The New Mexico state legislature is reluctant to air its business on the Internet, and one lawmaker is refreshingly (or depressingly) frank about the reason. From the New Mexico Independent:

Among the critics of the proposal was Rep. Ray Begaye, D-Shiprock, who said during the committee meeting that he worried about lawmakers’ privacy and of potentially embarrassing moments being captured on camera.

“If I am sleeping and I am being recorded, that can be used as political gain,” Begaye said.

How unfair!

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Massachusetts is one of 45 states with live webcasting of its legislatures, but we’re in the minority in not providing webcasts of committee hearings or live television coverage of legislative sessions. And unlike some “good government” states, including Minnesota, the Massachusetts Legislature does not provide archived webcasts of floor proceedings.