45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

PROPOSING TO AMEND ARTICLE 4, SECTION 5 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO LIMIT ALL REGULAR SESSIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE TO FORTY-FIVE DAYS; TO RESTRICT MATTERS RELATING TO BUDGETS, APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUES TO THOSE REGULAR SESSIONS CONVENING IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS UNLESS CONSIDERED PURSUANT TO A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR; TO RESTRICT TOPICS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED BY INTERIM LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES TO THOSE THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED IN THE NEXT REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE; AND TO RESTRICT THE TOTAL ANNUAL AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURES FOR INTERIM COMMITTEES.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 4, Section 5 of the constitution of New Mexico to read:

"A. Each regular session of the legislature shall begin annually at 12:00 noon on the third Tuesday of January. Every regular session of the legislature [convening during an odd-numbered year] shall remain in session not to exceed [sixty days, and every regular session of the legislature convening during an even-numbered year shall remain in session not to exceed thirty days] forty-five days. No special session of the legislature shall exceed thirty days.

B. Every regular session of the legislature convening during an even-numbered year shall consider only the following:

(1) budgets, appropriations and revenue bills;

(2) bills drawn pursuant to special messages of the governor; and

(3) bills of the last previous regular session vetoed by the governor.

C. Every regular session of the legislature convening during an odd-numbered year may consider bills of any subject except bills relating to budgets, appropriations or revenues. Bills relating to budgets, appropriations or revenues shall only be considered pursuant to special messages of the governor.

D. Except as may be allowed pursuant to Article 4, Section 42 of this constitution, no committee of the legislature shall, during the interim period before a regular legislative session, consider any topic other than those that may be considered during that session. If the topic proposed to be considered is a bill to be drawn pursuant to a special message of the governor, then the topic shall not be considered by a committee during the interim unless the governor directs the message to that committee.

E. The total expenditure for all committees meeting during an interim period between regular sessions of the legislature shall not exceed four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000), provided that the limitation in this subsection may be increased at the end of each regular session by multiplying the limitation for the previous year by a fraction, the numerator of which is the consumer price index ending during the prior calendar year and the denominator of which is the consumer price index ending in calendar year 2002."

Section 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that may be called for that purpose.