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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Cisneros
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/24/08
HB
SHORT TITLE Padre Antonio Jose Martinez Film Project
SB 266
ANALYST Dearing
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY08
FY09
$500.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Duplicates House Bill 370
Responses Received From
Cultural Affairs Department (CAD)
New Mexico Economic Development Department (NMTD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 266 appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund for expenditure in FY09 to the
Cultural Affairs department to contract for a film on the life of Padre Antonio Jose Martinez of
Taos.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $500 thousand contained in Senate Bill is a nonrecurring expense to the
general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY09 shall
revert to the general fund.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
According to the Economic Development department, Senate Bill 266 does not indicate the
producing entity, any experience in historical filmmaking, or any proposed form of distribution,
or payment of proceeds or ownership of the final project.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 266 – Page
2
Padre Antonio Jose Martinez, 1793 – 1867, was a Catholic priest, educator, publisher, farmer,
rancher, community leader and politician. He lived through and influenced three distinct periods
of New Mexico history – the Spanish period, the Mexican period, and the American occupation
and subsequent territorial period. He appears as a character in Willa Cather’s Death Comes for
the Archbishop.
Padre Martinez was born in Abiquiu and married at the age of 19, his wife dying just one year
later in childbirth. In 1817, he entered the seminary and was ordained a Franciscan priest in
1822. In 1842 he was appointed Catholic priest at the Taos Catholic parish. Padre Martinez was
a member of the Territorial Departmental Assembly of New Mexico beginning in 1830. His last
service was in 1846.
A statue celebrating Padre Martinez was dedicated on the Taos Plaza in July 2006. The
documentary film proposed in this bill is intended to further celebrate the life of Padre Martinez
as it educates the people of New Mexico about the extraordinary impact of this gentleman.
PERFORMANCE
The department has listed no performance measures in conjunction with the appropriation in
Senate Bill 266. There is no mention of the intended audience or viewing venue for the film,
however, it is possible that an attendance measure could be implemented pertaining to viewer-
ship figures for the documentary.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The department would experience no significant administrative impact. The department would
conduct an RFP process in order to accomplish the initiatives outlined in the bill.
PD/bb