Senate Rules Chair Defends Incremental Ethic Reforms.

Senate Rules Chair Linda Lopez (D-ABQ) says ethics reform "won't happen overnight" in New Mexico.

Lopez, who announced, in April, that she's running for Lieutenant Governor, made the remarks Thursday evening at a Bernalillo County Democratic Party meeting at UNM Law School.



About 50 people attended the meeting and listened to several 2010 candidates, including two of Lopez' announced opponents, Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano and Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, who is exploring a run against current Lt. Governor Diane Denise, for Governor in 2010, also spoke the the crowd. Denish, who's on vacation, sent her daughter, Sara Schreiber, to speak for her.

During the meeting, Diogenes' Six blogger Ched MacQuigg asked each candidate about their plans to "end the culture of corruption in state government." Read the interesting responses he got on his morning blog post.