46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 4, SECTION 3 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO "MINIMIZE" THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; CREATING A "LEVEL PLAYING FIELD"; SETTLING THE SCORE; WINNING ONE FOR THE GIPPER; SEEKING THE ADVANTAGE AND BINDING FUTURE LEGISLATURES.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 4, Section 3 of the constitution of New Mexico to read:

"A. Senators shall not be less than twenty-five years of age and representatives not less than [twenty-one] fifty-five years of age at the time of their election, except that current members of the house of representatives who are between the ages of fifty and fifty-five who are afflicted with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, dementia or any combination of the three afflictions may serve out the remainder of their terms and are strongly encouraged to run for reelection.

B. Representatives elected after the voters' approval of this amendment shall range in height from three feet six inches to a maximum of four feet ten inches, with no more than fifteen representatives measuring four feet six inches or taller at any time; provided that the height of a representative shall be factually determined by a member of the senate from the opposite party affiliation as that of the representative being measured; and provided further that the member of the senate shall use the scientifically recognized "eyeball" approach to measurement, and shall include in the final measurement any height attributable to the representative's hair or hat as applicable. Additionally, representatives elected after the voters' approval of this amendment shall have an arm span measuring no wider than fifty-two inches and shall have a hand size fitting comfortably in a size small man's glove made of a non-stretch material and containing closed finger tips. (If it doesn't fit, we must resist!) The arm span and hand size of a representative shall be factually determined by the same member of the senate who factually determines the representative's height. The members of the house of representatives shall be measured and their ages assessed annually prior to the house versus senate basketball game.

C. If any senator or representative permanently removes his residence from or maintains no residence in the district from which he was elected, then he shall be deemed to have resigned and his successor shall be selected as provided in Section 4 of this article. If any representative permanently removes his residence from or maintains no residence in the district from which he is elected, then he shall be deemed to have resigned in disgrace and, consequently, his successor shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate and shall be much shorter, older and "slower" than the disgraced representative was. No person shall be eligible to serve in the house of representatives who is taking or is suspected of taking human growth hormones, ginseng or gingko biloba, and no person shall serve in the legislature who, at the time of qualifying, holds any office of trust or profit with the state, county or national governments, except notaries public and officers of the militia who receive no salary.

[B.] D. The senate shall be composed of no more than forty-two members elected from single-member districts.

[C.] E. The house of representatives shall be composed of no more than seventy members, give or take a few, elected from single-member districts.

[D.] F. Once following publication of the official report of each federal decennial census hereafter conducted, the legislature may by statute reapportion its membership."

Section 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval [or rejection] at the next general election or at any special election or organized senate versus house basketball game prior to that date that may be called for that purpose.