0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 85
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                             EDDIE CORLEY
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0005|     
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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|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     URGING ALL NEW MEXICO STATE AGENCIES AND POLITICAL
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0012|     SUBDIVISIONS TO RESPECT AND HONOR THE LATE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
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0013|     MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ON HIS NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life leading
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0016|     the people of this country away from hatred and racism; and
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0017|          WHEREAS, his memory is synonymous with honor, self-
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0018|     sacrifice, integrity, justice and the pursuit of the American
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0019|     dream; and
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0020|          WHEREAS, in 1983, the Martin Luther King, Jr. national
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0021|     holiday was declared by congress and supported by President
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0022|     Ronald Reagan, thereby acknowledging this American Ghandi for
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0023|     his leadership and excellent example in seeking equality of
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0024|     opportunity for all persons; and
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0025|          WHEREAS, in Laws 1987, Chapter 309, the New Mexico
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0001|     legislature declared the third Monday in January as an
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0002|     official state holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. to
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0003|     remind us that the struggle for freedom and equality is never-
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0004|     ending; and
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0005|          WHEREAS, in Laws 1991, Chapter 252, the New Mexico
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0006|     legislature again recognized the importance of continuing the
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0007|     work of this dedicated leader by establishing the state Martin
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0008|     Luther King, Jr. commission, now officed in Albuquerque; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, the city of Albuquerque, in 1995, renamed a main 
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0010|     downtown thoroughfare, the old Grand avenue, as Martin Luther
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0011|     King, Jr. boulevard; and
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0012|          WHEREAS, a recent survey clearly indicates that
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0013|     approximately half the state's eighty-nine school districts,
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0014|     nine of our seventeen public institutions of higher education
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0015|     and some of our county governments do not observe Martin
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0016|     Luther King, Jr. day to remind us that unity and understanding
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0017|     serve our country and our state better than hatred and racism;
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0018|     and
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0019|          WHEREAS, president Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday
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0020|     and Service Act of 1994, expanding the mission of the federal
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0021|     Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday commission to include
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0022|     promotion of this important holiday to encourage its
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0023|     observation by community service, interracial cooperation and
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0024|     youth anti-violence initiatives;
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0025|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0001|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that every school district and political
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0002|     subdivision in New Mexico be requested to reevaluate its
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0003|     responsibility to observe and celebrate all national and state
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0004|     holidays, especially Martin Luther King, Jr. day on the third
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0005|     Monday of every January; and
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0006|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this joint memorial
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0007|     be sent to the Martin Luther King, Jr. state commission for
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0008|     appropriate distribution.
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0009|                              
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