0001|                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 16
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0002|     42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND
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0003|     SESSION, 1996
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0004|                         INTRODUCED BY
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0005|                     ELIZABETH T. STEFANICS
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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|     
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0011|                        A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0012|     REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION TO
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0013|     INVESTIGATE AND PREPARE A REPORT ON METHODS OF RURAL ELECTRIC
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0014|     COOPERATIVE MEMBERSHIP VOTING AND PARTICIPATION.
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0015|     
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0016|       WHEREAS, rural electric cooperatives provide electric
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0017|     service throughout the state to rural residents and small
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0018|     business and industrial customers; and
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0019|       WHEREAS, the New Mexico public utility commission has
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0020|     supervisory and other regulatory authority over the rural
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0021|     electric cooperatives doing business in this state; and
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0022|       WHEREAS, the consumers of rural electric cooperatives are
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0023|     member-owners of the cooperative providing electric service to
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0024|     themselves; and
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0025|       WHEREAS, rural electric cooperatives are identified as
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0001|     being electric service providers that are representative of 
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0002|     
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0003|     their consumer-members by the election of each cooperative's
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0004|     board of trustees from and by the cooperative's membership; and
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0005|       WHEREAS, impartial, fair and representative methods of
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0006|     voting and participation are necessary in the rural electric
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0007|     cooperative program and operation, particularly in the election
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0008|     of trustees and in the adoption of governing bylaws; and
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0009|       WHEREAS, the rural electric cooperatives are utilizing
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0010|     various methods of voting and participation by consumers
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0011|     throughout the state, some of which may not be fair, considering
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0012|     the practicalities of voting and participation by the consumers
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0013|     of each individual rural electric cooperative;
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0014|       NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0015|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico public utility
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0016|     commission be requested to investigate the governing statutes,
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0017|     bylaws and practices of the state's rural electric cooperatives
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0018|     and identify the most fair, representative and practical methods
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0019|     of voting and participation in the election of trustees and the
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0020|     adoption of bylaws by the member-consumers of the state's rural
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0021|     electric cooperatives; and
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0022|       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico public utility
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0023|     commission prepare a report on its investigation and
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0024|     recommendations and submit the report by December 1, 1996 to the
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0025|     appropriate interim legislative committee; and
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0001|       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be sent
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0002|     to the New Mexico public utility commission.
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0003|                              
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