© iStock PhotoNew Mexico's State Capitol building
Lawmakers in New Mexico have introduced a bill that would force public officials convicted of corruption-related offenses to give up any benefits they had accrued in via the state's retirement plan for public employees.
The bill, first reported by local news affiliate KQRE, would strip all retirement plan benefits from lawmakers or other state-level public officials convicted of a number of offenses including but not limited to bribery, extortion, perjury, racketeering and forgery.
Introduced by a Democrat and a Republican, state Sens. Mark Moores (R) and Matthew McQueen (D), the bill builds on previous legislation signed into law in the state in 2012 that allowed judges to impose fines on public officials convicted of such offenses.
Some officials including members of the judiciary, municipal employees and school boards are excluded from the new legislation.