October 3, 2001

 

HOUSE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Honorable Ben Lujan and

Members of the House of Representatives

Executive-Legislative Building

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503

 

Honorable Speaker and Members of the House:

 

I have this day VETOED and am returning HOUSE VOTERS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL 10, enacted by the Forty-Fifth Legislature, First  Special Session, 2001.

 

As I have repeatedly stated throughout this redistricting process, the citizens of New Mexico deserve redistricting plans that provide for fairness and electoral competition.  This plan, which proposes to redraw the State Board of Education districts, is neither fair nor competitive.

 

This plan was designed to create at least seven safe Democrat seats.  I understand that there were other Board of Education plans presented to the interim committee and to the Legislature that provided for more political competition.  As with the other redistricting plans I have vetoed, this partisan power grabbing will not be permitted to override concern for the voters of this state. 

 

Moreover, this plan fails to address Native American concerns.  Specifically, this plan creates only one Native American district, District 5, containing a population of 52.28 percent voting-age Native Americans.   As with other plans, Native Americans have little chance of electing a representative of their choice unless a district contains at least 65 percent Native American voting-age population.

 

 

 

 

Page 2

HOUSE VOTERS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL 10

 

 

 

Once again, I am forced to veto a redistricting bill that places politics before people, that hinders real choice at the voting booth, and that evidences a wasted special session and hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayers’ money.

 

 

Sincerely,         

 

 

          Gary E. Johnson         

Governor         

 

 

 

RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:

 

Time: _____________________                By:_____________________________

                                                                     Secretary of State

Date ______________________             

 

 

Time:______________________

 

Date_______________________               By:_____________________________

                                                                     Chief Clerk of the House     

                                                                                   hem4hb10