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A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO MUSIC COMMISSION TO CREATE A

COMPETITION FOR COMPOSERS OF A STATE COWBOY SONG.

WHEREAS, a member of the house of representatives in the

year 2007 offered the state an opportunity to adopt an

official state cowboy song; and

WHEREAS, the state has a state song, a state ballad and

a state bilingual song; and

WHEREAS, a good deal of the controversy surrounding

adoption of an official state cowboy song arose because of

competition among composers who wanted to be known as the

composer of the state cowboy song; and

WHEREAS, the members may be able to agree on declaring

an official state cowboy song so long as the process for

selecting such a song is less arbitrary than by a vote of a

majority of the members of the legislature, whose tastes and

musical abilities may vary; and

WHEREAS, the governor has created a state music

commission;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico

music commission conduct a competition for a New Mexico cowboy

song; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the competition be open to

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any person born in New Mexico or who has lived in New Mexico

consecutively for the past twenty years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the competition accept

entries for at least six months prior to selection and that

the winner of the competition be announced at least a month

before the start of a legislative session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a jury selected by the New

Mexico music commission select the New Mexico cowboy song from

among the entries, based on a majority vote; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that entrants in the competition

agree to release to the state any rights to the song composed

for the competition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico music

commission present the New Mexico cowboy song to a future

legislative session for consideration as the official state

cowboy song;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be

transmitted to the New Mexico music commission, the governor

and each country-western radio station in the state.