New Mexico's Legislative Council on Friday afternoon named Ethan Watson as the next director of the Legislative Council Service, the state Legislature's nonpartisan legal research and bill-drafting agency.
The bipartisan Legislative Council, which includes many high-ranking state lawmakers from both parties, selected Watson over three other candidates following a roughly three-hour meeting in closed executive session. Other candidates included current LCS Assistant Director Randall Cherry, State Personnel Office Director Dylan Lange and a third interviewee from Montana.
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Watson, who has served as Albuquerque city clerk for six years, told Source NM on Monday he is "excited" to take charge of LCS. In addition to drafting bills and conducting legal research, the LCS oversees the Roundhouse; administers legal cases and ethics complaints brought by or against the Legislature; and responds to public records requests.
"It's an essential role to the function of the Legislature, and I'm really honored to be entrusted with that responsibility," Watson told Source NM.
The LCS is also tasked with overseeing many of the Legislature's recent "modernization" measures, including the hiring of district legislative aides assigned to each lawmaker, as well as the opening of year-round legislative offices in many House and Senate districts.
Watson said he is still working to gain an understanding of what will be on his to-do list when he starts work Sept. 14. Still, he said the LCS is guiding the Legislature through a period of "big change" related to modernizing its operations, similar to reforms he implemented in New Mexico's biggest city.
"I've spent a significant period of time at the city working to modernize the processes within the city clerk's office. I mean, we streamlined how the city handles public records requests and hearings, and we've also implemented a number of significant software changes within my office," he said.
Watson will earn a salary of $225,000. He's taking over for Shawna Casebier, who announced her resignation in early June after nearly two years as director. Before Casebier, Raúl Burciaga had been the director for 14 years.
Legislative Council Co-Chair and Senate President Pro Tem Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), in a statement Friday said Watson is the best choice to oversee LCS because of his experience overseeing "complex administrative duties that come with a large governmental institution."
"I'm confident in his ability to lead LCS staff with the same integrity and professionalism New Mexicans have come to expect from this institution," she said.
The LCS works with both chambers of the Legislature, as well both parties, to provide technical and administrative support during the legislative session.
House Speaker Javier Martinez, also a Legislative Council co-chair, said in the Friday statement that he selected Watson because of his "measured approach to the complex issues facing our state, coupled with an excitement about building the modern legislative systems that New Mexicans deserve."