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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Campos
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/6/08
HB
SHORT TITLE
Senator Pete Domenici, in Recognition
SJM 46
ANALYST Shaya
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Joint Memorial 46 honors Senator Pete Domenici for his many years of great service to
the people of New Mexico; and that Senator Domenici is forever welcome at the New Mexico
Legislature.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
No Fiscal Impact.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
•
Senator Pete Domenici was born on May 7, 1932 in Albuquerque, the only son of five
children born to Italian immigrants; and
•
Senator Domenici graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1950 and received his law
degree from the University of Denver in 1958; and
•
he married Nancy Burk in 1958, with whom he has eight children and many loving
grandchildren; and
•
Senator Domenici was elected to the United States Senate in 1972, becoming the first
Republican elected to the Senate from New Mexico in thirty-eight years; and
•
Senator Domenici is the longest-serving United States senator in New Mexico history and
upon his retirement from the Senate in 2008, he will become the first senator in New
Mexico history to serve six full terms; and
•
He is a ranking member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources, and a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate
Budget Committee, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Senate Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and
•
Senator Domenici sponsored the Energy Policy Act of 2005, a landmark bill that
diversifies America's energy supply, and bipartisan legislation such as the Balanced
Budget Act of 1997, and he is credited with developing many of the rules currently used
by the Senate; and
pg_0002
Senate Joint Memorial 46 – Page
2
•
Senator Domenici was known for his ability to negotiate on both sides of the aisle and to
fight for issues important to New Mexico; and
•
He sponsored a resolution designating one week a year as "National Character Counts
Week" as a way for schools and after-school programs to develop strong character in
students; and
•
He is an advocate for individuals with mental health conditions, sponsoring the Mental
Health Parity Act of 1996, and spending two years negotiating with lawmakers and
insurance companies to ensure fair insurance coverage under the Mental Health Parity
Act of 2007; and
•
He has proven to be a pillar of strength for the economy of the state of New Mexico by
fighting for Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories and for military installations
and by bringing new businesses and jobs to the state; and
•
Senator Domenici will be remembered as a fighter for New Mexico, an advocate for
negotiation and a constant source of stability in the world of politics; and
•
The retirement of Senator Pete Domenici marks the loss of a great senator who fought
tirelessly for both New Mexico and the nation; and
•
His representation in the Senate will be sorely missed by all New Mexicans;
RS/bb