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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Vaughn

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-9-06

HB 232

SHORT TITLE State Cowboy Song

SB

ANALYST Baca

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

None

(See Narrative)

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

HOUSE Bill 232 declares a song written by Calvin Boles and R.D. Blankenship and entitled

"New Mexico" to be the official state cowboy song subject to the state's acquisition of ownership

and copyright of the song.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

HB 232 contains no appropriation. Costs to obtain copyrights to the song are unknown and the

dollar range of $0.0 to $50,000 may represent the amount needed to purchase rights to the song

is the best guess. Expenses incurred to obtain rights to the song will be non-recurring and are

expected to come from the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

If the song is adopted as the official New Mexico “Cowboy Song”, it will join some of the other

symbols used to represent the state, among which are the following:

the state seal

other state songs:

“O, FAIR NEW MEXICO” by Elizabeth Garrett

“ASI ES NUEVO MEJICO” by Amadeo Lucero

House Bill 232 – Page

2

“LAND OF ENCHANTMENT,” state ballad, by Michael Martin Murphy and others

“NEW MEXICO – MI LINDO NUEVO MEJICO” by Pablo Mares

‘TO NEW MEXICO” – “A NUEVO MEJICO”, state poem written by Luis Tafoya

Yucca, the state flower

Pinon, the state tree

Blue Grama, the state grass

Chaparral (roadrunner), the state bird

Black Bear, the state animal

Chile and Beans, the state vegetables

Turquoise, the state gem

Biscochito, the state cookie

State slogan: “EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY IN NEW MEXICO”

There are other state symbols not listed here, but all states adopt elements that are common to the

area and which are used to represent the state and the pride citizens have in their social and

physical environment

TECHNICAL ISSUES

Even if adopted by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, rights to the song must still be

purchased before it can be claimed as the official state “Cowboy Song”.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

The state will not have an official “Cowboy song”.

LRB/nt