Democracy for New Mexico

NM Death Penalty Repeal Bill Hearing Monday

From the Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty:
HB 576, Repeal of NM Death Penalty
To Be Heard in Senate Rules Committee
Monday, March 7th, 8:00 AM, Room 321
Please join repeal supporters for HB 576's First Senate Committee Hearing. And don't forget to contact ALL the members of the committee, especially past supporters to help solidify their support for Monday's vote. Click for contact information.

HB 578 Employee Leave for Certain Crime Victims
Replaced by HB 356
HB 578 has been combined with another piece of similar legislation and renamed HB 356. The name of the bill, Employee Leave for Certain Crime Victims, remains the same. HB 356 improves on our original legislation, in that it provides employee leave for businesses with four or more employees instead of fifteen. HB 356 may reach the House floor for a vote as soon as tomorrow. Please contact your Representatives NOW and ask for their support of HB 356.

Santa Fe New Mexican Editorial
"Death Penalty Repeal Could Be in Bill's Favor"
The New Mexican ran an editorial encouraging Governor Richardson to help push HB 576 through the Senate and to his desk, pointing out that for Governor Bill Richardson, a signature on HB 576 may indeed help not hinder his political ambitions. Please respond to the editorial with a letter to the editor regarding Gov. Richardson's position. The text of the editorial is copied below.

Editorial 03/02/2005: Death-penalty repeal could be in Bill’s favor 
The New Mexican - March 2, 2005

Larry Sabato might be right — or maybe not: The nationally renowned political scientist told The New Mexican’s Steve Terrell in Sunday’s front-page story that the death-penalty issue is one Gov. Bill Richardson should hope to avoid if he still has national ambitions.

Seems he does: A recent addition to Richardson’s speechwriting staff is reputed to be national-class at his trade. And since the governor holds his own at speechifying on the state level, Roundhouse mitote has the guy creating statesmanlike remarks for those occasions when our high-profile guv draws nationwide attention.

So what does he do if the Legislature approves a bill ending capital punishment in New Mexico? The House of Representatives did just that on Monday. The Senate might prove more resistant to such a measure, but the very fact that one of our state’s legislative chambers finally said no to the death penalty puts at least hypothetical pressure on the governor: What if a bill ending the death penalty reaches his desk?

As professor Sabato sees it, it’s a no-win situation: Veto it, and incur liberal wrath; sign it, and conservatives will portray him as a wimp if he winds up on the Democratic ticket in 2008.

We tend to think New Mexico’s longstanding policy on capital punishment is a sound one: Keep it on the books, but don’t apply it. That keeps convicted murderers around in case something comes up to prove them innocent — and tightly locked away in case they’re not. The governor’s current stance is in support of the death penalty, as long as there are strict standards to keep anyone innocent from being executed.

With today’s DNA testing and other technological advances in criminal-evidence verification, guilt or innocence becomes a bit clearer. But on off-chance that the wrong person might be given a lethal injection , New Mexico has done well by putting capital criminals on Death Row, then ... doing nothing. Only the vile Terry Clark, killer of a 9-year-old girl, has been executed in recent years — and he asked for it, literally.

So Gov. Richardson’s position puts him in the best of both political worlds: tough on crime, yet reasonable enough not to hasten anyone’s execution.

But we part company with the political experts at the assumption that signing a death-penalty ban would be bad for Bill’s presidential or vice-presidential ambitions.

By coming down against capital punishment, he’d help his cause with liberals in the crucial campaign for the 2008 nomination. And as for being seen as soft on crime by right-wingers , well, there are plenty of them who wouldn’t vote for Richardson or any other Democrat — for any number of reasons.

But to a certain number of conservatives, and moderates , Richardson might look very good indeed:

A tax-reforming , business-accommodating politician with the common sense it will take to get us out of the economic mess President Bush probably will make worse in the next three years. A skilled diplomat our nation will really need by then, to retrieve lost alliances amid what could be even greater global crises. A political charmer capable of crossing our country’s hardening lines of cultural diversity. The death penalty, we’re pretty sure, will not be much of a factor in 2008. So our governor should rest easy on that score — and consider the friendships he might cement along the road to the nomination. Far from fretting about the repeal of capital punishment , he should consider pressing the Senate to send him such a bill — and signing it.

NM Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
www.nmrepeal.org
(505) 986-9536

Help NM Become a Leader in Clean, Renewable Energy

From Act for Change:
Emissions from fossil fuel energy generation are toxic to human health and the single largest contributor to global warming. Clean and renewable alternatives exist — it's really a matter of using them. There are a number of bills now under consideration by the New Mexico State Legislature that would help New Mexico lead the transition to a renewable energy future.

Help New Mexico become a leader in clean, renewable energy by emailing and calling your legislators about the bills listed below.

E-mail your state legislators TODAY and tell them to support the package of renewable energy bills that would help New Mexico lead the transition to a renewable energy future.

Click here to take action now!

2. Please also call your state legislators at 505-986-4300 and ask them to support these bills. If you don't know your legislators you can find them via this link.

When you talk to your legislators please mention that would like to see them support the following bills:

• House Bill 32, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Bonding Act
• Senate Bill 334, the Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems Tax Credit Act
• House Bill 121, the Renewable Energy Production Tax Incentive
• House Bill 200, The Net Electric Co-op Metering System
• House Bill 619 & Senate Bill 644, The Efficient Use of Energy Act

You can read more about the specifics of these bills on ActForChange.

3. Please forward this alert to others in New Mexico. It's urgent that you forward this e-mail to your family and friends asking them to lobby their legislators by taking action online and via telephone. Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you for working to build a better world.

Sandoval County Ward & Precinct Elections Set for 3/22

Thanks to Tom Solomon for passing along this info:

The Democratic Party of Sandoval County will hold its ward and precinct elections on Tuesday, March 22, at 7:00 PM at various locations. Here are a few:

• Corrales Elementary School, Precincts 11, 12, 13, 53, 54
• Placitas Elementary School, Precincts 5, 28, 55

This information was provided by James Moran, who is running to replace Rubin Miera as County Chair. You can obtain more information on these elections by emailing Mr. Moran at james.moran@worldnet.att.net or by calling 896-0529.

URGENT: Saturday Hearing & Rally on Election Reform

From Terry Riley:
The plan for Saturday is changing.  We have found out that the Voter Verifiable Paper Ballots are being considered at 8 AM on Saturday.  The bills that seem to be making the most headway will leave us with a lame electoral system.  The focus is on saving $14,000,000.  I love saving money.  I absolutely hate spending time and money on a partial fix and having to go back and go back and go back to possibly get it right.  We NEED everybody possible in Santa Fe at NOON on SATURDAY and we NEED a lot of people there at 8 AM when the committee meets.  This is something worth changing your schedule.  PLEASE come!

Here is what is going on per folks from United Voters of New Mexico and others:

Next up is the KEY meeting of the House Voters & Elections Committee set for 8 AM SATURDAY in Room 305. Please do your best to be there! We had eight activists at the suddenly announced 8 AM meeting today of the House Voters and Elections Committee. The Committee spent its time on Voter ID and did not get to VVPB and Automatic Audits. It adjourned at about 10 AM, with Chair Ed Sandoval announcing that consideration of HB1063 will continue and amendments thereto will be accepted at the SATURDAY meeting.

The word is that amendments will also come up for the Sen Rules Committee Substitute Bill at another SATURDAY meeting.

(NOTE: Click to read the orginal post about the Saturday Noon Rally.)

ABQ DFA-DFNM Meetup Tonight

Our monthly Albuquerque DFA-DFNM Meetup is set for 7:00 PM tonight at the First Unitarian Church Social Hall at Carlisle and Comanche.

John Wertheim, Chair of the Democratic Party of NM and DNC Executive Committee member, will be talking about plans for the Party, nationally and locally, and how we can get involved. Stephen Capra, Executive Director of the NM Wilderness Alliance, will be presenting a short film about Otero Mesa and discussing how we can help fight planned oil and gas drilling in this pristine area.

In addition, we'll be learning about a new DFA national and local project to frame the issue of social security using personal stories submitted by Meetup attendees and their friends and neighbors.

Action items and reports will include information on a DFNM trip to the Legislature later this month, the upcoming Bernalillo County Democratic Party Ward and Precinct elections, the coming DFNM workshop on George Lakoff's framing strategies, Saturday's Election Reform Rally at the Roundhouse,  fundraising for a DPBC ad, the Defend Democracy group, and more.

If you plan to attend, please be sure to RSVP at the DFA-DFNM Meetup page. You can also join our Meetup group there, and you'll receive Meetup notices and be added to our email list.

ACTION ALERT: DOMA & Domestic Partnership Bills

From Equality New Mexico:

NM SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, ROOM 321, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1 PM

We REALLY need your help! We don't have the votes to stop DOMA, and "Christian" radio has been publicizing this hearing, flooding Senate offices with phone calls.

To contrast our side from anti-gay "Christian" advocates, please contact Senate offices (contact information and additional talking points listed below) and RESPECTFULLY ask the Senators to OPPOSE Senate Bill 597, which defines marriage between one man and one woman and SUPPORT Senate Bill 576, Domestic Partner Benefits.

The hearing room 321 is small, there will only be 15 minutes allotted for each side of each bill, and the hearing will likely not begin until 2 or later. BUT if you are able to attend, we suggest you get there by 1 pm and bring a book! Let's fill up the room with our supporters!

Here are more specific messages to pass along.  (Additional talking points are below.) Use the email addresses and phone numbers listed or click to fax a letter to your own Senator and Representative. Thanks!!

Senator Cisco McSorley (Democrat), Senate Judiciary Chair cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov, 986-4485 "Thank you for being a champion for our families."

Senator Richard C. Martinez (Democrat), Senate Judiciary Vice Chair richardc.martinez@nmlegis.gov, 986-4389 "DOMA hurts gay families.  Please oppose SB 597.  Please support SB 576, Domestic Partner Benefits."

Senator Rod Adair (Republican) radair@dfn.com, 986-4385  "DOMA hurt gay families.  Please oppose SB 597.  Please support SB 576, Domestic Partner Benefits."

Senator Kent L. Cravens (Republican) klcravens@alphagraphics.com, 986-4391 "DOMA hurt gay families.  Please oppose SB 597.  Please support SB 576, Domestic Partner Benefits."

Senator John T.L. Grubesic (Democrat) john.grubesic@nmlegis.gov,  986-4260  "Thank you for being a champion for our families."

Senator Clinton D. Harden (Republican) charden@theosogroup.com  986-4369  "DOMA hurt gay families.  Please oppose SB 597.  Please support SB 576, Domestic Partner Benefits."

Senator Linda M. Lopez (Democrat) 986-4737"Thank you for being a champion for our families."

Senator William H. Payne (Republican) william.payne@nmlegis.gov,  986-4276 "DOMA hurt gay families.  Please oppose SB 597.  Please support SB 576, Domestic Partner Benefits."

Senator Lidio G. Rainaldi (Democrat)  986-4310  "DOMA hurts gay families.  Please oppose SB 597.  Please support SB 576, Domestic Partner Benefits."

Senator Michael S. Sanchez (Democrat) senatormssanchez@aol.com,  986-4727  "Thank you for your support.  Please encourage all Democrats to do the right thing: oppose SB 597 and support SB 576.  DOMA=Discrimination."

ADDITIONAL TALKING POINTS   

SENATE BILL 597

SB 597 discriminates and denigrates: Marriage is state-regulated body of civil law designed to protect couples and families. It is a civil right, not a heterosexual privilege.

SB 597 is anti-equality and anti-gay: SB 597 would codify second-class citizenship for all gay, lesbian, and bisexual New Mexicans.

SB 597 would be the first explicitly anti-gay law in NM.

SB 597 is anti-family: The 2000 census reported one in three New Mexico lesbian households and one in four gay-male households have children under 18 living at home. There are few rights more basic than the right to love, bond, and create family. There are few tasks more basic to government than to protect loving, committed families.

SB 597 is bad business: Businesses value tolerance in their work states and work places. (The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Every Day Life, Richard Florida, Basic Books, 2002). "Diversity and quality of life" brought THE GAP to New Mexico (ABQ) over Texas (El Paso). Reports suggest treatment of gays were a large factor ("Corporate Doubles and El Paso," Albuquerque Journal, Business Outlook, April 23, 2001).

SB 597 is expensive: 18 other states in the US are about to spend millions of dollars in court deciding the legality of their "defense of marriage acts" (DOMAs). Why would New Mexico want to be 19th, spend a million dollars, and find out what every other state will pay to find out: DOMAs are unconstitutional?

SB 597 is unconstitutional: It violates the NM Human Rights Act and the New Mexico constitution's guarantees of equal protection under the law.

SB 597 is NOT about marriage: It's about not wanting gay New Mexicans to have rights, to be equal citizens. Many of the same people who voted against civil rights for gay people will likely vote in favor of DOMA.

SB 597 is politically dangerous for legislators who vote against marriage

equality: 94% of state legislators across the country who voted against discriminatory marriage bills were re-elected in November 2004. This re-election rate is higher than average for all state legislators (90% for House incumbents, 92% for Senate incumbents).

SB 597 violates separation of church and state: No civil marriage laws can or will compel any religious organization to perform same-gender marriage ceremonies. SB 597, however, does impose a religious definition of marriage on an entire body of civil law. (Note: a significant number of religious denominations do perform same-gender unions, so the definition of religious marriage differs, even within a religious context.)

SENATE BILL 576

SB 576 creates a licensing process for Domestic Partners that requires the submission of an affidavit to the County Clerk followed by the recording of a Certificate of Domestic Partnership.

Right now, unmarried couples have no legal recognition for their relationships under NM law. This creates many hardships for gay, lesbian, and heterosexual unmarried couples and families.

No matter how much money unmarried couples spend on legal agreements like wills and powers of attorney to protect each other and their children, they cannot duplicate many of the rights and protections that NM offers to couples who can marry.

SB 576 is not marriage, but it goes a long way to protect children and families from unnecessary hardship.

SB 576 in brief:

SB 576 creates a system of Domestic Partnerships for any two unmarried adults, gay or not gay. This could include senior citizens or disabled people who cannot get married to each other because one or the other would lose their social security or other benefits.

A domestic partnership is not a marriage and a domestic partner is not a spouse.

Domestic Partnership confers all the NM state (no federal) rights, benefits, protections, responsibilities and obligations of New Mexico civil marriage in the areas of...

•        Death & Inheritance
•        Insurance benefits
•        Health care decision-making
•        Family Relationship
•        Dissolution of a Domestic Partnership

People wishing to become Domestic Partners will go to any County Clerk and file an application, affidavit of domestic partnership

•        Parties must live together or be going to live together
•        Be over 18
•        Capable of consent
•        Not married to anyone else and not related by blood
•        Pay $25

County Clerks will send a Domestic Partnership License to the couple, which must be filled out and returned for recording within 90 days. A recorded Domestic Partnership License will be mailed to the partners after being filed by the clerk.

ACTION ALERT: Repeal the NM Death Penalty

From the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty:

HB 576 Assigned to Senate Rules and Judiciary Committees
House Bill 576 "Abolish the Death Penalty" has been assigned to Senate Rules and Senate Judiciary Committees. The bill will first be heard in Senate Rules. We do not currently have the date of the next hearing, but it is critical that all of the members of Senate Rules and Judiciary are contacted within the next week. Keep your eyes on your email for the confirmed date and time for the Senate Rules hearing.

In addition to contacting your own senator, please call, write, and make a personal visit to ALL the committee members (listed on the continuation page) and ask for their support of HB 576. Letter to senators should be addressed to: Senator _____, Capitol Building, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Please note below those Senators that have supported repeal in the past. Your communication with past supporters is equally if not more vital than your communication with non-supporters. Please frame your calls, letters, and visits around thanking them for their support in the past and asking for continued support in 2005.

Letters to the Governor
As HB 576 moves through the Senate and gets closer to the Governor Richardson's desk, it is important that the governor continues to hear from repeal supporters in the form of a personal letter. Even if you have already written Governor Richardson, please take a moment to contact him again and urge him to support HB 576 if it reaches his desk.

Governor Richardson maintains that he supports capital punishment with appropriate safeguards in place. Please continue to emphasize our victims' services proposal, the ineffective use of state resources, as well as the lack of guaranteed safeguads against the unjust application of the death penalty.

Write Governor Richardson at:
Office of the Governor
Capitol Building, Room 400
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Letters to the Editor
With all of our outstanding press coverage, there are many opportunities to WRITE WRITE WRITE!

Show the public that the citizens of New Mexico support repeal and that we are united behind our VICTIMS' FIRST legislation. Letters to the editor will be most effective with senators and the Gov. Richardson if they highlight New Mexico's unique position to support victims while repealing the death penalty.

We would like to have original newspaper clippings from any press coverage in your area. Please send original articles, op-eds, and letters to the editor to our office at:

NMCRDP
PO Box 8552
Santa Fe, NM 87504

Don't Forget to Call and Thank Our House Supporters, Especially the Five Republicans: Justine Fox-Young, Brian Moore, Teresa Zanetti, Dub Williams, and Larry Larranaga

NM Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
(505) 986-9536
_______________________________________________
Subscribe to Email_alert mailing list:

Senate Rules
Sen. Linda M. Lopez (D) Bernalillo
Committee Chair
Past repeal supporter
986-4737
Capitol 320A

Sen. John T. L. Grubesic (D) Santa Fe
Committee Vice Chair
Newly elected repeal supporter
986-4260
Capitol 414B

Sen. Rod Adair (R) Chaves, Lincoln
986-4385
Capitol 416F

Sen. Ben D. Altamirano (D) Catron, Grant, Socorro
Past repeal supporter
986-4733
Capitol 105A

Sen. Kent L. Cravens (R) Bernalillo, Sandoval
986-4391
Capitol 416 D

Sen. Dianna J. Duran (R) Dona Ana, Otero
986-4701
Capitol 109C

Sen. Dede Feldman (D) Bernalillo
Past repeal supporter
986-4482
Capitol 300A

Sen. Steve Komadina (R) Sandoval
986-4377
Capitol 416C

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino (D) Bernalillo
Newly elected repeal supporter
986-4380
Capitol 414A

Senate Judiciary
Sen. Cisco McSorley (D) Bernalillo
Committee Chair
Past repeal supporter
986-4485
Capitol 319A

Sen. Richard C. Martinez (D) Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe
Committee Vice Chair
Past repeal supporter
986-4389
Capitol 414D

Sen. Rod Adair (R) Chaves, Lincoln
986-4385
Capitol 416F

Sen. Kent L. Cravens (R) Bernalillo, Sandoval
986-4391
Capitol 416D

Sen. John T. L. Grubesic (D) Santa Fe
Newly elected repeal supporter
986-4260
Capitol 414B

Sen. Clinton D. Harden, Jr. (R) Colfax, Curry, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Taos, Union
986-4369
Capitol 416E

Sen. Linda M. Lopez (D) Bernalillo
Past repeal supporter
986-4737
Capitol 320A

Sen. William H. Payne (R) Bernalillo
986-4276
Capitol 415H

Sen. Lidio G. Rainaldi (D) Cibola, McKinley
Past repeal supporter
986-4310
Capitol 302A

Sen. Michael S. Sanchez (D) Valencia
Past repeal supporter
986-4727
Capitol 102A

Big Rally at SF Roundhouse Saturday for Election Reform

To generate renewed support for Voter Verifiable Paper Ballots and Automatic Audits of election results, there will be a Rally from Noon to 2:00 PM at the East entrance to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe on Saturday, March 5. The goal is to attract at least 300 people so we can keep our election reform requirements in the spotlight as bills are negotiated.

It's hoped that the Saturday date will permit those who work during the week to participate and express their views along with those who have had the time and energy to attend weekday events. The media and selected legislators and bill analysts have been invited.

There are many election reform bills percolating on both the House and Senate sides as we move into the last stages of the 60-day Legislative Session in Santa Fe. At the moment, passionate, behind the scenes negotiations are taking place, with constant give and take and day-to-day changes shaping the final bills.

As Terry Riley of NN Democratic Friends says, "We do not have a crystal ball, so we cannot know that our bill, the McSorley Bill (SB1065), is the best.  We have reviewed almost every bill out there and we believe that the McSorley Bill has the greatest chance of improving our election system the most.  We believe that the McSorley Bill will make election fraud unbelievably difficult to try much less succeed and so we want to continue supporting the McSorley Bill."

The Senate Rules Committee has bypassed McSorley's bill and is currently involved in finalizing its own version of election reform, working with Governor Richardson's office and his recommendations on this issue. While this version of the bill may provide many of the requirements we support, in its current form it's not as clear and comprehensive as the McSorley bill. United New Mexico Voters and others are working to substitute language from the McSorley bill into this one and/or to get SB1065 passed on its own.

One factor that's affecting the process is the cost of the changes in terms of voting machine purchases and other expenses. But we believe you get what you pay for. We want an election process that is trustworthy and transparent.

Please stand up with your fellow progressives on March 5th and ask the New Mexico Legislature to provide us with an election reform bill that is strong and effective. You are urged to bring signs and your friends. You can download some protest signs created by Terry Riley here and here.

Click to get some idea of how many election reform bills are floating around at the Legislature this year. Scrolls down the document to the topic "Elections."

UPDATE: No Election Reform Bills on Wednesday's SJC Calendar

There is currently no election reform bill set to be heard at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 2nd. It was previously thought that the bill would pass from the Senate Rules Commitee and be heard on Wednesday, but as has been noted, things are very fluid at the Legislature at this point in the session.

Please check the calendar for the Senate Judiciary Committee regularly though, as it can change rapidly.

The progress on this issue was previously reported on this blog. When the bill is scheduled to be heard, you are urged to attend and communicate our continuing support for Voter Verifiable Paper Ballots and Automatic Audits.

Update on DPBC Meetings

Here's an update to our previous post, with additional information on these meetings of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County:

Bernalillo County Ward/Precinct Meetings
Thursday, March 28, 2005, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
(finalized locations will be forthcoming later this week)

Bernalillo County Central Committee Meeting
Saturday, April 2, 2005 - Albuquerque Convention Center
09:00 AM: Registration
10:00 AM: County Central Committee Meeting begins

Resolutions Committee Meeting
Thursday, March 31, 2005, 7:00 PM
(location will be forthcoming later this week)

Credentials Committee Meeting
Friday, April 1, 2005, 7:00 PM
(location will be forthcoming later this week)

Information from DPBC e-news. To subscribe, send your name, county and email address to dpbc@att.net.