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New Mexico Legislature

Legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico

Legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico

FieldValue
nameNew Mexico Legislature
native_nameLa Legislatura de Nuevo México
native_name_langSpanish
coa_picSeal of the State Legislature of New Mexico.svg
coa_res200px
house_typeBicameral
housesSenate
House of Representatives
term_limitsNone
disbanded
new_session
leader1_typeSenate President
leader1Howie Morales
party1(D)
election1January 1, 2019
leader2_typeSenate President pro tempore
leader2Mimi Stewart
party2(D)
election2January 19, 2021
leader3_typeHouse Speaker
leader3Javier Martínez
party3(D)
election3January 17, 2023
seats112
house1Senate
house2House
structure1New Mexico Senate.svg
structure1_res250px
structure2New Mexico House of Representatives 2022.svg
structure2_res250px
political_groups1{{Unbulleted listclass=nowrap
{{Color box#0000FFborderdarkgray}} Democratic (26)
{{Color box#FF0000borderdarkgray}} Republican (16)
political_groups2{{Unbulleted listclass=nowrap
{{Color box#0000FFborderdarkgray}} Democratic (44)
{{Color box#FF0000borderdarkgray}} Republican (26)
term_lengthSenate: 4 years
House: 2 years
salary$0/year + per diem
seats1_titleState Senators
seats142
seats2_titleState Representatives
seats270
voting_system1First-past-the-post
voting_system2First-past-the-post
last_election1[](2024-new-mexico-state-senate-election)
last_election2[](2024-new-mexico-house-of-representatives-election)
next_election1[November 7, 2028](2028-new-mexico-senate-election)
next_election2[November 3, 2026](2026-new-mexico-house-of-representatives-election)
redistrictingLegislative control
motto*Crescit eundo*
session_roomNewMexicoCapitol SantaFe.jpg
session_res275px
meeting_placeNew Mexico State Capitol
Santa Fe
website
constitutionConstitution of New Mexico

House of Representatives | Democratic (26) | Republican (16) | Democratic (44) | Republican (26) House: 2 years Santa Fe

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

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.

Session structure and operations

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. 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).

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

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 70 cents per mile. They can receive a per diem outside of legislative session.

Qualifications

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.

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 Democratic Party holds a majority in both of the chambers of New Mexico Legislature, and holds the Governor's office.

Redistricting

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.

Term limits

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

Party summary

State Senate

AffiliationParty (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticRepublicanVacantEnd of previous legislature42Jan 1, 2015 - Mar 14, 201542Mar 14, 2015 - Apr 5, 201541Apr 5, 2015 – Jan 17, 201742Jan 17, 2017 – Jan 19, 202142Jan 19, 2021 – present42
Democratic Party (United States)}}"Republican Party (United States)}}"
27150
**25**170
**24**171
**24**180
**26**160
**27**150

House of Representatives

AffiliationParty (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticIndRepublicanVacant51st legislature7052nd legislature7053rd legislature7054th legislature7055th legislature6956th legislature70
Democratic Party (United States)}}"Independent (United States)}}"Republican Party (United States)}}"
**38**0320
330**37**0
**38**0320
**46**1230
**43**2241
**45**0250

History

SessionYearsHouseSenateGovernorTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersSessionYearsHouseSenateGovernorTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersSessionYearsHouseSenateGovernorTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersSessionYearsTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersTotalDemocratsRepublicansOthersGovernorHouseSenate
1912–19144916**30**3247**16**1William W. McDonald
1915-19164914**33**2247**16**1
1917-19184919**30**-2410**14**-Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
Washington E. Lindsey
1919-19204915**34**-249**15**-Octaviano Larrazolo
1921-19224915**34**-249**15**-Merritt C. Mechem
1923-192449**33**16-249**15**-James F. Hinkle
1925-192649**28**21-2411**13**-Arthur T. Hannett
1927-19284918**31**-2411**13**-Richard C. Dillon
1929-19304912**37**-246**18**
1931-193249**28**21-248**16**-Arthur Seligman
1933-193449**41**8-24**20**4-
**42**7-Andrew W. Hockenhull
1935-193649**38**12-24**18**6-Clyde Tingley
1937-193849**47**2-24**23**1-
1939-194049**42**7-24**23**1-John E. Miles
1941-194249**40**9-24**21**3-
1943-194449**33**16-24**21**3-John J. Dempsey
1945-194649**30**19-24**18**6-
1947-194849**30**19-24**18**6-Thomas J. Mabry
1949-195049**36**13-24**19**5-
1951-195255**46**9-24**18**6-Edwin L. Mechem
1953-19545527**28**-31**22**9-
1955-195655**51**4-32**23**9-John F. Simms
1957-195866**43**23-32**24**8-Edwin L. Mechem
1959-196066**60**6-32**24**8-John Burroughs
1961-196266**59**7-32**28**4-Edwin L. Mechem
Tom Bolack
1963-196466**55**11-32**28**4-Jack M. Campbell
1965-196677**59**18-32**28**4-
1967-196870**45**25-42**25**17-David F. Cargo
1969-197070**44**26-42**25**17-
1971-197270**48**22-42**28**14-Bruce King
1973-197470**51**19-42**30**12-
**50**20-
1975-197670**51**19-42**29**13-Jerry Apodaca
**30**12-
1977-197870**48**22-42**33**9-
1979-19807041**29**-42**33**9-Bruce King
**32**10-
1981-19827041**29**-42**22**20-
**23**19-
1983-198470**46**24-42**23**19-Toney Anaya
**47**23-
1985-19867043**27**-4221**21**-
20**22**-
42**20**22
1987-198870**47**23-42**21**21-Garrey Carruthers
**46**24-4221**21**
1989-199070**45**25-42**26**16-
**25**17-
1991-199270**49**21-42**26**16-Bruce King
1993-199470**53**17-42**27**15-
1995-199670**46**24-42**27**15-Gary Johnson
1997-199870**42**28-42**25**17-
1999-200070**40**30-42**25**17-
2001-200270**42**28-4224**18**-
2003-200470**43**27-42**24**18-Bill Richardson
2005-200670**42**28-42**24**18-
2007-200870**42**28-42**24**18-
2009-201070**45**25-4227**15**-
2011-201270**36**3314227**15**-Susana Martinez
2013-201470**38**32-42**25**17-
2015-20167033**37**-42**24**18-
2017-201870**38**32-42**26**16-
2019-202070**46**24-42**26**16-Michelle Lujan Grisham
2021-202270**44**24242**27**15-

Notes

References

References

  1. (2012). "A Woman in Both Houses: My Career in New Mexico Politics". University of New Mexico Press.
  2. "SESSION DATES".
  3. "New Mexico Statutes".
  4. "2024 Legislator Compensation".
  5. "Constitution (AS ADOPTED JANUARY 21, 1911, AND AS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED BY THE PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS 1911 THROUGH 2021".
  6. "Political Composition". Nmlegia.gov.
  7. "Archived copy".
  8. "LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS AND FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME LEGISLATURES".
  9. "New Mexico Legislature political composition: legislative sessions". New Mexico Legislature.
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