New Mexico State Legislature
| New Mexico State Legislature | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2013 session start: | January 15, 2013 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | John A. Sanchez (R) |
| House Speaker: | Ben Lujan, Sr. (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Michael Sanchez (D) (Senate), W. Ken Martinez (D) (House) |
| Minority leader: | Stuart Ingle (R) (Senate), Thomas Taylor (R) (House) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 42 (Senate), 70 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art IV, Section 3, New Mexico Constitution |
| Salary: | $0/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 6, 2012 42 seats (Senate) 70 seats (House) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Redistricting: | New Mexico Legislature has control |
Contents |
The legislature consists of 70 representatives and 42 senators. Each member of the House represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico. Each member of the Senate represents roughly 43,300 residents.
Sessions
Article IV of the New Mexico Constitution establishes when the Legislature is to be in session. Section 5 of Article IV states that the Legislature is to convene its annual regular session on the third Tuesday of January. In odd-numbered years, the Legislature is to be in session for no longer than sixty days. In even-numbered years, the Legislature is to be in session for no longer than thirty days. In even-numbered years, the Legislature is limited to dealing with budgetary matters, bills that deal with issues raised by special messages of the Governor of New Mexico, and bills vetoed in the previous session by the Governor.
Section 6 of Article IV allows the Governor of New Mexico to call special sessions of the Legislature. Section 6 also allows the Legislature to meet in special session when three-fifths of each house petition the Governor with a request for a special session. Special sessions are not to exceed thirty days in length.
2013
- See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions
In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 15 to March 16.
Major issues
Education is expected to be at the forefront of the legislature's 51st session. Other major issues include solvency of the state's public retirement system, tax cuts for state businesses, and tougher anti-DWI laws.[1]
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the Legislature was in session from January 17 through February 16.
Major issues
In their 30-day session the legislature considered drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, voter identification, business income tax, ethics reform, and defining homeowner rights in foreclosure proceedings.[2]
Gov. Susana Martinez (R) watched as the state legislature ended its session by rejecting a bill that would have repealed the law allowing drivers licenses to be issued to people without Social Security numbers. It was the third time she has tried to undo the law. The bill was initially passed by the House but defeated in the Senate. The Senate instead passed a measure shortening how long the licenses are valid and imposing harsher penalties on those committing fraud.[3]
2011
In 2011, the Legislature was in session from January 18 through March 19. [4] As of late July, a special session will be scheduled for early September, however, a date has not been confirmed by Governor Susana Martinez. As of late July, issues on the agenda include:[5]
- Fireworks use and sale ban in very dry years
- A measure giving in-state companies an advantage when bidding for contracts
- A ban on issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants
The 45 calendar days that the New Mexico Legislature was in session during 2011 is tied with Utah, Wyoming, and Arkansas for the shortest legislative session in the country.[6]
2010
In 2010, the Legislature was in regular session from January 19 to February 18. Additionally, the Senate convened a special session from March 1 to March 4.[7]
Senate
The New Mexico Senate is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. There are 42 members of the Senate. Each member represents an average of 49,028 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[8] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 43,311.[9] All 42 seats are up for election every four years, and the next election will be in 2008.
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 28 | |
| Republican Party | 14 | |
| Total | 42 | |
House of Representatives
The New Mexico House of Representatives is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature. There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents an average of 29,417 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[10] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 25,986.[11]
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 38 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in New Mexico
The New Mexico Legislature is responsible for redistricting. In 2011, it formed an 18-member interim redistricting committee to make recommendations for the actual redistricting process in the Legislature.
2010 census
New Mexico received its local census data on March 15, 2011. The state grew 13.2 percent from 2000 to 2010, with notable growth in its most populous cities; Albuquerque grew by 21.7 percent, Las Cruces grew by 31.4 percent, Rio Rancho grew by 69.1 percent, Santa Fe grew by 9.2 percent, and Roswell grew by 6.8 percent.[12]
At the time of redistricting, Democrats controlled the Legislature while the Governor, Susana Martinez was a Republican. The interim committee reviewed eight House maps and nine Senate maps before the special redistricting session of the Legislature began on September 6, 2011. On September 21, the Senate passed a map on party lines, with the House following the next day. Gov. Martinez vetoed the maps on October 7, leaving a court to resolve the process. By the time new maps were passed, $8 million had been spent.[13]
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2013, members of the New Mexico Legislature are not paid a salary. Per diem is $154/day tied to the federal rate.[14]
When sworn in
New Mexico legislators assume office January 1st.
Constitutional amendments
The New Mexico legislature has the authority to vote to place proposed constitutional amendments to the New Mexico Constitution on the statewide ballot for approval or rejection by the state's voters. There are five such legislative referrals on the November 4, 2008 ballot in the state.
External links
References
- ↑ ABQ Journal, "Legislature: New Members, Old Issues," January 13, 2013
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican, "Election-year tension and redrawn districts set stage for political dramas at the Capitol," January 15, 2012
- ↑ Latin American Herald Tribune, "Undocumented New Mexicans Can Still Get Driver’s Licenses," February 19, 2012
- ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
- ↑ KRQE.com, Special session agenda getting longer, July 18, 2011
- ↑ South Carolina Policy Council "50 State Legislative Session Interactive Map," February 2011
- ↑ 2010 session dates for New Mexico Legislature
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers New Mexico's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 15, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ↑ The Republic, "New Mexico's redistricting costs total nearly $8M, exceeding expenses a decade ago," August 2, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012
- ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
