The legislative session in Santa Fe is underway, and discussions have already sparked debate over the freedom of senators to ask questions during committee hearings. Republican senators expressed their discontent on Thursday regarding Democratic committee chairs imposing time restrictions on member inquiries.

Senate Minority Leader William Sharer, representing Farmington, voiced his concerns by stating, “It is not right that members of the state Senate, who are elected by their constituents, are not allowed to dig down into those bills.” Echoing this sentiment, Senator Candy Spence Ezzell from Roswell added, “There are problems with some of these bills that need to be brought out in the open and discussed.”

The controversy arose following an extended meeting of the Senate Conservation Committee focused on water-related legislation. Additionally, Senator Katy Duhigg from Albuquerque implemented a five-minute questioning limit for members of the Senate Rules Committee during discussions on a bill concerning changes to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Duhigg defended her decision by highlighting procedural rules that empower committee chairs to manage their panels effectively. She explained, “Sometimes that’s going to include … controlling the time that folks can speak.”

Addressing Republican concerns, Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth from Santa Fe warned against unrestricted questioning as it could potentially lead to unregulated filibusters if taken too far.