The New Mexico State Legislature voted to send two constitutional amendments to statewide ballots in 2024 on March 17 before adjourning on March 18.
House Joint Resolution 5 (HJR 5) would extend the disabled veteran property tax exemption to all disabled veterans (or their widows) in proportion to their federal disability rating. Currently, the state constitution only authorizes the disabled property tax exemption for veterans (or their widows) with a federal disability rating of 100%. The disabled veteran property tax exemption was first added to the state constitution in 1998 with the approval of Amendment 5.
To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a simple majority vote is required in both chambers of the state legislature. The state House passed HJR 5 in a vote of 67-0 with three excused on March 2. It passed the state Senate by a vote of 39-0 with three excused or not voting on March 17.
