sa国际传媒官网网页入口

SANTA FE 鈥� The director of the New Mexico Legislature's administrative arm is stepping down after less than two years in the high-pressure job.

Shawna Casebier, the director of the Legislative Council Service, recently sent a letter to top-ranking lawmakers advising them of her decision. Her last day in the position will likely be early next month, she said.

She said Monday her decision to resign was not based on any single factor or occurrence, but rather on a broader assessment of the job.

"Over time, I have assessed the totality of the role and concluded that I would like to spend my time and energy in different ways," Casebier told the Journal in an email.

Casebier took over the reins of the Legislative Council Service from Ra煤l Burciaga in August 2024. She previously worked for the agency as assistant director for drafting services and, before that, as a staff attorney specializing in drafting election-related bills.

Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-sa国际传媒官网网页入口, said in a Monday interview that leading legislators hope to have a new director hired by the start of September.

But she also said recent modernizations to the Legislature, including allowing all 112 legislators to hire district-level aides for the first time, have significantly increased the strain on top legislative administrators.

"We've made their jobs so much harder by increasing the workload," said Stewart, who added she plans to file legislation during the 60-day session that starts in January to shift management of the district aides to a new independent body.

In addition to personnel management, the director of the LCS is also in charge of Roundhouse security and maintenance, along with leading a team of bill drafters.

Staffers with the Legislative Council Service can also conduct research for lawmakers, but they are prohibited from taking sides in favor of or against legislation.

During her tenure as director, Casebier helped oversee the handling of an ethics complaint filed last year against Stewart by a legislative staffer, who said the veteran senator had shouted at her during a tense moment.

The complaint was eventually dismissed after a split vote by an internal subcommittee. Stewart also apologized to the employee.

House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez, D-sa国际传媒官网网页入口, lauded Casebier for her career at the Legislative Council Service, including her tenure as the agency's director.

"Over the last two years as LCS director, she oversaw a critical period of transition and modernization in our Legislature," Mart铆nez said in a Monday statement.

He also said the Legislative Council, a bipartisan group of top-ranking lawmakers, would begin discussing next steps for filling the director position during its meeting this month. 

That could include naming an acting or interim director until a permanent successor to Casebier can be hired.

The Legislative Council Service's operating budget for the fiscal year that begins next month is roughly $12 million, a figure that does not include legislative session expenses or money for Capitol repairs. Casebier's current salary is $208,000 per year, according to the state's Sunshine Portal.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.