SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. López and Shannon D. Pinto

and Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Harold Pope

A JOINT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING TO AMEND ARTICLE 4, SECTION 5 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO BY CHANGING THE LENGTH OF LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS TO SIXTY DAYS, REMOVING THE RESTRICTIONS ON BILLS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF VETO OVERRIDES FOR BILLS OF A REGULAR, A SPECIAL OR AN EXTRAORDINARY LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITHIN THE SAME LEGISLATIVE BIENNIUM.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. It is proposed to amend Article 4, Section 5 of the constitution of New Mexico to read:

          "A.  Each regular session of the legislature shall begin annually at 12:00 noon on the third Tuesday of January. Every regular session of the legislature [convening during an odd-numbered year] shall remain in session not to exceed sixty days [and every regular session of the legislature convening during an even-numbered year shall remain in session not to exceed thirty days]. No special session of the legislature shall exceed thirty days.

          B. Every regular session of the legislature [convening during an even-numbered year shall consider only the following:

                (1) budgets, appropriations and revenue bills;

                (2) bills drawn pursuant to special messages of the governor; and

                (3)] may consider for veto override bills of [the last previous] a regular, [session vetoed by the governor] a special or an extraordinary session within the same legislative biennium."

     SECTION 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution

shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special

election prior to that date that may be called for that

purpose.

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