Courtesy Senator Michael Padilla / facebook.com
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Photo via state Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, on Facebook
Following a months-long search, the Legislative Council today named Shawna Casebier as the new director of the Legislative Council Service.
In that role, she will oversee many of the permanent staff and year-round operations at the Roundhouse, including bill drafting and research; building and ground maintenance; information technology; capital outlay and legislative human resources. The director is also responsible for administering legal cases brought by and against the legislature; the census redistricting process; ethics complaints and requests for public records.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to be in this role to help steer the direction into the future,” Casebier tells SFR. “It is a tremendous honor to be selected, and I’m really overwhelmed in a positive way by the support and encouragement and belief in me.”
Her priority list includes preparing for the roll out of new district staff to provide additional aid to legislators.
“Each legislator over the next nine months or so will end up with one personal staffer, and the LCS will play a big role in that in terms of administration,” she says, noting the process will require help from the IT, human resources and accounting staff. “We’re staffing up in all of those areas to make sure we have a robust support staff for that implementation.”
Casebier adds the LCS will also help train legislators and future staff “on rules and laws that govern their conduct.”
In addition to this, she says she would like to look at ways to “make the legislature and the building more accessible from a physical and virtual perspective.”
Casebier began work with the Legislative Council Service in November 2015 as a staff attorney, drafting legislation primarily for elections; energy and labor. She was then promoted to her current role as the assistant director for drafting services seven years later. She says previous experience makes her “well suited” for the new job.
“The Council Service is an incredible place to work,” Casebier says. “I’m very excited to continue to support them in the excellent work they provide.”
Casebier will take on the new role next month, following the retirement of LCS Director Raúl Burciaga, who served in the position for the last 14 years.
