Kudos to Think New Mexico for PRC reform proposal

In a relatively small and poor state like New Mexico, there are all too few organizations out there working on public policy ideas and reforms. One group with which we have worked in the past is called Think New Mexico.

I’d describe them as a “moderate” or “centrist” think tank while the Rio Grande Foundation is avowedly free market, but their recent proposal on New Mexico’s broken Public Regulation Commission (PRC) is excellent and would result in some much-needed reforms. Read a brief summary on the reform proposals from their website and a more detailed story on the report from Capitol Report New Mexico.

According to Think New Mexico, the proposal would improve the PRC by making the following changes to it:

-Creating a separate Department of Insurance;
-Transferring the State Fire Marshal to the Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management;
-Consolidating corporate reporting in the Office of the Secretary of State
-Eliminating duplicative regulation of railroads by the PRC and DOT;
-Moving ambulance regulation to the Department of Health Deregulating market entry and rates of motor carriers and ending duplicative regulation of motor carrier safety and insurance by the PRC and DPS;

Second, we recommend increasing the qualifications of PRC commissioners by requiring candidates to have either a four-year college degree or five years of relevant professional experience.