Bill > HJR1

This Joint Resolution proposes to amend the New Mexico constitution to establish an Independent Redistricting Commission responsible for drawing the boundaries of congressional, state legislative, and other districted state offices following each federal decennial census. The commission will consist of nine commissioners appointed by the state ethics commission, with specific qualifications to ensure independence and impartiality, prohibiting individuals who have recently held elected office, party leadership roles, or worked as lobbyists. The commission will be tasked with creating district plans that are as equal in population as practicable, comply with federal law, protect minority voting strength, use single-member districts, and adhere to traditional redistricting principles like contiguity and compactness, while also considering communities of interest and preserving existing district cores where feasible, but explicitly forbidding the use of partisan data or incumbent addresses in the process. The resolution also outlines procedures for public input, the commission's operational authority, including hiring staff and legal counsel, and the process for removing commissioners, with the goal of creating fair and representative districts.