New Mexico Legislature
The State Legislature of New Mexico | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Houses |
Senate House of Representatives |
Leadership | |
Leader of the Senate | |
Leader of the House | |
Structure | |
Seats | 112 |
Political groups |
Democratic Party Republican Party |
Elections | |
Last election | November 2014 |
Next election | November 2016 |
Meeting place | |
State Capitol, Santa Fe | |
Website | |
http://nmlegis.gov/ |
The New Mexico Legislature 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.
History
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
The Legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year. 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.
Only the Governor may call the Legislature into special sessions, unlike other states where the legislature may call itself into session. The Governor may call as many sessions as he or she wishes. The New Mexico Constitution does not limit the duration of each special session; lawmakers may consider only those issues designated by the Governor in his or her "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 takes effect 90 days after its passage unless two-thirds of each house votes to give the bill either immediate effect or earlier effect. The Legislature, of course, may provide for an effective date that is after the 90th day.
Districting
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 New Mexico Legislature has split majorities. The Democratic Party holds a majority in the Senate, while the Republican Party holds the majority in the House. The Republican Party also holds the Governor's office.
Redistricting
A legislative committee is assigned by the governor to meet every 10 years based on the outcome of the US Census to redistrict the boundaries of districts for the state legislature, and congressional districts.[4]
Term limits
Currently, there are no term limits for legislators. The longest current member of the legislature has served since the 1970s. House members are elected every 2 years, while Senate members are elected every 4 years.[5]
Party summary
State Senate
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 – Present | 24 | 18 | 42 | 0 |
House of Representatives
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ind | Republican | Vacant | ||
End of previous legislature | 38 | 0 | 32 | 70 | 0 |
Begin | 33 | 0 | 37 | 70 | 0 |
History
Session | Years | House | Senate | Governor | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | ||||||
1st | 1912–1914 | 49 | 16 | 30 | 3 | 24 | 7 | 16 | 1 | William W. McDonald | |||
2nd | 1915-1916 | 49 | 14 | 33 | 2 | 24 | 7 | 16 | 1 | ||||
3rd | 1917-1918 | 49 | 19 | 30 | - | 24 | 10 | 14 | - | Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca | |||
Washington E. Lindsey | |||||||||||||
4th | 1919-1920 | 49 | 15 | 34 | - | 24 | 9 | 15 | - | Octaviano Larrazolo | |||
5th | 1921-1922 | 49 | 15 | 34 | - | 24 | 9 | 15 | - | Merritt C. Mechem | |||
6th | 1923-1924 | 49 | 33 | 16 | - | 24 | 9 | 15 | - | James F. Hinkle | |||
7th | 1925-1926 | 49 | 28 | 21 | - | 24 | 11 | 13 | - | Arthur T. Hannett | |||
8th | 1927-1928 | 49 | 18 | 31 | - | 24 | 11 | 13 | - | Richard C. Dillon | |||
9th | 1929-1930 | 49 | 12 | 37 | - | 24 | 6 | 18 | |||||
10th | 1931-1932 | 49 | 28 | 21 | - | 24 | 8 | 16 | - | Arthur Seligman | |||
11th | 1933-1934 | 49 | 41 | 8 | - | 24 | 20 | 4 | - | ||||
42 | 7 | - | Andrew W. Hockenhull | ||||||||||
12th | 1935-1936 | 49 | 38 | 12 | - | 24 | 18 | 6 | - | Clyde Tingley | |||
13th | 1937-1938 | 49 | 47 | 2 | - | 24 | 23 | 1 | - | ||||
14th | 1939-1940 | 49 | 42 | 7 | - | 24 | 23 | 1 | - | John E. Miles | |||
15th | 1941-1942 | 49 | 40 | 9 | - | 24 | 21 | 3 | - | ||||
16th | 1943-1944 | 49 | 33 | 16 | - | 24 | 21 | 3 | - | John J. Dempsey | |||
17th | 1945-1946 | 49 | 30 | 19 | - | 24 | 18 | 6 | - | ||||
18th | 1947-1948 | 49 | 30 | 19 | - | 24 | 18 | 6 | - | Thomas J. Mabry | |||
19th | 1949-1950 | 49 | 36 | 13 | - | 24 | 19 | 5 | - | ||||
Session | Years | House | Senate | Governor | |||||||||
Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | ||||||
20th | 1951-1952 | 55 | 46 | 9 | - | 24 | 18 | 6 | - | Edwin L. Mechem | |||
21st | 1953-1954 | 55 | 27 | 28 | - | 31 | 22 | 9 | - | ||||
22nd | 1955-1956 | 55 | 51 | 4 | - | 32 | 23 | 9 | - | John F. Simms | |||
23rd | 1957-1958 | 66 | 43 | 23 | - | 32 | 24 | 8 | - | Edwin L. Mechem | |||
24th | 1959-1960 | 66 | 60 | 6 | - | 32 | 24 | 8 | - | John Burroughs | |||
25th | 1961-1962 | 66 | 59 | 7 | - | 32 | 28 | 4 | - | Edwin L. Mechem | |||
Tom Bolack | |||||||||||||
26th | 1963-1964 | 66 | 55 | 11 | - | 32 | 28 | 4 | - | Jack M. Campbell | |||
27th | 1965-1966 | 77 | 59 | 18 | - | 32 | 28 | 4 | - | ||||
28th | 1967-1968 | 70 | 45 | 25 | - | 42 | 25 | 17 | - | David F. Cargo | |||
29th | 1969-1970 | 70 | 44 | 26 | - | 42 | 25 | 17 | - | ||||
30th | 1971-1972 | 70 | 48 | 22 | - | 42 | 28 | 14 | - | Bruce King | |||
31st | 1973-1974 | 70 | 51 | 19 | - | 42 | 30 | 12 | - | ||||
50 | 20 | - | |||||||||||
32nd | 1975-1976 | 70 | 51 | 19 | - | 42 | 29 | 13 | - | Jerry Apodaca | |||
30 | 12 | - | |||||||||||
33rd | 1977-1978 | 70 | 48 | 22 | - | 42 | 33 | 9 | - | ||||
34th | 1979-1980 | 70 | 41 | 29[6] | - | 42 | 33 | 9 | - | Bruce King | |||
32 | 10 | - | |||||||||||
35th | 1981-1982 | 70 | 41 | 29[7] | - | 42 | 22 | 20 | - | ||||
23 | 19 | - | |||||||||||
36th | 1983-1984 | 70 | 46 | 24 | - | 42 | 23 | 19 | - | Toney Anaya | |||
47 | 23 | - | |||||||||||
37th | 1985-1986 | 70 | 43 | 27[8] | - | 42 | 21 | 21[9] | - | ||||
20 | 22 | - | |||||||||||
42 | 20[10] | 22 | |||||||||||
38th | 1987-1988 | 70 | 47 | 23 | - | 42 | 21[11] | 21 | - | Garrey Carruthers | |||
46 | 24 | - | 42 | 21 | 21[12] | ||||||||
39th | 1989-1990 | 70 | 45 | 25 | - | 42 | 26 | 16 | - | ||||
25 | 17 | - | |||||||||||
Session | Years | House | Senate | Governor | |||||||||
Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | ||||||
40th | 1991-1992 | 70 | 49 | 21 | - | 42 | 26 | 16 | - | Bruce King | |||
41st | 1993-1994 | 70 | 53 | 17 | - | 42 | 27 | 15 | - | ||||
42nd | 1995-1996 | 70 | 46 | 24 | - | 42 | 27 | 15 | - | Gary Johnson | |||
43rd | 1997-1998 | 70 | 42 | 28 | - | 42 | 25 | 17 | - | ||||
44th | 1999-2000 | 70 | 40 | 30 | - | 42 | 25 | 17 | - | ||||
45th | 2001-2002 | 70 | 42 | 28 | - | 42 | 24 | 18[13] | - | ||||
46th | 2003-2004 | 70 | 43 | 27 | - | 42 | 24 | 18 | - | Bill Richardson | |||
47th | 2005-2006 | 70 | 42 | 28 | - | 42 | 24 | 18 | - | ||||
48th | 2007-2008 | 70 | 42 | 28 | - | 42 | 24 | 18 | - | ||||
49th | 2009-2010 | 70 | 45 | 25 | - | 42 | 27 | 15[14] | - | ||||
50th | 2011-2012 | 70 | 36 | 33 | 1 | 42 | 27 | 15[14] | - | Susana Martinez | |||
51st | 2013-2014 | 70 | 38 | 32 | - | 42 | 25 | 17 | - | ||||
52nd | 2015-2016 | 70 | 33 | 37 | - | 42 | 24 | 18 | - | ||||
Session | Years | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Others | Governor | |||
House | Senate |
References
- ↑ Eisenstadt, Pauline; Belshaw, Jim (2012). "A Woman in Both Houses: My Career in New Mexico Politics". University of New Mexico Press.
- ↑ "SESSION DATES" (PDF). Nmlegis.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120505000622/http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/statutes.aspx. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ↑ "New Mexico Legislative Redistricting". Nmlegis.gov. 2002-12-21. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101225194736/https://crcmich.org/PUBLICAT/2000s/2007/note200703.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2012. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ↑ Coalition of 11 Democrats and 29 Republicans controlled the House Majority
- ↑ Coalition of 10 Democrats and 27 Republicans controlled the House Majority
- ↑ Coalition of 10 Democrats and 26 Republicans controlled the House Majority
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Coalition of 4 Republicans and 19 Democrats controlled the Senate Majority in the 37th Session's special legislative session in September 1986.
- ↑ Coalition of 3 Republicans and 21 Democrats controlled the Senate Majority
- ↑ Coalition of 5 Democrats and 18 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority beginning in January 1988
- ↑ Coalition of 3 Democrats and 18 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority
- 1 2 Coalition of 8 Democrats and 15 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Government of New Mexico. |
- New Mexico Legislature official website