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| SPONSOR: | Vigil | DATE TYPED: | 02/03/00 | HB | 290/aHEC | ||
| SHORT TITLE: | Extend Date of Special Election | SB | |||||
| ANALYST: | Pacheco-Perez | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY00 | FY01 | FY00 | FY01 | ||
| NA | |||||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates SB148
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Commission on Higher Education (CHE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
This bill modifies the Technical-Vocational Institute Act to postpone any necessary special election until no later than July 1, 2001. Under current law, a special election must be held for any board with members not having been elected from single-member districts. Institutions governed by the Act are Albuquerque TVI, Mesa Technical College and Luna Vocational Technical Institute.
Significant Issues
According to the CHE, Luna Vocational Technical Institute's taxing district is comprised of several separate public school districts. Until 1998, the local school boards that participated in the Luna district each appointed an individual to serve on the Luna board. However, after a review by both the State Auditor's office and the Attorney General, it was determined that Luna must have a locally elected board. As a result, Luna held an election for five at-large board members from anywhere in the Luna district. Some of the participating public school districts became concerned that with all at-large positions, they would lose representation since the majority of the population is in Las Vegas, not in some of the smaller school districts. As a result, the Legislature amended the Act during the 1999 session to require single-member districts rather than at-large positions. Luna has already completed the districting process and will be required to hold another election to elect board members from these districts.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The impact of this bill is indeterminate, however should the bill pass, Luna will avoid the expense of two elections in two years.
DUPLICATION
This bill duplicates Senate Bill 148.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
According to the CHE, a benefit of implementation is reducing the cost to Luna of holding two elections over the next two year. If this bill is not enacted, the turnover in board membership could seriously jeopardize the stability of the institution.
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