My Letter from the Legislature

This letter was sent out to many households but not to all. That was done to save funds.


Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The new session of the New Mexico State Legislature has reached the halfway point. What a difference two years and an election make. The House of Representatives is almost evenly divided, and we have a new Governor. This really gives us a chance to move New Mexico in a positive direction.

You have been talking to me about ideas for bills and I got a number of them prepared before the session started. There is a procedure called pre-filing that allows legislators to get the bills prepared, proofread, and submitted. This helps to speed up the legislative process. Among the bills I pre-filed were a constitutional amendment to term limit state legislators (HJM2), increasing the penalty for second degree murder from 15 to 25 years (HB20) and a bill to eliminate the costly film industry subsidy(HB19). All of these were tabled in the first committee, however, there are many other bills that I have introduced. These can all be reviewed at the legislative web site, www.nmlegis.gov.

This letter is being sent out now to encourage as many as possible to visit the legislature while we are still in session. It is critically important for citizens to watch their elected representatives in action. It also gives you an opportunity to visit legislators in their offices and in the hallways. We are accountable to you and you need to know what it is we do.

If you come to Santa Fe, you can sit in the committee rooms as bills are presented. The committee chairman will ask if there is anyone in the audience who wishes to speak in favor or in opposition to the bill being heard. That would be your chance to stand up, state your name, where you are from, whom you represent (if anyone other than yourself), and say a few words pro or con. You can find out about these committees on line at the above web site.

There are many reasonably priced motels that are simple in nature and affiliated with national chains in Santa Fe. My evangelical friends might consider staying at the Glorieta Conference Center, which is only about 15 miles from the Capitol. If you do not wish to spend the night, it is possible to drive up to Santa Fe and back in one day and still have time at the legislature. I have done that myself.

To save costs, I am using up old stationary with last sessions committee assignments. I am also only sending this to a limited number of households. However, it will be available on my website, www.denniskintigh.com where you can also see a presentation that explains how to get around www.nmlegis.gov. Please feel free to share this information with anyone you think might be interested.

While I am in Santa Fe I can be contacted at my office at 505-986-4453. I hope to see you during this session.

Sincerely,


Dennis Kintigh