HOUSE MEMORIAL 26

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2022

INTRODUCED BY

Angelica Rubio and Joy Garratt and Debra M. Sariñana and

Susan K. Herrera and Kristina Ortez

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE, TO CONDUCT AND REPORT THE FINDINGS OF A SURVEY OF LEGISLATIVE PERSONNEL ON THE NEEDS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND A SURVEY OF LEGISLATORS TO IDENTIFY THE ACTIVITIES AND TIME DEVOTED TO THEIR LEGISLATIVE DUTIES OUTSIDE OF LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AND TO STUDY THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF LEGISLATOR COMPENSATION, MODIFYING THE LENGTH AND SCOPE OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND LEGISLATIVE STAFFING, INCLUDING STAFF FOR LEGISLATORS.

 

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature is entrusted with great responsibility, including developing and passing legislation and the state budget; and

     WHEREAS, the ability of a state legislature to fully reflect its diverse citizenry, act effectively on behalf of constituents and have sufficient time and resources for informed deliberation and decision-making is significantly affected by whether legislators receive fair compensation for the amount of time legislators dedicate to the job and the size of the legislature's staff; and

     WHEREAS, the constitution of New Mexico currently places express limitations upon legislative action and adequate compensation for legislative service; and

     WHEREAS, Article 4, Section 5 of the constitution of New Mexico limits the length of regular sessions during odd-numbered years to sixty days and even-numbered years to thirty days and limits the scope of bills that can be considered during even-numbered years to budget, appropriations and revenue bills, bills drawn pursuant to special messages of the governor and bills of the last previous regular session vetoed by the governor; and

     WHEREAS, Article 4, Section 10 of the constitution of New Mexico limits compensation of legislative members to per diem for each day's attendance during the session, a mileage rate for each mile traveled to and from Santa Fe once each session and per diem and mileage to meet in the interim between sessions; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature employs professional, specialized staff who serve the legislature as a whole while individual New Mexico legislators have neither district offices nor year-round individual staff to devote to legislative issues that include constituent needs, constituent meetings and policy research; and

     WHEREAS, the 1966 report of the state's bipartisan first constitutional revision commission recommended amending the constitution to provide that regular sessions begin in March, that the legislature be able to provide by law for the holding of annual legislative sessions not to exceed sixty calendar days and that legislators receive salaries and allowances as may be prescribed by law as long as any increase did not apply to the legislators who enacted the same; and

     WHEREAS, the 1996 report of the state's bipartisan constitutional revision commission also recommended amending the constitution to provide for adequate compensation for legislators; and

     WHEREAS, the most recent formal study of the legislative process was a two-year endeavor that culminated in a 2007 final report that recommended draft legislation for legislative reform, which included legislation to extend the length of both regular sessions by fifteen days and the creation of a legislative commission to set legislative compensation; and

     WHEREAS, joint resolutions were introduced in both the senate and the house of representatives during the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth legislatures to amend Article 4, Section 5 of the constitution of New Mexico to change the length of the regular sessions and broaden the scope of bills that may be considered in even-numbered years; and

     WHEREAS, joint resolutions were introduced in the senate and the house of representatives during the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth legislatures to amend Article 4 of the constitution of New Mexico by repealing Section 10 and adding a new section to establish a public officer salary commission or propose that the state ethics commission establish and limit salaries for elected state officers; and

     WHEREAS, the needs of New Mexico communities are year-round; and

     WHEREAS, a New Mexico legislator's workload and responsibilities have increased since statehood, with legislators serving fifty percent more constituents now than in 1980 due to population growth; and

     WHEREAS, legislators are responsible for managing a budget that has doubled in size since 2000, and policy issues are becoming more complex because finding the right solutions for New Mexico requires legislators' undivided attention; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is the only state in the nation that does not pay legislators a salary, which precludes many capable New Mexicans from becoming candidates for legislative office because they are unable to volunteer their time and make the necessary financial sacrifices that such service currently requires; and

     WHEREAS, the legislature must have adequate compensation, time, resources and information to fully reflect its diverse citizenry and meet the demands placed before it; and

     WHEREAS, further quantitative and qualitative study on the costs, benefits and alternatives for legislative compensation, session length and scope and year-round staff support for individual legislators is needed for the legislature to have informed debates and deliberation on this topic;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the university of New Mexico bureau of business and economic research, in collaboration with the legislative council service, be requested to study legislator compensation, length and scope of legislative sessions, legislative staffing and associated costs and benefits; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the university of New Mexico bureau of business and economic research, in collaboration with the legislative council service, be requested to conduct a survey of legislative personnel on the needs of the legislature and a survey of legislators to identify the activities and time devoted to their legislative duties outside of legislative sessions; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the university of New Mexico bureau of business and economic research be requested to report initial findings and recommendations to the New Mexico legislative council, the legislative finance committee and any other appropriate interim legislative committees by August 15, 2022; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the university of New Mexico bureau of business and economic research be requested to report its updated findings and recommendations to the New Mexico legislative council, the legislative finance committee and any other appropriate interim legislative committees by December 2, 2022; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council, the chair and vice chair of the legislative finance committee, the director of the legislative council service and the acting director of the university of New Mexico bureau of business and economic research.

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