NM Senate Passes DOMA

From Equality NM:
Senate Bill 597, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, passed the Senate by a vote of 25-12, but we got four more votes than expected.  And two courageous Senators, Mary Jane Garcia and Leonard Tsosie, who had actually signed on to the DOMA as co-sponsors, changed their votes and voted against it.

The debate was civilized and eloquent, with Senators Ortiz y Pino, Grubesic, McSorley, Feldman, Griego, Tsosie, Garcia, Rodriquez, Robinson, and Sanchez all speaking out movingly in support of our rights.  Please take a few minutes to thank them and the other Senators who voted to defeat the DOMA.

Senator Dede Feldman dede.feldman@nmlegis.gov, 986-4482
Senator Mary Jane Garcia, maryjane.garcia@nmlegis.gov, 986-4726
Senator Phil Griego phil.griego@nmlegis.gov, 986-4265
John Grubesic john.grubesic@nmlegis.gov, 986-4260
Senator Linda Lopez 986-4737
Senator Cisco McSorley cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov, 986-4485
Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino jortizyp@aol.com, 986-4380
Senator John Pinto, 986-4835
Senator Shannon Robinson shannon.robinson@nmlegis.gov, 986-4856
Senator Nancy Rodriguez, 986-4264
Senator Michael Sanchez senatormssanchez@aol.com, 986-4727
Senator Leonard Tsosie senate@state.nm.us, 986-4859

The bill will go to the House next week.  Stay tuned.  We'll get you more information as soon as we know it.  We hope we can run out the clock. 

Thanks for all your email, letters, and faxes.  Even Senator Boitano, who spoke in support of the DOMA, noted that he's received "dozens and dozens" of emails urging him to vote against the bill, so our "blast email" and website appeals are clearly being noticed.  For those of you who couldn't attend, we'll publish excerpts from all the testimony on the EQNM website in the next few days.  And thanks again to all of you who were able to sit through the session!
*************
Editor's Note: And I have to say I think it's a shame that ANY Democrat voted for this bill that emphasizes that GLBT folks are second class citizens.