HOUSE MEMORIAL 2

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Matthew McQueen

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE STATE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO NAME THAT PORTION OF UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 285, FROM INTERSTATE 25 EXIT 290 TO THE TURNOFF FOR LAMY, AS THE "MAX COLL CORRIDOR".

     WHEREAS, Max Coll was one of Santa Fe's treasured characters for almost four decades, moving here from Roswell and completely changing himself from a crew-cut, conservative, Roswell republican to a curly-haired, bolo-tie-wearing, socially liberal, but still fiscally conservative, democrat; and

     WHEREAS, Max's interest in politics and government was born in the blood, as he was the grandson of Governor James F. Hinkle, nephew of Senator Clarence Hinkle and great-nephew of 1910 constitutional delegate John L. Hinkle; and

     WHEREAS, Max was first elected to the New Mexico house of representatives in 1966, representing a district in Roswell until 1974, when he resigned to go to law school at the university of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, in 1969, Max followed in his great-uncle's footsteps when he was elected as a delegate to New Mexico's last constitutional convention, chaired by former speaker of the house and future governor, Bruce King, where he served with several members who, like him, became well-known state leaders in the years following the convention; and

     WHEREAS, Max served as a state representative for thirty-two years, winning sixteen elections, though his years and terms were not consecutive, and he served Santa Fe's house district 47 for twenty-four of those years; and

     WHEREAS, many people were surprised that Max won election in Santa Fe as a republican in 1980 and were surprised once again when he won his same district as a democrat in 1984, soon after ensuring that his reapportioned district 47 leaned republican and after switching parties before the 1983 legislative session; and

     WHEREAS, Max Coll represented district 47 with intelligence, integrity and reason and a wicked sense of humor, and he served his district, his city and county of Santa Fe and his state as a statesman and a gentleman; and

     WHEREAS, in 2006, Max was declared one of Santa Fe's living treasures for his contributions as a legislator and a citizen of Santa Fe; and

     WHEREAS, the Santa Fe county commission has named the new community center in Eldorado the "Max Coll Corridor Community Center";

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state transportation commission be requested to name that portion of United States highway 285, from interstate 25 exit 290 to the turnoff for Lamy, as the "Max Coll corridor"; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the department of transportation, Santa Fe county and Max Coll's widow, Catherine Joyce-Coll.

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