Move to open committee meetings to public faces uphill battle.

Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674

SANTA FE It is an annual debate over secrecy at the Legislature, and it didn't take long to get started at the 2000 session.

In the opening minutes of the state Senate, the politically touchy question was being asked: How much of the people's business should the people be allowed to witness?

New Mexicans will have to wait until the end of the 30-day session to find out the answer.

But actions have been taken early in the Senate that could end the closed-door meetings and off-the-record votes that sometimes kill proposed legislation in secret committee meetings.

After some lively discussion, senators this week adopted a new rule that requires roll-call committee votes to be recorded and placed on the Internet, where the votes can be reviewed by the public but not until the end of the legislative session.

A broader rule change, which will need passage by the full Legislature, would change the way "conference committees" do their work.

"This resolution would modify those joint rules to make those conference committees open to the public," Senate Minority Leader L. Skip Vernon explained.

Right now, conference …