October 3, 2001

 

SENATE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Honorable Richard Romero and

Members of the Senate

Executive-Legislative Building

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503

 

Honorable President and Members of the Senate:

 

I have this day VETOED and am returning SENATE BILL 34, as amended, enacted by the Forty-Fifth Legislature, First Special Session, 2001.

 

I had hoped that my previous veto of the proposed Senate redistricting plan would have provided sufficient guidance to the Legislature to craft an acceptable redrawing of Senate district boundaries.  Yet once again, this plan fails to honor and protect the interests of the people of New Mexico, and would leave the overwhelming majority of voters disenchanted and disgusted with the redistricting process.

 

None of the suggestions I provided in my previous message were honored in this plan.  For example, although this bill increases the voting-age Native American population of District 2, it is not enough of an increase to provide for the likely election of a Native American senator.  More importantly, the plan still fails to create a second Native American district with a Native American voting-age population of 65 percent or greater.  In fact, it takes the existing District 4 from above the 65 percent mark and drags it below this percentage.  Likewise, this plan makes no effort to raise District 22 above 65 percent, a certainly feasible and worthwhile change.  

 

I am thoroughly disappointed that the Legislature was unable to employ my previous message to pass a fair and competitive plan that protects all of New Mexico’s diverse communities.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless man-hours were wasted in a process that forgot

 

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Senate Bill 34

 

 

 

the voter and remembered only partisanship and egotistical bickering.  The people of New Mexico deserve better.  A plan fair for all citizens of New Mexico - Native American, Hispanic, Anglo, Republican, Democrat or third party - is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,         

 

 

 

          Gary E. Johnson         

Governor         

 

RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:

 

Time: _____________________                By:_____________________________

                                                                     Secretary of State

Date ______________________             

 

Time:______________________

 

Date_______________________               By:_____________________________

                                                                     Chief Clerk of the Senate

                                                                             Sem5sb34v