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HOUSE MEMORIAL 70

LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Gloria C. Vaughn

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO ARTS COMMISSION TO CREATE A

COMPETITION FOR COMPOSERS OF A STATE COWBOY SONG.

WHEREAS, a member of the house of representatives in the

year 2007 offered the state an opportunity to adopt an official

state cowboy song; and

WHEREAS, the state has a state song, a state ballad and a

state bilingual song; and

WHEREAS, a good deal of the controversy surrounding

adoption of an official state cowboy song arose because of

competition among composers who wanted to be known as the

composer of the state cowboy song; and

WHEREAS, the members may be able to agree on declaring an

official state cowboy song so long as the process for selecting

such a song is less arbitrary than by a vote of a majority of

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the members of the legislature, whose tastes and musical

abilities may vary;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico

arts commission conduct a competition for a New Mexico cowboy

song; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the competition be open to any

person born in New Mexico or who has lived in New Mexico

consecutively for the past twenty years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the competition accept entries

for at least six months prior to selection and that the winner

of the competition be announced at least a month before the

start of a legislative session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a jury selected by the New

Mexico arts commission select the New Mexico cowboy song from

among the entries, based on a majority vote; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that entrants in the competition

agree to release to the state any rights to the song composed

for the competition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico arts commission

present the New Mexico cowboy song to a future legislative

session for consideration as the official state cowboy song;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be

transmitted to the New Mexico arts commission, the governor and

each country-western radio station in the state.