SENATE MEMORIAL

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Antoinette Sedillo Lopez

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

EXPRESSING THE RESOLVE OF THE NEW MEXICO SENATE TO PROMOTE NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND THE RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

 

     WHEREAS, the continued existence of more than twelve thousand nuclear weapons worldwide poses a grave and existential threat to the residents of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature stands for a society that takes responsibility for the welfare of its future generations; and

     WHEREAS, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and repeated threats to use nuclear weapons have dramatically increased the danger of nuclear war; and

     WHEREAS, the residents of New Mexico have expressed their deep concern about the continuing threat of nuclear war over many decades and continue to do so; and

     WHEREAS, while it is the federal government and not the state that has jurisdiction over matters relating to nuclear weapons, state and local governments will be largely responsible for the immediate disaster response in the event of a nuclear weapon detonation; and

     WHEREAS, it has been shown that the policies and actions of states can lead to important and necessary changes at the federal level and even internationally; and

     WHEREAS, in order to prevent the unthinkable catastrophe of a nuclear war or a nuclear accident, a complete elimination of nuclear weapons is necessary in line with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force as international law on January 22, 2021;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that congratulations be extended to the seventy countries that have signed and ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico senate join the legislatures of California, Oregon and Rhode Island, the Maine state senate, the New Jersey assembly and the cities and towns throughout the country that have taken action to protect their residents from the existential threat of nuclear war by embracing the treaty and endorsing the back from the brink platform, which calls on federal leaders to embrace the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to take immediate steps to prevent nuclear war by actively pursuing a verifiable agreement among nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals, renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first, ending the president of the United States' sole, unchecked authority to launch a nuclear attack, taking the United States' nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert and canceling the plan to replace the United States' entire arsenal with enhanced weapons; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico senate urge all members of the New Mexico congressional delegation to cosponsor or endorse House Resolution 317 or Senate Resolution 323 of the one hundred nineteenth congress, both of which call for the United States to adopt the policy provisions of the back from the brink platform; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it shall be the policy of the New Mexico senate to pursue whatever measures may be found necessary and appropriate to protect the residents of the state from the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons and to contribute in whatever ways the senate can toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons from all countries, in line with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the president and vice president of the United States, the speaker and minority floor leader of the United States house of representatives, the majority and minority floor leaders of the United States senate, the members of New Mexico's congressional delegation and the governor.

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