(Updated) URGENT: NM Impeachment Resolution May Go Straight to Senate Floor

UPDATE 2: Latest news from Desi Brown of Sen. Ortiz y Pino's office as of 10:30 PM Friday, 3.2.07 here.

UPDATE 1: I just found this hopeful tidbit quoting Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez over at Steve Terrell's Legislature Blog:

He believes Senate Joint Resolution 5, which calls for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, will pass the Senate by a party-line vote. Although earlier in the session he said he didn’t back the resolution, he said tonight that he’d probably vote for it. His earlier opposition wasn’t over the merits of the resolution, but because of his questions whether the state Legislature was the proper place for it.

Sanchez said he hopes the Senate Judiciary Committee would pass the resolution out without recommendation to the full Senate, which he said could hear it as early as Saturday. [The resolution would still have to gain passage in the House to be successful.]

Based on reports from Leland Lehrman of Mother Media:
The NM impeachment resolution, SJR 5, may bypass the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, March 2nd, and go straight to the Senate Floor. Attorney Randall Cherry -- Senator McSorley's staff analyst -- is the source of this information as directly relayed by citizen Terrence McCarthy of Vivo Studios and corroborated by Jim Williams of KUNM and Dorothy Fadiman of Concentric Media.

Since both the bill sponsor and the Committee Chairman are already in favor, they can make a motion on the floor in open session that the resolution bypass Judiciary. However, this motion must receive unanimous consent -- not likely -- or then win either a voice or roll-call vote. According to Charlotte Roybal, longtime Democratic Party delegate, if the Senate votes to take the resolution out of Judiciary, floor debate on the resolution will still have to wait until Saturday, perhaps around 10AM. Stay tuned via either the sponsors Ortiz y Pino and Grubesic's office, Judiciary Chairman McSorley's office or the Majority Leader Sanchez' office. Again, all can be contacted at 505-986-4300.

Support in the Senate
It's now time to count our votes on the Senate floor. If all the Republicans vote together and are present (likely), we can afford to lose only three Democratic votes against or five abstentions.

Possible negatives: We know that Sen. John Arthur Smith (D-Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra) was solidly against. Tim Jennings (D-Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, Otero) may take his cue from Smith, but is on the fence, having told me personally: "You can't impeach someone for stupidity." Sen. Lidio Rainaldi (D-Espanola) is known for conservatism, and declined an information packet recently offerred saying that he already knew how he was voting, but not saying how that was. Senator Phil Griego (D-Los Alamos, Mora, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos) is also well-known for skepticism.

Unknown: The views of the following Senators are not known and could be swing votes: John Pinto (D-Tohatchi), Lynda Lovejoy (D-Crownpoint), Nancy Rodriguez (D-Santa Fe), Pete Campos (D-Las Vegas), James Taylor (D-Albuquerque), Shannon Robinson (D-Albuquerque).

Who to Call: Given that that the timetable for the floor vote has been accelerated, it is now time for the full-court press. Please contact every Democratic undecided Senator, all the time, especially the swing votes: Sen. Michael Sanchez above all, the rest of the above undecideds and some say Altamirano. Although he voted for the resolution in Rules Committee, Senators do not always vote for a bill on the floor the way they did in Committee, for various reasons. The Capitol Switchboard can connect you with anyone in the Roundhouse: 505-986-4300.

On the Senate Floor: If you're attending the session, please also note decorum without feeling overly restricted. No clapping after speeches or votes in committee or from the gallery, in particular. We won't get a second chance.

The number and type of speakers are being left to the sponsor and Chair this time. The sponsors are now suggesting that we focus on the "asking for an investigation" part and avoid rendering verdicts in our testimony. I agree there may be some merit to the cautious approach at this time. Apparently it may help us with swing voters. Take this under advisement, but it is not meant to stifle your initiative, which is the most precious of all the human qualities found on this team.

Contacts in Santa Fe: Citizens will be onsite at the Roundhouse on Friday and Saturday to assist if you would like to hit any of the key offices in person. Please look for us either on the floor, outside the Majority Leader's office, or in the Media Gallery overlooking the House floor on the East Side of the Capitol Building. I can be paged at the Information Desk on the East Side. I will be also be leaving updates with Arwen Gwyneth Hubbard at (505) 603-6084 and may be reachable at that number. I can be reached at home at 505-982-3609 or office 505-473-4458, and emailed at leland.lehrman@gmail.com.

Editor's Note: To learn more about this effort check out DFNM's impeachment post archive. Click to see a video of the impeachment resolution hearing in the February 16, 2007 NM Senate Rules Committee. Video of last Saturday's hearing before the Senate Public Affairs Committee should be available soon and posted on Google Video.