SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 11

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Tim Eichenberg

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO BEGIN TO REFORM THE INTERIM COMMITTEE PROCESS IN 2011.

     WHEREAS, the legislature's interim committees are a valuable component in the legislature's policymaking process, providing members with opportunities to study increasingly complex issues in greater depth and providing New Mexicans with direct access to policymakers; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's relatively short regular sessions place increased importance and responsibility on the legislature's interim committees; and

     WHEREAS, the increasing number and growing size of interim committees hinders their effectiveness as scheduling conflicts and overlapping jurisdictions become more common; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico state government is in the midst of its worst budget crisis in decades, forcing deep cuts across all branches of government; and

     WHEREAS, the government restructuring task force was created by the legislature to examine the entire structure of state government and recommend changes to make state operations more effective and efficient; and

     WHEREAS, the task force noted the potential for cost savings and efficiencies in the legislative branch, including fewer interim committees, improved linkage to standing committees and shared use of permanent staffs; and

     WHEREAS, while the task force did not have time to fully study proposed legislative reforms and recommended that its successor take up that job and also consider the work of the legislative structure and process study task force, the current budget demands and legislative calendar dictate that some changes can and should be made now; and

     WHEREAS, in 2010, there were more than two dozen interim committees, task forces, work groups and subcommittees to which legislators and legislative staff devoted their time, energy and attention in varying degrees; and

     WHEREAS, while some interim committees are created by statute and cannot be eliminated or consolidated without changes to the law, the legislature desires to reduce the number of committees by temporarily not appointing members to some of those statutorily created committees in order to measure the impact of such a reduction before seeking changes to statutes;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it support the appointment of members to only the following committees for the 2011 interim:

          A. the New Mexico legislative council;

          B. the legislative education study committee;

          C. the legislative finance committee;

          D. the capitol buildings planning commission;

          E. a business and economic development committee;

          F. an environment and natural resources committee;

          G. a government restructuring task force;

          H. an Indian affairs committee;

          I. the interim legislative ethics committee;

          J. a judiciary committee;

          K. the legislative committee on compacts;

          L. a legislative health committee;

          M. a legislative human services committee;

          N. the Mortgage Finance Authority Act oversight committee;

          O. the New Mexico finance authority oversight committee;

          P. the public school capital outlay oversight task force;

          Q. a redistricting committee;

          R. the revenue stabilization and tax policy committee; and

          S. a science and technology committee; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council, the chairs and vice chairs of the legislative education study committee and legislative finance committee, the majority floor leaders, the minority floor leaders and two senior members each of the minority party from the legislative education study committee and the legislative finance committee be requested to develop a plan to divide the various topics to be examined during the interim among these committees; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the directors of the legislative council service, legislative education study committee and legislative finance committee be requested to develop and present to the New Mexico legislative council a proposal to jointly staff the interim committees in an effective and efficient manner; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature state its commitment to seeking further efficiencies and greater effectiveness in its interim committee structure.

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