0001| A JOINT RESOLUTION | 0002| REVISING THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROCESS BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL | 0003| METHODS FOR VOTERS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION AND DIRECTING THE SECRETARY | 0004| OF STATE TO INFORM VOTERS ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS. | 0005| | 0006| BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0007| Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 19, Section 1 of the | 0008| constitution of New Mexico to read: | 0009| "An amendment or amendments to this constitution may be proposed | 0010| in either house of the legislature at a regular session; and if a | 0011| majority of all members elected to each of the two houses voting | 0012| separately votes in favor thereof, the proposed amendment or amendments | 0013| shall be entered on their respective journals with the yeas and nays | 0014| thereon. | 0015| An amendment or amendments may also be proposed by an independent | 0016| commission established by law for that purpose, and the amendment or | 0017| amendments shall be submitted to the legislature for its review in | 0018| accordance with the provisions of this section. | 0019| The secretary of state shall cause any such amendment or | 0020| amendments to be published in at least one newspaper in every county of | 0021| the state, where a newspaper is published once each week, for four | 0022| consecutive weeks, in English and Spanish when newspapers in both of | 0023| said languages are published in such counties, the last publication to | 0024| be not more than two weeks prior to the election at which time said | 0025| amendment or amendments shall be submitted to the electors of the state | 0001| for their approval or rejection; and shall further provide notice of | 0002| the content and purpose of legislatively approved constitutional | 0003| amendments in both English and Spanish to inform electors about the | 0004| amendments in the time and manner provided by law. The secretary of | 0005| state shall also make reasonable efforts to provide notice of the | 0006| content and purpose of legislatively approved constitutional amendments | 0007| in indigenous languages and to minority language groups to inform | 0008| electors about the amendments. Amendments approved by the legislature | 0009| shall be voted upon at the next regular election held after the | 0010| adjournment of that legislature or at a special election to be held not | 0011| less than six months after the adjournment of that legislature, at such | 0012| time and in such manner as the legislature may by law provide. An | 0013| amendment that is ratified by a majority of the electors voting on the | 0014| amendment shall become part of this constitution. | 0015| If two or more amendments are initiated by the legislature, they | 0016| shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote on each of them | 0017| separately. Amendments initiated by an independent commission created | 0018| by law for that purpose may be submitted to the legislature separately | 0019| or as a single ballot question , and any such commission-initiated | 0020| amendments that are not substantially altered by the legislature may be | 0021| submitted to the electors in the separate or single ballot question form | 0022| recommended by the commission. No amendment shall restrict the rights | 0023| created by Sections One and Three of Article VII hereof, on elective | 0024| franchise, and Sections Eight and Ten of Article XII hereof, on | 0025| education, unless it be proposed by vote of three-fourths of the members | 0001| elected to each house and be ratified by a vote of the people of this | 0002| state in an election at which at least three-fourths of the electors | 0003| voting on the amendment vote in favor of that amendment." | 0004| Section 2. It is proposed to amend Article 19, Section 2 of the | 0005| constitution of New Mexico to read: | 0006| "Whenever the legislature, by a two-thirds vote of the members | 0007| elected to each house, deems it necessary to call a convention to revise | 0008| or amend this constitution, they shall submit the question of calling | 0009| such convention to the electors at the next general election, and if a | 0010| majority of all the electors voting on such questions at said election | 0011| in the state votes in favor of calling a convention, the legislature | 0012| shall, at the next session, provide by law for calling the same. Such | 0013| convention shall consist of at least as many delegates as there are | 0014| members of the house of representatives. | 0015| Revisions or amendments proposed by a constitutional convention | 0016| shall be submitted to the voters of the state at an election held on a | 0017| date set by the convention. The revisions or amendments proposed by the | 0018| convention may be submitted in whole or in part, or with alternatives, | 0019| as determined by the convention. If a majority vote favors a proposal | 0020| or alternative, it is adopted and becomes effective thirty days after | 0021| the certification of the election returns unless otherwise provided by | 0022| the convention." | 0023| Section 3. It is proposed to amend Article 19 of the constitution | 0024| of New Mexico by repealing Section 5. | 0025| Section 4. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be | 0001| submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next | 0002| general election or at any special election prior to that date which may | 0003| be called for that purpose. |