HOUSE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. 51
The Honorable Ben Lujan and
Members of the House of Representatives
Honorable Speaker and Members of the House:
I have SIGNED HOUSE BILL 997, as amended, enacted by
the Forty-Fifth Legislature,
First Session 2001, but pursuant to Article IV
Section 22 of the New Mexico Constitution, I have vetoed the following item or
items, part or parts:
On page 1, I have vetoed all of lines 20 through 25.
On page 2, I have vetoed line 1.
On page 3, I have vetoed all of lines 10 through 19.
On page 4, I have vetoed all of lines 2 through 16.
On page 4, I have vetoed all of lines 21 through 25.
On page 5, I have vetoed all of lines 1 through 15.
On page 5, I have vetoed all of lines 19 through 23.
On page 6, I have vetoed on line 2, the semicolon
and the word “and.”
On page 6, I have vetoed all of lines 3 through 9.
On pages 6 through 8, I have vetoed all of Section
4.
As previously stated on numerous occasions, my
administration consistently communicated to the legislature the essential
parameters of the financial plans for the State of
To abide by those parameters, I have had to make the
aforementioned vetoes. Funding for new
programs or expansions of Medicaid are not affordable
at this point in time. The legislature
chose to spend almost half of all of the new spending on pay raises and that is
their priority. Placing over $150
million in recurring spending for recurring pay raises does not allow for
expansion of Medicaid. We had a
difficult time convincing the legislature to help us fund the existing program.
While there were some good ideas for programs in
this and in other separate funding bills, the legislature made its choices on
pay raises leaving me the task of balancing the budget.
Sincerely,
Gary E. Johnson
Governor
RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE
GOVERNOR:
Time: _____________________ By:_________________________
Secretary of State
Date: ______________________
Time:______________________
By:__________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Date:______________________ hem51hb997pv