HOUSE MEMORIAL 65

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Joseph Cervantes

A MEMORIAL

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TO REPRESENTATIVE AL PARK FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, Representative Al Park was first elected to the New Mexico house of representatives in 2000 from his diverse uptown Albuquerque district 26 at the tender age of thirty, making him the youngest member of the state legislature; and

     WHEREAS, early on, in 2003, the "baby-faced" legislator, as he was dubbed by local media, was recognized by the national democratic leadership council as the only New Mexican on its list of "100 New Democrats to Watch: The Next Generation of Leadership"; and

     WHEREAS, Representative Park's mantra, "equal opportunity for all, special privileges for none, so all New Mexicans can succeed", has characterized his decade-long career in the legislature; and

     WHEREAS, Representative Park has been a vocal supporter of ethics reform and limitations on campaign contributions and has maintained that "government is not about $10,000 in cash in a brown paper bag"; and

     WHEREAS, as a proponent of consumer protection, Representative Park has sponsored "lemon laws" that protect car-buying consumers and sellers; and

     WHEREAS, his commitment to health care reform is evidenced by his sponsorship of an organ donation act in 2002 that continues to serve as a national model; and

     WHEREAS, his 2007 sponsorship of the Dee Johnson Clean Indoor Air Act continues to protect New Mexicans from the danger of secondhand smoke in public places; and

     WHEREAS, he has long advocated increasing the number of instructional days in the school year and limiting the size of classes; and

     WHEREAS, in terms of legislative leadership, Representative Park has served as house parliamentarian, chair of the house judiciary committee and vice chair of the house consumer and public affairs committee; and

     WHEREAS, he has also served as co-chair of the interim courts, corrections and justice committee and has been a member of such other interim committees as the Children's Code revision committee, the government restructuring task force, the legislative finance committee, the economic and rural development and telecommunications committee and the regulatory process subcommittee; and

     WHEREAS, Representative Park was born in the Panama Canal Zone to a mother of Venezuelan descent and an Anglo corporate attorney father; and

     WHEREAS, he is a graduate of Purdue university and the George Washington University school of law in the District of Columbia; and

     WHEREAS, his career as an attorney reflects his legislative commitment to ethics, education and health care reform; and

     WHEREAS, he is married to Bernalillo native Jessica Peréz, an attorney who was the 2011 president of the state bar of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, they have a preschool daughter, Ella, and a brand new baby girl, Emery; and

     WHEREAS, Representative Park, with the benefit of his public service and the support of his family and friends, soon begins a campaign for a seat on the public regulation commission;  

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the gratitude of the New Mexico legislature, the people of district 26 and the people of New Mexico be expressed to Representative Al Park for his dedicated service to the people of the state; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that he be wished the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

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