Democracy for New Mexico

DNC Chairman Howard Dean Coming to NM!

It's been confirmed that DNC Chairman Howard Dean will be visiting New Mexico! Details about his full schedule have yet to be ironed out but we know this event is a go:

The Democratic Party of NM Invites You to Meet
DNC Chair Howard Dean
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Noon to 2:00 PM
Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall
510 San Pedro Dr. SE
Albuquerque NM
Suggested Donation $35.00
Lunch will be served
RSVP BY CALLING 830-3650

Click for flyer (doc) or flyer (PDF). Pass it on.

Democracy Disaster: NM Senate Kills Key Reform Measures

Bills to open legislative conference committee meetings to the public, tighten campaign contribution reporting and allow medical marijuana for seriously ill patients were all defeated in the NM Senate. Read all about this failure of democracy at Senator Dede Feldman's blog.

With a Democratically controlled State Senate and House, as well as a Democratic governor in office, it's shocking that crucial bills likes these are stymied. I thought the Democratic Party stood for clean and open government, as well as compassionate and reasonable treatments for suffering people. Guess not, at least during this legislative session. A big thanks goes out to Senator Feldman for all efforts on behalf of these measures, even if she got little help from some in the Democratic establishment.

Join Albuquerque's New CODEPINK Chapter

From Albuquerque CODEPINK:
Come join CODEPINK and help decide how to take action for peace right here, right now!

What: First meeting of the new Albuquerque CODEPINK
When: Saturday, February 18, 2006 at 3 PM
Where: Range Restaurant on Menaul (Click for map)

We want to hear your ideas for making CODEPINK vibrant and effective locally and globally and we want to make plans for an action on International Women's Day, March 8. 

Power to the peaceful,
Dana Leach, danaleach@comcast.net
(505) 259-2187 (call for more information or directions)

P.S. If you haven't done so already, please sign on to the Women's Urgent Call for Peace, and invite your friends and colleagues to sign so that we can reach our goal of 100,000 signatures by March 8, International Women's Day.

Senate Committee Passes House Minimum Wage Bill

According to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican, the NM Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee passed Speaker Lujan's House bill (HB 258) by a 5-4 margin. This bill would raise the minimum wage to $7.50 over two years and provide for indexing to the cost of living. The bill goes next to the Senate Finance Committee, where an alternative proposal advocated by Gov. Bill Richardson is also pending. That bill, SB 449, provides for a $7.50 wage phased in over three years with no indexing for inflation.

With the regular Session set to adjourn next Thursday at Noon, it will be a difficult task for legislators to come up with a compromise between the two bills. Supporters are urged to contact members of the Senate Finance Commitee and urge them to adopt Rep. Lujan's version of the bill.

Shameful: House Committee Kills Medical Marijuana Bill

A bill passed by the NM Senate that would allow patients suffering from diseases like cancer or AIDS to use medically prescribed marijuana was tabled yesterday in the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee on a  4-3 vote. Tabling of a bill this late in the Legislative Session means it's effectively dead.

The vote tally indicates that at least one Democrat voted for tabling. Both Rep. Ray Begaye (D-Shiprock) and Rep. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) reportedly voted against tabling so that leaves Democrats Joe Stelle (D-Carlsbad) and Andy Nunez (D-Hatch) as possible votes for killing the bill. If anyone knows how these Representatives voted, please let me know.

SB 258, the "Lynn Pierson Compassionate Act," was sponsored by Senator Cisco McSorley, who had predicted the bill had an excellent chance of passage. Apparently someone in the Democratic House Leadership didn't want that to happen, despite Governor Richardson's professed support for the measure. The referral of the bill to the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee was generally seen as an attempt to kill it, given the conservative nature of some of its members. It worked.

What a victory for small-mindedness and muddied thinking. What a painful and even dangerous loss for those suffering from serious diseases who can gain some measure of relief from a relatively harmless substance that has been used medicinally for centuries. Certainly the forces of compassion were trumped by the forces of backwards thinking. Again.

The bill had bipartisan support in the Senate, including that of Republican Senator Steve Komadina, a physician. It passed by a whopping margin of 34-6. Medical marijuana acts have been approved in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. But again, small numbers of Democrats and Republicans stood in the way of New Mexico joining that enlightened group.

Shame on those who voted against this bill on the basis of distorted claims by DEA-related cronies and other alarmists who seem more responsive to law enforcement fearmongering than to real human suffering. An Albuquerque Journal article reports that the committee's unconscionable vote was greeted by a shout of "Why are you trying to kill us?" by Essie DeBonet, 61, who said she has suffered from AIDS for 18 years and needs marijuana to control the pain without giving her nausea that prevents her from eating.

Maybe she should ask Big Pharma. Another article in the Santa Fe New Mexican describes how drug makers are funding people to testify against medical marijuana bills. Money talks. The pharamaceutical industry contributed more than $97,000 to New Mexico political campaigns in 2002 and more than $56,000 in 2004.

Dem Loyalists Question State Party's Plea for Donations

Click to check out a post on local blog New Mexico Matters. It discusses the response of Dem Party loyalists to last week's letter from DPNM Chair John Wertheim soliciting donations from members. Once again the issue of the State Party's lack of accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility roars to the forefront.

I'll have more on this soon, but New Mexico Matters has provided an opening salvo on this topic.

One important question: why hasn't DNC Chair Howard Dean visited New Mexico yet? I heard it through the grapevine that Dean was planning on coming here on February 23rd to help the Party raise funds. No word on this from the DPNM, however. Considering their recent plea for funds, you'd think this would be a top priority of the Party since Dean always raises money for the State Party when he visits. Chairman Dean has already visited more than 40 states. Why not here?

Paper Ballots Bill Heads To Full Senate For Consideration

2/13/06 10AM UPDATE: SB 295, the paper ballots bill, was NOT heard by the Senate on Sunday. It is listed first on the Senate Floor calendar for hearing today, Monday.

From NM Senate Democrats:
SANTA FE – A measure mandating that paper ballots be used for all New Mexico voting systems is headed to the Senate Floor on Sunday for consideration. SB 295 Require Paper Ballots for all Voting Systems, receiving approval from both the Rules and Public Affairs committee, is sponsored by Senator Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo).

“We have to restore the public trust in the election system, there have been a lot of issues out there about getting an accurate count of a persons vote and this is one way to take care if it.” says Senator Linda Lopez. “This is something that everyone can use and it is a system that is already being used in New Mexico. Currently there are 12 counties that already use optical scanners and paper ballots and eight more are prepared to use the paper ballot system.”

The effort to use a uniform paper ballot system in lieu of electronic touch screen systems will create greater consistency in the administration of elections. If passed, the legislation would require that paper ballots be used in all elections and recounts. It also requires county clerks to have systems in place by December 31, 2007. An amendment made during Friday night’s meeting of the Public Affairs Committee would require a competitive bid process for County Clerks as they implement the paper ballot systems instead of a sole source provider.

Senate Bill 295 is scheduled for “Third Reading”, meaning the New Mexico Senate could vote on the measure as early as Sunday. Click to contact Senators.

Senate Endorses Ethics Legislation Targeting Procurement Contractors

From NM Senate Democrats:
SANTA FE, NM – Senate Bill 344 Contributions By Procurement Contractors, sponsored by Senator Dede Feldman (D-Bernalillo), moved through the Senate Thursday evening on a 37 to 4 vote.
“This is a great bill and a good start in assuring the public that state contracts are not based on campaign contributions or gifts to those elected officials who may be able to influence the selection of a contractor,” says Senator Dede Feldman. I think we need to restore the public trust. We’ve seen some abuses of the procurement process and this is a step in solving it.”

The legislation identifies prohibitions and reporting requirements for prospective state contractors during the bidding process. Specifically it requires prospective contractors with the state or local public bodies to disclose all campaign contributions over $250 made to applicable state and local public officials during the two years prior to submitting a competitive sealed proposal. The same applies in cases involving a sole source or small purchase contracts.

The legislation also prohibits prospective contractors their employees, family members and related agents from making campaign contribution or giving anything of value to an applicable state or local official during the procurement process, including negotiations during the procurement process.
Approved floor amendments during the floor discussion broadened the disclosure to include contributions made by any appointee to the Board of Finance to a political candidate over a five year period as well as disclosing any and all tax liens and judgments that have been filed against them over the last ten years. Another amendment further prohibited family members from making contributions during the procurement process. “Family members” are identified as a “spouse, father, father-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law.”

Senate Bill 344 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Words For It

Please go to the following website www.lisagill.org  and click on GWB's face. It will take you to a poem written by an Albuquerque woman, as her response to the State of the Union speech.

She has the words for it. (Thanks to Anne for the heads up.)

Feingold Urges Filibuster on Patriot Act

Senator Russ Feingold, one of the REAL fighting Dems, has put out a call asking for citizens to urge their Democratic Senators to support a filibuster of the latest version of the Patriot Act, produced by a Republican "deal" with the White House. Click on the link for information on this and then contact Senator Bingaman (or your own Senators if you aren't in NM), to urge him to work with Senator Feingold on this. Our civil rights are in the balance. Now is the time.