NOTE: As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used in any other situation.

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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB 408 and HB 101

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Commission on Public Records

Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA)

Tourism Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HFL#1 Amendment

The House Floor amendment removes the original bill's recognition of "The Land of Enchantment" as the official state nickname, leaving within the bill the recognition of an official state "cuarto centenario chronology."

Synopsis of HCPAC Amendment

The House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee amendment simply removes the term "state history book" and replaces it with "cuarto centenario chronology." This amendment addresses the concerns over the idea of an official state history book, if Mr. Salaz Marquez's work is, in fact, a chronology.

Synopsis of Original Bill

The bill seeks to officially adopt "Land of Enchantment" as the state nickname and "New Mexico: A Brief Multi-History" by Ruben Salaz Marquez as the official state history book.

Significant Issues

There is little controversy amending the current statute (12-3-4 NMSA) to include the "Land of Enchantment" as the official nickname. According to the Office of Cultural Affairs(OCA), in 1935 the State Tourism Director produced a promotional pamphlet called "Two Weeks in New Mexico: Land of Enchantment." The new slogan caught on fast, with the State Highway Department and New Mexico Magazine also embracing the nickname. In 1941, "Land of Enchantment" was emblazoned for the first time on automobile license plates. In 1947, after more than ten years of unofficial use of the slogan, "Land of Enchantment" became the official trademark of New Mexico's tourism promotion efforts. Currently, there is no official nickname for the state.

Much of the debate over this bill comes from adopting Mr. Salaz Marquez's history book, "New Mexico: A Brief Multi-History." According to the OCA, it may be inappropriate to adopt or designate any author's work as the official history book, because such an action is limiting and ignores an enormous body of work by numerous other worthy New Mexico authors. The Commission on Public Records echoes this sentiment, suggesting that it would be difficult to select a single view as the official definitive history of New Mexico, since views change and events are re-interpreted.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no immediate fiscal implications to this bill, other than a minimal increase in the costs of adding a state nickname and state history book to the official publications that record such facts. Furthermore, according to the Department Of Tourism, presently they hold a trademark to the phrase "Land of Enchantment" as it appears on the logo and the phrase "Put Yourself in a State of Enchantment" as it appears in advertisements. The trademarks will not affect nor be affected by the adoption of the phrase as the official state nickname.

DUPLICATION AND COMPANIONSHIP

SB 408 is a duplicate bill. Also HB 101 reconciles multiple amendments on the state nickname and includes the hot air balloon as the official state aircraft.

AMENDMENTS

The Commission on Public Records would like the bill amended, with the deletion of page 1, line 24 and page 3, subsection N. These suggested amendments would completely remove any semblance of an official state history book.

RJM/sb:lrs:ar