0001|                            HOUSE BILL 572
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                           JERRY LEE ALWIN
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0005|     
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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|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO ELECTIONS; MOVING THE TIME THAT LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD,
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0012|     BRANCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD, TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL
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0013|     INSTITUTE BOARD AND AREA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS ARE
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0014|     HELD; AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE ELECTION CODE AND THE NMSA 1978.
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0015|     
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0016|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0017|          Section 1.  Section 1-22-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1985,
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0018|     Chapter 168, Section 5) is amended to read:
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0019|          "1-22-3.  SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS--QUALIFICATIONS OF
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0020|     CANDIDATES.--
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0021|               A.  A school district election shall be held in each
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0022|     school district to elect qualified persons to membership on a
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0023|     local school board.  No person shall become a candidate for
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0024|     membership on a board unless his record of voter registration
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0025|     shows that he is a qualified elector of the state and a
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0001|     resident of the school district in which he is a candidate.
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0002|               B.  A regular school district election shall be held
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0003|     in each school district on [the first Tuesday in February]
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0004|     Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-
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0005|     numbered year.
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0006|               C.  A school district election held at any time
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0007|     other than the date for the regular school district election
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0008|     shall be a special school district election.
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0009|               D.  Except as otherwise provided in the School
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0010|     Election Law, school district elections shall be called,
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0011|     conducted and canvassed as provided in the Election Code."
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0012|          Section 2.  Section 1-22-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1985,
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0013|     Chapter 168, Section 6, as amended) is amended to read:
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0014|          "1-22-4.  REGULAR ELECTION--PROCLAMATION--PUBLICATION.--
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0015|               A.  The board shall by resolution issue a public
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0016|     proclamation in Spanish and English calling a regular school
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0017|     district election within the school district on the date
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0018|     prescribed by the School Election Law.  The proclamation shall
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0019|     be filed by the superintendent with the county clerk of record
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0020|     on the last [Friday in November] Friday in August of the
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0021|     [even-numbered] odd-numbered year immediately preceding the
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0022|     date of the election.
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0023|               B.  The proclamation shall specify:
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0024|                    (1)  the date when the election will be held;
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0025|                    (2)  the positions on the board to be filled;
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0001|                    (3)  the date on which declarations of
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0002|     candidacy are to be filed;
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0003|                    (4)  the date on which declarations of intent
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0004|     to be a write-in candidate are to be filed;
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0005|                    (5)  the questions to be submitted to the
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0006|     voters;
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0007|                    (6)  the precincts in each county in which the
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0008|     election is to be held and the location of each polling place;
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0009|                    (7)  the hours each polling place will be open;
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0010|     and
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0011|                    (8)  the date and time of the closing of the
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0012|     registration books by the county clerk of record as required by
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0013|     law.
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0014|               C.  After [filing] the proclamation is filed by
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0015|     the superintendent with the county clerk of record and not
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0016|     less than fifty days before the date of the election, the
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0017|     county clerk of record shall publish the proclamation at least
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0018|     once in a newspaper of general circulation within the school
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0019|     district.  The publication of the proclamation shall conform to
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0020|     the requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as
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0021|     amended."
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0022|          Section 3.  Section 1-22-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1985,
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0023|     Chapter 168, Section 9) is amended to read:
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0024|          "1-22-7.  DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY--FILING DATE--PENALTY.-
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0025|     -
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0001|               [A.  A declaration of candidacy for membership on
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    the board to be filled at a regular school district election
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    shall be filed with the proper filing officer during the period
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    commencing at 9:00 a.m. on the third Tuesday in December of the
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    even-numbered year immediately preceding the date of the
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    regular school district election and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the
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    same day.
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              B.  A declaration of candidacy for membership on the
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    board to be filled at a special school district election shall
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    be filed with the proper filing officer during the period
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    commencing at 9:00 a.m. on the forty-eighth day before the
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    election and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the same day.] 
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0013|               A.  A person seeking a school board position that
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0014|     will be filled at a regular school district election shall file
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0015|     a declaration of candidacy with the proper filing officer
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0016|     between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the third
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0017|     Tuesday in September of the odd-numbered year immediately
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0018|     preceding the date of that election.
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0019|               B.  A person seeking a school board position that
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0020|     will be filled at a special school district election shall file
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0021|     a declaration of candidacy with the proper filing officer
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0022|     between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the forty-
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0023|     eighth day before the election.
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0024|               C.  Any person who knowingly [making] makes a
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0025|     false statement in his declaration of candidacy is guilty of a
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0001|     fourth degree felony."
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0002|          Section 4.  Section 3-8-9 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1985,
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0003|     Chapter 208, Section 17, as amended) is amended to read:
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0004|          "3-8-9.  ELECTION SCHEDULING--CONFLICTS--NOTICE.--
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0005|               A.  Except as otherwise provided by law, no
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0006|     municipal election shall be held within [forty-two] twenty-
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0007|     five days prior to or [within thirty days] after any
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0008|     statewide special, general or primary election or any regular
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0009|     school district election.  Whenever a municipal election would
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0010|     be or has been scheduled within the prohibited time, the
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0011|     governing body shall adopt an election resolution scheduling or
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0012|     rescheduling the election on a date as soon as is practicable
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0013|     outside the prohibited period and in compliance with the
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0014|     requirements of the Municipal Election Code and any other
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0015|     statute specifically related to such election.  If an election
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0016|     resolution has already been adopted, the new election
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0017|     resolution shall supersede the existing election resolution and
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0018|     the new election resolution shall be published as required by
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0019|     the Municipal Election Code.
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0020|               B.  Except as otherwise provided by law, one or more
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0021|     municipal special elections, including but not limited to bond
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0022|     elections, may be held in conjunction with a regular municipal
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0023|     election or one or more special municipal elections.
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0024|               C.  When concurrent elections are called for,
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0025|     publications, notices, selection of precinct boards, election
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0001|     schools, ordering election supplies, conduct of the election,
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0002|     canvassing, record keeping and all other election matters shall
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0003|     be conducted to comply with all election requirements for each
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0004|     such election as if it were held separately.  However, any
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0005|     requirement may be satisfied by a combined action if such
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0006|     action would satisfy the requirements set by law for each
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0007|     individual election.  Allowable combined actions include but
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0008|     are not limited to, combined:
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0009|                    (1)  publications;
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0010|                    (2)  notices;
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0011|                    (3)  appointment of precinct boards;
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0012|                    (4)  ordering of election supplies;
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0013|                    (5)  conduct of election;
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0014|                    (6)  canvassing; and
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0015|                    (7)  record keeping."
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0016|          Section 5.  Section 21-14-2.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1985,
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0017|     Chapter 238, Section 29) is amended to read:
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0018|          "21-14-2.1.  BRANCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD--LOCAL 
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0019|     OPTION.--
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0020|               A.  A majority of the local board of education or
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0021|     the combined boards of education acting as a single board may
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0022|     cease to operate as the branch community college board and
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0023|     provide for an elected branch community college board.  In that
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0024|     event, the majority of the local board of education or the
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0025|     combined boards of education acting as a single board shall
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0001|     elect five persons as members of the branch community college
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0002|     board.  The persons elected shall be assigned position numbers
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0003|     one through five.  Board members shall be over twenty-one years
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0004|     of age, qualified electors and residents of the branch
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0005|     community college district.  The members of the board shall
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0006|     continue to serve until the next regular branch community col-
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0007|     
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0008|     lege election, to be held on [the first Tuesday of February]
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0009|     Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-
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0010|     numbered year, at which time five board members shall be
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0011|     elected by the registered voters of the branch community
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0012|     college district.  The candidates shall file for and be elected
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0013|     to a particular position number.  The candidate receiving the
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0014|     highest number of votes for a particular position shall be
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0015|     elected.  At the first board meeting after the election, the
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0016|     five members shall draw lots for the following terms:  two for
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0017|     terms of two years and three for terms of four years.  There-
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0018|     
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0019|     after, board members shall be elected for terms of four years
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0020|     from [March 1] December 1 succeeding their election.  All
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0021|     vacancies caused in any other manner than by the expiration of
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0022|     the term of office shall be filled by appointment by the
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0023|     remaining members.
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0024|               B.  Immediately after the election of the five
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0025|     members by the assembled board of education members, the board
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0001|     shall select from its members a chairman and secretary who
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0002|     shall serve in these offices until the next regular branch
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0003|     community college board election.  After each branch community
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0004|     college board election, the members shall proceed to
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0005|     reorganize.
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0006|               C.  The duties of the board shall continue as set
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0007|     out in Chapter 21, Article 14 NMSA 1978."
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0008|          Section 6.  Section 21-16-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1963,
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0009|     Chapter 108, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:
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0010|          "21-16-5.  BOARD.--
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0011|               A.  The initial board of [the] a technical and
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0012|     vocational institute district shall be composed of:
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0013|                    (1)  the board of the initiating school
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0014|     district, if only one school district is involved; or
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0015|                    (2)  if more than one school district is
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0016|     involved in the initiation of the technical and vocational
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0017|     institute district, one member delegated from each
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0018|     participating school board.  If there are an even number of
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0019|     participating school districts, the boards of all participating
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0020|     school districts shall jointly appoint an additional member to
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0021|     the governing board of the technical and vocational institute
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0022|     district, who shall serve as a member at large.
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0023|               B.  At the second school board election held
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0024|     pursuant to Section 1-22-3 NMSA 1978 following the creation of
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0025|     the technical and vocational institute district, an election
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0001|     shall be held to elect seven members to the institute board to
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0002|     replace the members holding office under the provisions of
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0003|     Subsection A of this section.
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0004|                    (1)  Except where specific provision is
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0005|     otherwise provided by law, all election proceedings for
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0006|     institute district elections shall be conducted pursuant to the
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0007|     provisions of the School Election Law with the president of the
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0008|     technical and vocational institute serving in the place of
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0009|     the superintendent of schools in every case.
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0010|                    (2)  The board shall consist of seven separate
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0011|     positions, and each position shall be designated by number. 
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0012|     Qualified electors seeking election to the board shall file and
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0013|     run for only one of the numbered positions.
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0014|                    (3)  At the second school board election to be
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0015|     held following the creation of the technical and vocational
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0016|     institute district, members of the board elected to positions
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0017|     1, 3, 5 and 7 shall be elected for two-year terms and members
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0018|     elected to positions 2, 4 and 6 shall be elected for four-year
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0019|     terms.  Thereafter, each board member shall be elected for a
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0020|     term of four years.  The elections shall be held in the same
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0021|     manner and at the same time as regular school district
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0022|     elections on [the first Tuesday in February] Tuesday after
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0023|     the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year.
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0024|               C.  A vacancy occurring on the board shall be filled
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0025|     in the same manner as provided for school board vacancies in
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0001|     Section 22-5-9 NMSA 1978."
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0002|          Section 7.  Section 21-17-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967,
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0003|     Chapter 177, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:
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0004|          "21-17-4.  DESIGNATION AS AN AREA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL BY THE
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0005|     STATE BOARD.--
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0006|               A.  Upon receipt and examination of the plan and
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0007|     supporting evidence, the state board shall conduct hearings,
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0008|     investigate records and procure such other information relating
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0009|     to vocational training as it deems necessary and appropriate.
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0010|               B.  If the state board finds that the plan provides
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0011|     an adequate, broad vocational and technical educational pro-
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0012|     
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0013|     gram, serves sufficient students for an economical operation,
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0014|     provides for adequate financing and sensibly relates to a
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0015|     statewide pattern for development of vocational and technical
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0016|     education, the state board may approve the plan.
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0017|               C.  Upon approval by the state board the board of
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0018|     each school district concerned shall present the proposal for
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0019|     the creation of an area vocational school district on a
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0020|     separate ballot at the time of the next school board election
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0021|     or at any separate election called for that purpose.  If a
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0022|     majority of those qualified ad valorem tax paying electors who
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0023|     are not delinquent in the payment of their ad valorem tax,
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0024|     voting in the election in each school district concerned,
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0025|     [vote] votes in favor of establishing an area vocational
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0001|     school district, the board of each school district concerned
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0002|     shall declare the organization of the area vocational school
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0003|     district.
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0004|               D.  After approval by the state board of the plan,
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0005|     the school shall be officially designated by the state board as
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0006|     an area vocational school, shall be operated in accordance with
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0007|     provisions in the state plan for vocational education and shall
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0008|     meet all other requirements of an accredited school.
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0009|               E.  At the next school board election held pursuant
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0010|     to [Section 22-6-1 NMSA 1978] Section 1-22-3 NMSA 1978, an
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0011|     election may be held to elect five members to the area
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0012|     vocational school board to replace the local school board as
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0013|     the governing board of the area vocational school.
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0014|                    (1)  Except where specific provision is
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0015|     otherwise provided by law, all election proceedings for area
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0016|     vocational school elections shall be conducted pursuant to the
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0017|     [provisions of Sections 22-6-1 through 22-6-34 NMSA 1978]
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0018|     School Election Law with the president of the area vocational
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0019|     school serving in the place of the superintendent of schools in
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0020|     every case.
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0021|                    (2)  The board shall consist of five separate
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0022|     positions, and each position shall be designated by number. 
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0023|     Qualified electors seeking election to the board shall file and
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0024|     run for only one of the numbered positions.
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0025|                    (3) [At the next regular school board
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    election, members of the board elected to positions 1, 3 and 5
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    shall be elected for terms ending February 28, 1989, and
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    members elected to positions 2 and 4 shall be elected for terms
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    ending February 28, 1991.  Thereafter, each] A board member
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0005|     shall be elected for a term of four years.  The elections shall
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0006|     be held in the same manner and at the same time as regular
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0007|     school district elections on [the first Tuesday in February]
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0008|     Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-
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0009|     numbered year [beginning with the election to be held in
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    February of 1987].
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0011|               F.  A vacancy occurring on the board shall be filled
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0012|     in the same manner as provided for school board vacancies in
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0013|     Section 22-5-9 NMSA 1978.
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0014|               G.  A member of the board may be recalled pursuant
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0015|     to the provisions of [Sections 22-7-1 through 22-7-16 NMSA
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    1978  except that a recall election may be held only at the
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    same time as a regular school district election] Article 12,
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0018|     Section 14 of the constitution of New Mexico."
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0019|          Section 8.  Section 22-5-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967,
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0020|     Chapter 16, Section 31, as amended) is amended to read:
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0021|          "22-5-8.  TERM OF OFFICE.--
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0022|               A.  The full term of office [of] for a member of
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0023|     a local school board shall be four years from [March 1] 
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0024|     December 1 succeeding his election to office at a regular
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0025|     school district election.
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0001|               B.  Any member of a local school board whose term of
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0002|     office has expired shall continue in that office until his
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0003|     successor is elected and qualified."
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0004|          Section 9.  TEMPORARY PROVISION--TERM OF OFFICE.--The term
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0005|     of office for a local school board member, a branch community
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0006|     college board member, a member of a board of a technical and
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0007|     vocational institute or an area vocational school board member
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0008|     that would have expired on March 1, 1999, shall be extended
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0009|     until December 1, 1999.  On that date, the term of office of
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0010|     his successor elected on the new election day of Tuesday after
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0011|     the first Monday in November shall begin.  All subsequent terms
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0012|     of office shall be for the regular term of four years.
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0013|          Section 10.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
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0014|     provisions of this act is July 1, 1997.
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0015|                                                         State of New Mexico
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0016|                      House of Representatives
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0017|   
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0018|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0019|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0020|   
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0021|   
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0022|                                               February 11, 1997
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0023|   
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0024|   
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0025|   Mr. Speaker:
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0001|   
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0002|        Your VOTERS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE, to whom has
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0003|   been referred
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0004|   
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0005|                        HOUSE BILL 572
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0006|                               
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0007|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0008|   recommendation that it DO PASS, and thence referred to the
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0009|   APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
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0010|   
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0011|                                 Respectfully submitted,
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0012|   
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|                                                                 
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0016|   
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0017|                                                              Edward C. Sandoval, Chairman
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|   Adopted                          Not Adopted                     
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0021|    
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0022|             (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0023|   
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0024|                        Date             
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0025|   
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0001|   The roll call vote was 10  For 0  Against
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0002|   Yes:      10
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0003|             Excused:  Coll, Nicely
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0004|             Absent:   None
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0005|   
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0006|   
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0007|   G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0572                       State of New Mexico
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0008|                      House of Representatives
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0009|   
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0010|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0011|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0012|   
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0013|   
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0014|                                                   March 3, 1997
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0015|   
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0016|   
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0017|   Mr. Speaker:
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0018|   
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0019|        Your APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, to
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0020|   whom has been referred
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0021|   
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0022|                        HOUSE BILL 572
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0023|                               
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0024|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0025|   recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows:
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0001|   
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0002|             1.  On page 11, line 21, strike "A" and insert in lieu
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0003|   thereof:
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0004|   
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0005|   "At the school board election following the designation of a
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0006|   school as an area vocational school by the state board, members
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0007|   of the board elected to odd positions shall be elected for two-
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0008|   year terms and members elected to even positions shall be elected
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0009|   for four-year terms.  Thereafter, each".
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0010|   
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0011|                                 Respectfully submitted,
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0012|   
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|                                                                                               
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0016|                                 
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0017|                                                               Max Coll, Chairman
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|   Adopted                          Not Adopted                     
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0021|    
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0022|             (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0023|   
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0024|                        Date             
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0025|   
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0001|   The roll call vote was  10  For  0  Against
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0002|   Yes:      10
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0003|             Excused:  Abeyta, Garcia, M.H., Knowles, Picraux, Salazar,
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0004|             Townsend, Wallace
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0005|             Absent:   None
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|                                                       .116623.1
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0009|   G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0572                        FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0010|                              FIRST SESSION
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|                                                        March 4, 1997
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0014|   
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0015|   
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0016|   HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT number ___1___ to HOUSE BILL 572, as amended 
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0017|   
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0018|   Amendment sponsored by Representative Jerry Lee Alwin
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0019|   
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0020|   
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0021|     1.  On page 12, line 24, strike the comma and insert in lieu
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0022|   thereof ", or March 1, 2001,".
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0023|   
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0024|     2.  On page 12, line 25, strike the period, strike "On that date,"
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0025|   and insert in lieu thereof "and until December 1, 2001, respectively. 
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0001|   On those dates,".
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0002|   
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0003|   
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0004|   
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0005|   
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0006|                                         ___________________________
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0007|                                         Jerry Lee Alwin
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0008|   
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|   Adopted ___________________   Not Adopted ___________________________
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0012|            (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|                   Date ________________  
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0016|   
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0017|                         FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0018|                           FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0019|   
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0020|   
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0021|                                                       March 15, 1997
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0022|   
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0023|   Mr. President:
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0024|   
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0025|       Your RULES COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0001|   
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0002|                       HOUSE BILL 572, as amended
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0003|   
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0004|   has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation
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0005|   that it DO PASS.
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0006|   
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0007|                                Respectfully submitted,
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0008|   
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|                                __________________________________
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0012|                                Gloria Howes, Chairman 
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|   
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0016|   Adopted_______________________   Not Adopted_______________________
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0017|             (Chief Clerk)                          (Chief Clerk)
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|   
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0021|                     Date ________________________
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0022|   
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0023|   
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0024|   The roll call vote was  6  For  0  Against
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0025|           Yes:    6
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0001|           No:     0
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0002|                Excused:     Aragon, Rodarte
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0003|           Absent: None
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0004|   
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0005|   
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0006|   H0572RU1
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