Key New Mexico lawmaker calls for NMSU regents to resign

A top leader in the New Mexico Legislature is asking for New Mexico State University's regents to resign following a recent vote to limit the administrative powers of the school's outgoing chancellor. Democratic Senate President Mary Kay Papen drafted a letter calling out the regents and asked her colleagues to sign it Wednesday. Fellow lawmakers voiced their concerns about the politicization of regent appointments over the years. Regents are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The developments come after lawmakers last week failed to move forward with a proposal to overhaul the selection process for regents who oversee the state's public universities and flagship medical center. Supporters of the effort have argued that the nominating system has long emphasized loyalty to the governor over experience in higher education and accountability to local communities.