best interests of the state; and

     WHEREAS, what is considered to be acceptable behavior in the private sector may not be acceptable behavior in the public sector; and

     WHEREAS, public officials need to be prepared to make decisions that are in the best interests of the public; and

     WHEREAS, laws may define what is unacceptable and illegal, but they do not describe all situations or conditions that people in positions of trust need to know in order to make ethical decisions that best reflect the public trust that is vested in them; and

     WHEREAS, requiring continuing education and orientation is a preventive approach that may prevent elected officers and others who hold positions of public trust from unknowingly making decisions that violate laws, regulations or guidelines or that otherwise may not be in the best interests of the public; and

     WHEREAS, some education and training on ethics for public officers and employees is currently required by the Governmental Conduct Act and further training is required by ethics commission legislation being considered by the second session of the forty-ninth legislature; and

     WHEREAS, requiring ongoing education and orientation on the nature of public service and ethical behavior in the public sector well serves both New Mexico's public officials and the public at large; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's universities have extensive resources and numerous experts who are well-acquainted with the interplay of law, morality, ethics, power and politics;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that New Mexico state university be requested to develop a model course on ethics for public officials and make recommendations on how the course can be made available to public officials; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this ethics course be made available to the state's public officials and become part of their orientation training; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the president of New Mexico state university.

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