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| SPONSOR: | Knauer | DATE TYPED: | 02/28/01 | HB | HJM 54 | ||
| SHORT TITLE: | Long-Range Study of Election Reform | SB | |||||
| ANALYST: | Woodlee | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| NFI | NFI | NFI | NFI | NFI | NFI |
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of African-American Affairs
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission
No Response
Secretary of State
Office of Indian Affairs
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Joint Memorial 54 proposes to commit the New Mexico State Legislature to the long-range study of election reform and to encourage local governments to place more emphasis on elections administration.
Significant Issues
The joint memorial points out that the limited problems of New Mexico's 2000 general election are being resolved and that the election ran successfully due to the hard work of the thirty-three county clerks. In addition, the memorial states that the problems in Florida should serve as an example of what not to do in an election.
The memorial indicates that the New Mexico Legislature is committed to the strict enforcement and extension of the federal Voting Rights Act and that events in Florida, Tennessee and other states demonstrated that intimidation and disenfranchisement of communities of color still persists. According to the joint memorial, this type of harassment or disenfranchisement will not be tolerated in this state. A copy of the joint memorial is to be forwarded to the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the All Indian Pueblo Council, and the New Mexico Voter Services Coalition.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and the Office of African-American Affairs indicates that this memorial is an excellent example to all New Mexicans that the Legislature is concerned about the irregularities that received attention across the country during the 2000 general election.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
There is no appropriation or significant fiscal implication associated with this joint memorial.
MW/njw:ar