SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 16

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Gay G. Kernan

A JOINT MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF INEZ BUSHNER GILL AND MARALYN BUDKE BY APPROVING THE PLACEMENT OF A NEW MEXICO HISTORIC WOMEN'S MARKER AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

     WHEREAS, Inez Bushner Gill and Maralyn Budke dedicated their professional careers to New Mexico state government and, ultimately, to the people of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, during nearly thirty years of state employment, Inez was a moving force in the modernization of state government, helping to develop many of the fiscal procedures now governing state taxation and revenue, school finance and public indebtedness and also helping the legislature better understand the financial needs of state government; and

     WHEREAS, her fiscal expertise influenced governors, legislators and journalists; and

     WHEREAS, Inez, recognizing the need to develop young people's interest in careers in government service, worked tirelessly to establish the first student intern program; and

     WHEREAS, when the legislative council service was founded in 1951, Mrs. Gill, one of the original four staffers, became the assistant director, and she wrote the first comprehensive index to revenue sources imposed by the state, authored legislative publications and drafted legislation, including the creation of the state records center and archives, the State Purchasing Act of 1967 and other important government, tax and finance legislation; and

     WHEREAS, while at the legislative council service, Inez Gill helped with the creation of the department of finance and administration and was the midwife of the legislative finance committee, serving as its first legislative fiscal analyst and principal staff for eight years before working to see that the committee was given staff separate from the legislative council service; and

     WHEREAS, as the key staff person for the legislative finance committee, Inez served as the boss and mentor of the equally legendary and incomparable Maralyn Budke, who began her career as an intern for Mrs. Gill; and  

     WHEREAS, Maralyn began her legislative career as an assistant fiscal analyst with the legislative finance committee when it was still under the legislative council service, and when it was created as a separate committee with its own staff, Inez stayed with the legislative council service while Maralyn moved to the position of executive secretary to the legislative finance committee until she was recruited by Governor David Cargo to work on his staff; and

     WHEREAS, Ms. Budke later rejoined the legislative finance committee staff as its director, serving in that position for fourteen years until her retirement in 1982, during which time she worked tirelessly to ensure each year's state budget was balanced and affordable, proving herself to be a brilliant strategist and consummate professional in implementing independent legislative fiscal oversight and committee processes that are still in place; and

     WHEREAS, after her initial retirement, Ms. Budke returned to state government as Governor Garrey Carruthers' chief of staff, receiving an initial salary of one dollar ($1.00) a year; and

     WHEREAS, during Maralyn's tenure with the legislative finance committee, the state's first motor pool was established, control of the state's hospitals was consolidated and the university of New Mexico school of medicine and the university hospital were created; and

     WHEREAS, Maralyn's last service to the state was serving as the chair of the higher education funding formula task force; and

     WHEREAS, Inez and Maralyn are considered to have been two of the most important and influential women ever to serve in New Mexico government, always displaying the highest principles and ethical standards; and

     WHEREAS, it is fitting that the contributions of these two women to the state and the residents of New Mexico be recognized by the placement of a New Mexico women's historic marker on the state capitol grounds, the funding of which will be raised through the New Mexico women's forum; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico legislative council policies require that the placement of such an historic marker be approved by a two-thirds' vote in each house upon the recommendation of the capitol recognition subcommittee; and

     WHEREAS, that subcommittee met in 2012 and approved the placement of the historic marker on the state capitol grounds, reserving the right to group the marker with similar tributes to others at a later date;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the historic marker recognizing Inez Bushner Gill and Maralyn Budke as New Mexico historic women be placed on the state capitol grounds;

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all efforts be made to hold the unveiling ceremony on March 8, 2013, which is "International Women's Day".

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