October 3, 2001

HOUSE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. 3

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 FLOOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE VOTERS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL 3, as amended,

enacted by the Forty-Fifth Legislature, First Special Session, 2001.

Although the redistricting plan for the New Mexico House of Representatives addresses one of my concerns with the previous plan – the pairing of two Republican representatives on the East side of the state – it fails to address the vast majority of the issues I raised with regard to the House plan I vetoed on September 15, 2001.

This plan continues to break apart communities of interest recognized over two decades ago; District 58 and the farming communities from East Grand Plains to Cottonwood, between Roswell and Artesia, are split, attaching Cottonwood to a gerrymandered district which runs all the way to the outskirts of El Paso, Texas some 200 miles away.

As I expressed in my previous message, the pairing of Republican House members in Albuquerque is neither warranted by population changes nor the need for competition in the area’s legislative races. This plan continues to target Republicans in order to save Democrat seats.

Once again, this plan creates only two districts with 65 percent Native American voting-age population when as many as four are possible, and once again pays no attention to the need for an Indian seat in and around Gallup. Once again, House District 63 continues its unwarranted broken field run across the state. Finally, the plan once again goes out of its way to keep an Anglo island in Northern Santa Fe County for a favored incumbent.

Page 2

House Floor Substitute for House Voters and Elections Committee Substitute for House Bill 3, as amended

I had hoped that my previous veto message would provide more guidance to the Legislature with regard to what plans I would consider acceptable for the citizens of New Mexico. Instead, as with other plans that have reached my desk, I am disappointed that the Legislature could not find within itself the strength to put aside egos and partisanship to arrive at consensus redistricting plans that protect voters rather than politicians.

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

hem3hb3v