0001|                   HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 14
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0002|     42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION,
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0003|     1996
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0004|                         INTRODUCED BY
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0005|                        ROBERT A. PERLS
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0006|     
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0007|                                
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|     
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0011|                       A JOINT RESOLUTION
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0012|     PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 4, SECTION 4 OF THE
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0013|     CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO INCREASE TERMS OF MEMBERS OF THE
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0014|     HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO FOUR YEARS AND TO PROVIDE FOR
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0015|     STAGGERED TERMS FOR STATE LEGISLATORS.
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0016|     
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0017|     BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0018|       Section 1.  It is proposed to amend Article 4, Section 4 of
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0019|     the constitution of New Mexico to read:
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0020|       "<u>Effective with the 1998 general election</u>, members of the
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0021|     legislature shall be elected as follows: <s>[those senators from
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<s></s>0022| <s>    Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Grant, Lea, Lincoln, Luna,
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<s></s>0023| <s>    Sandoval, San Juan, San Miguel, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union
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<s></s>0024| <s>    and Valencia counties for a term of six years starting January
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<s></s>0025| <s>    1, 1961, and after serving such terms shall be elected for a
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<s></s>0001| <s>    term of four years thereafter; those senators from all other
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<s></s>0002| <s>    counties for the]</s> <u>senators for</u> terms of four years and
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0003|     members of the house of representatives for <s>[a term of two]</s>
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0004|     <u>terms of four</u> years. <s>[They]</s> <u>Members of the legislature
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<u></u>0005| <u>    shall serve staggered terms of office, so that one-half of the
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<u></u>0006| <u>    membership of each house shall be elected to office each general
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<u></u>0007| <u>    election, as provided by law.  Members of the legislature</u> shall
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0008|     be elected on the day provided by law for holding the general
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0009|     election of state officers or representatives in congress.  If a
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0010|     vacancy occurs in the office of senator or member of the house
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0011|     of representatives, for any reason, the county commissioners of
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0012|     the county wherein the vacancy occurs shall fill such vacancy by
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0013|     appointment.
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0014|       Such legislative appointments as provided in this section
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0015|     shall be for a term ending on December 31, subsequent to the
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0016|     next succeeding general election."
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0017|       Section 2.  The amendment proposed by this resolution shall
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0018|     be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at
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0019|     the next general election or at any special election prior to
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0020|     that date which may be called for that purpose.
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0021|                              
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