April 5, 2001

SENATE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. 73

The Honorable Richard Romero and

Members of the Senate

Executive-Legislative Building

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503

Honorable President and Members of the Senate:

I have this day VETOED and am returning SENATE BILL 70, enacted by the Forty-Fifth Legislature, First Session, 2001.

The New Mexico Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) has for many years prohibited the disclosure of information about members unless the member consents to the disclosure. This protects the 54,975 active members of PERA.

The proposed legislation would remove this protection. This legislation would allow the names and addresses of both members and retired members to be released to certain non-profit organizations. While innocuous on its face, this legislation breaches the wall of privacy our 72,537 active and retired PERA members have come to expect. No compelling public policy rationale is offered that justifies this breach of association member privacy.

Sincerely,

Gary E. Johnson

Governor

RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:

Time: _____________________ By:_____________________________

Secretary of State

Date ______________________

Time:______________________

Date_______________________ By:_____________________________

Chief Clerk of the Senate Sem73sb70v