0001|                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          DELORES C. WRIGHT
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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|                          A JOINT RESOLUTION
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0011|     PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 4, SECTION 4 OF THE
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0012|     CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO INCREASE TERMS OF MEMBERS OF THE
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0013|     HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO FOUR YEARS AND OF MEMBERS OF THE
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0014|     SENATE TO SIX YEARS AND TO PROVIDE FOR STAGGERED TERMS FOR
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0015|     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
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0019|     of the constitution of New Mexico to read:
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0020|          "<u>Effective with the 2000 general election</u>, members of
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0021|     the legislature shall be elected as follows:  <s>[those senators
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<s></s>0022| <s>    from Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Grant, Lea, Lincoln,
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<s></s>0023| <s>    Luna, Sandoval, San Juan, San Miguel, Socorro, Taos, Torrance,
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<s></s>0024| <s>    Union and Valencia counties for a term of six years starting
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<s></s>0025| <s>    January 1, 1961, and after serving such terms shall be 
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<s></s>0001| <s>    elected for a term of four years thereafter; those senators
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<s></s>0002| <s>    from all other counties for the]</s> <u>senators for</u> terms of
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0003|     <s>[four]</s> <u>six</u> years, and members of the house of
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0004|     representatives for <s>[a term of two]</s> <u>terms of four</u> years. 
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0005|     <s>[They]</s> <u>The legislature shall provide by law for staggered
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<u></u>0006| <u>    terms of office so that one-half of the membership of the
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<u></u>0007| <u>    house of representatives and one-third of the membership of
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<u></u>0008| <u>    the senate shall be elected to office each general election. 
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<u></u>0009| <u>    Members of the legislature</u> shall be elected on the day
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0010|     provided by law for holding the general election of state
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0011|     officers or representatives in congress.  If a vacancy occurs
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0012|     in the office of a senator or member of the house of
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0013|     representatives, for any reason, the county commissioners of
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0014|     the county wherein the vacancy occurs shall fill such vacancy
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0015|     by appointment.
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0016|          Such legislative appointments as provided in this section
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0017|     shall be for a term ending on December 31, subsequent to the
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0018|     next succeeding general election."
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0019|          Section 2.  The amendment proposed by this resolution
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0020|     shall be submitted to the people for their approval or
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0021|     rejection at the next general election or at any special
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0022|     election prior to that date which may be called for that
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0023|     purpose.
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0024|                              
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