Wikipedia

New Mexico Legislature

The New Mexico Legislature (Spanish: Legislatura de Nuevo México) is the legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico. It is a bicameral body made up of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate.

New Mexico Legislature

La Legislatura de Nuevo México
Type
Type
HousesSenate
House of Representatives
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)
Leadership
Howie Morales (D)
since January 1, 2019
Senate President pro tempore
Mimi Stewart (D)
since January 19, 2021
Javier Martínez (D)
since January 17, 2023
Structure
Seats112
Senate political groups
  •   Democratic (27)
  •   Republican (15)
House political groups
Length of term
Senate: 4 years
House: 2 years
Salary$0/year per diem
State Senators
42
State Representatives
70
Elections
First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post
Last Senate election
November 3, 2020 (2020-11-03)
Last House election
November 8, 2022 (2022-11-08)
Next Senate election
November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05)
Next House election
November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05)
RedistrictingLegislative control
Motto
Crescit eundo
Meeting place
New Mexico State Capitol
Santa Fe
Website
nmlegis.gov
Constitution
Constitution of New Mexico

History

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The New Mexico Legislature was established when New Mexico officially became a state and was admitted to the union in 1912. In 1922, Bertha M. Paxton became the first woman elected to the New Mexico Legislature, serving one term in the House of Representatives.[1]

Session structure and operations

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The Legislature meets every year, in regular session on the third Tuesday in January. The New Mexico Constitution limits the regular session to 60 calendar days, every other year it is 30 days.[2] The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, while the Speaker of the House is elected from that body in a closed-door majority-member caucus. Both have wide latitude in choosing committee membership in their respective houses and have a large impact on lawmaking in the state.

While only the Governor can call the Legislature into special sessions, the Legislature can call itself into an extraordinary session. There is no limit on the number of special sessions a governor can call. The New Mexico Constitution does not limit the duration of each special session; lawmakers may consider only those issues designated by the governor in the "call," or proclamation convening the special session (though other issues may be added by the Governor during a session).[3]

Any bill passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor takes effect 90 days after its passage unless two-thirds of each house votes to give the bill immediate effect, earlier effect (before 90 day period), or later effect (after 90 day period).

Compensation

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New Mexico does not pay its legislators a base salary. Legislators receive per diem of $191 per day for work at the capitol or committee hearings and mileage reimbursement at the federal rate of 67 cents per mile. They can receive a per diem outside of legislative session.[4]

Qualifications

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The state constitution requires representatives to be at least twenty-one years old and senators to be at least twenty-five, and members of both houses must live in the districts they represent.[5]

Districting

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The legislature consists of 70 representatives and 42 senators. Each member of the House represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico. Each member of the Senate represents roughly 43,300 residents. Currently the Democratic Party holds a majority in both of the chambers of New Mexico Legislature, and holds the Governor's office.[6]

Redistricting

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In 2021, Senate Bill 304 established the Citizen Redistricting Committee. The committee is to develop three redistricting plans to recommend to the Legislature for each of the following: U.S. House of Representatives, New Mexico House of Representatives, New Mexico Senate, and any other state offices requiring redistricting. As of the summer of 2021, the latter consisted of only the New Mexico Public Education Commission. The Legislature is still free to make its own redistricting plans.[7]

Term limits

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Currently, there are no term limits for legislators. The longest current member of the legislature has served since 1972.[citation needed] House members are elected every two years, while Senate members are elected every four years.[8]

Party summary

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State Senate

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  27 Democrats
  15 Republicans
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature 27 15 42 0
Jan 1, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015 25 17 42 0
Mar 14, 2015 - Apr 5, 2015 24 17 41 1
Apr 5, 2015 – Jan 17, 2017 24 18 42 0
Jan 17, 2017 – Jan 19, 2021 26 16 42 0
Jan 19, 2021 – present 27 15 42 0

House of Representatives

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  44 Democrats
  24 Republicans
  2 Independents
  1 vacancy
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Ind Republican Vacant
51st legislature 38 0 32 70 0
52nd legislature 33 0 37 70 0
53rd legislature 38 0 32 70 0
54th legislature 46 1 23 70 0
55th legislature 43 2 24 69 1
56th legislature 45 0 25 70 0

History

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See also: Timeline of New Mexico history
Session[9] Years House Senate Governor
Total Democrats Republicans Others Total Democrats Republicans Others
1st [Wikidata] 1912–1914 49 16 30 3 24 7 16 1 William W. McDonald
2nd [Wikidata] 1915-1916 49 14 33 2 24 7 16 1
3rd [Wikidata] 1917-1918 49 19 30 - 24 10 14 - Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
Washington E. Lindsey
4th [Wikidata] 1919-1920 49 15 34 - 24 9 15 - Octaviano Larrazolo
5th [Wikidata] 1921-1922 49 15 34 - 24 9 15 - Merritt C. Mechem
6th [Wikidata] 1923-1924 49 33 16 - 24 9 15 - James F. Hinkle
7th [Wikidata] 1925-1926 49 28 21 - 24 11 13 - Arthur T. Hannett
8th [Wikidata] 1927-1928 49 18 31 - 24 11 13 - Richard C. Dillon
9th [Wikidata] 1929-1930 49 12 37 - 24 6 18
10th [Wikidata] 1931-1932 49 28 21 - 24 8 16 - Arthur Seligman
11th [Wikidata] 1933-1934 49 41 8 - 24 20 4 -
42 7 - Andrew W. Hockenhull
12th [Wikidata] 1935-1936 49 38 12 - 24 18 6 - Clyde Tingley
13th [Wikidata] 1937-1938 49 47 2 - 24 23 1 -
14th [Wikidata] 1939-1940 49 42 7 - 24 23 1 - John E. Miles
15th [Wikidata] 1941-1942 49 40 9 - 24 21 3 -
16th [Wikidata] 1943-1944 49 33 16 - 24 21 3 - John J. Dempsey
17th [Wikidata] 1945-1946 49 30 19 - 24 18 6 -
18th [Wikidata] 1947-1948 49 30 19 - 24 18 6 - Thomas J. Mabry
19th [Wikidata] 1949-1950 49 36 13 - 24 19 5 -
Session Years House Senate Governor
Total Democrats Republicans Others Total Democrats Republicans Others
20th [Wikidata] 1951-1952 55 46 9 - 24 18 6 - Edwin L. Mechem
21st [Wikidata] 1953-1954 55 27 28 - 31 22 9 -
22nd [Wikidata] 1955-1956 55 51 4 - 32 23 9 - John F. Simms
23rd [Wikidata] 1957-1958 66 43 23 - 32 24 8 - Edwin L. Mechem
24th [Wikidata] 1959-1960 66 60 6 - 32 24 8 - John Burroughs
25th [Wikidata] 1961-1962 66 59 7 - 32 28 4 - Edwin L. Mechem
Tom Bolack
26th [Wikidata] 1963-1964 66 55 11 - 32 28 4 - Jack M. Campbell
27th [Wikidata] 1965-1966 77 59 18 - 32 28 4 -
28th [Wikidata] 1967-1968 70 45 25 - 42 25 17 - David F. Cargo
29th [Wikidata] 1969-1970 70 44 26 - 42 25 17 -
30th [Wikidata] 1971-1972 70 48 22 - 42 28 14 - Bruce King
31st [Wikidata] 1973-1974 70 51 19 - 42 30 12 -
50 20 -
32nd [Wikidata] 1975-1976 70 51 19 - 42 29 13 - Jerry Apodaca
30 12 -
33rd [Wikidata] 1977-1978 70 48 22 - 42 33 9 -
34th [Wikidata] 1979-1980 70 41 29[a] - 42 33 9 - Bruce King
32 10 -
35th [Wikidata] 1981-1982 70 41 29[b] - 42 22 20 -
23 19 -
36th [Wikidata] 1983-1984 70 46 24 - 42 23 19 - Toney Anaya
47 23 -
37th [Wikidata] 1985-1986 70 43 27[c] - 42 21 21[d] -
20 22 -
42 20[e] 22
38th [Wikidata] 1987-1988 70 47 23 - 42 21[f] 21 - Garrey Carruthers
46 24 - 42 21 21[g]
39th [Wikidata] 1989-1990 70 45 25 - 42 26 16 -
25 17 -
Session Years House Senate Governor
Total Democrats Republicans Others Total Democrats Republicans Others
40th [Wikidata] 1991-1992 70 49 21 - 42 26 16 - Bruce King
41st [Wikidata] 1993-1994 70 53 17 - 42 27 15 -
42nd [Wikidata] 1995-1996 70 46 24 - 42 27 15 - Gary Johnson
43rd [Wikidata] 1997-1998 70 42 28 - 42 25 17 -
44th [Wikidata] 1999-2000 70 40 30 - 42 25 17 -
45th [Wikidata] 2001-2002 70 42 28 - 42 24 18[h] -
46th [Wikidata] 2003-2004 70 43 27 - 42 24 18 - Bill Richardson
47th [Wikidata] 2005-2006 70 42 28 - 42 24 18 -
48th [Wikidata] 2007-2008 70 42 28 - 42 24 18 -
49th [Wikidata] 2009-2010 70 45 25 - 42 27 15[i] -
50th [Wikidata] 2011-2012 70 36 33 1 42 27 15[i] - Susana Martinez
51st [Wikidata] 2013-2014 70 38 32 - 42 25 17 -
52nd [Wikidata] 2015-2016 70 33 37 - 42 24 18 -
53rd [Wikidata] 2017-2018 70 38 32 - 42 26 16 -
54th [Wikidata] 2019-2020 70 46 24 - 42 26 16 - Michelle Lujan Grisham
55th [Wikidata] 2021-2022 70 44 24 2 42 27 15 -
Session Years Total Democrats Republicans Others Total Democrats Republicans Others Governor
House Senate

Notes

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  1. ^ Coalition of 11 Democrats and 29 Republicans controlled the House Majority
  2. ^ Coalition of 10 Democrats and 27 Republicans controlled the House Majority
  3. ^ Coalition of 10 Democrats and 26 Republicans controlled the House Majority
  4. ^ Coalition of 4 Democrats and 21 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority until one of the Democrats switched parties in late 1985, giving the Republicans outright control
  5. ^ Coalition of 4 Republicans and 19 Democrats controlled the Senate Majority in the 37th Session's special legislative session in September 1986.
  6. ^ Coalition of 3 Republicans and 21 Democrats controlled the Senate Majority
  7. ^ Coalition of 5 Democrats and 18 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority beginning in January 1988
  8. ^ Coalition of 3 Democrats and 18 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority
  9. ^ a b Coalition of 8 Democrats and 15 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority

References

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  1. ^ Eisenstadt, Pauline; Belshaw, Jim (2012). A Woman in Both Houses: My Career in New Mexico Politics. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 9780826350244.
  2. ^ "SESSION DATES" (PDF). New Mexico Legislature. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  3. ^ "New Mexico Statutes". Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  4. ^ "2024 Legislator Compensation". ncsl.org.
  5. ^ "Constitution (AS ADOPTED JANUARY 21, 1911, AND AS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED BY THE PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS 1911 THROUGH 2021" (PDF). Api.realfile.rtsclients.com. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  6. ^ "Political Composition". Nmlegia.gov.
  7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS AND FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME LEGISLATURES" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "New Mexico Legislature political composition: legislative sessions" (PDF), Legislative Handbook, New Mexico Legislature, retrieved August 3, 2024 – via nmlegis.gov
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