Equality NM Legislative Update: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

From Equality New Mexico: Busy Week at the Legislature

Scheduled for Hearing this Thursday, February 15
HB 603, The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act has been scheduled for public hearing in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee meeting this Thursday, February 1, 2007, at 1:30 PM in Room 315 of the Roundhouse.

This Domestic Partnership legislation is the centerpiece of our legislative agenda this year.  If it passes, HB603 would allow any two non-familial adults in an intimate relationship to form a domestic partnership.  This domestic partnership would provide the couple with all of the rights, protections and responsibilities available to married couples on the state level.   

CONTACT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND TELL THEM TO VOTE FOR PROTECTIONS FOR ALL NEW MEXICO FAMILIES BY SUPPORTING HB603! Click to TAKE ACTION

The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee is the first stop for this legislation, but we need to make a good showing. Equality New Mexico needs your help.  We need people in the committee room who support this legislation to send a message to the legislators that our families deserve protection.
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Senate Bill 502: Amending Retiree Health Care Act Defeated In Senate Judiciary: On Friday, February 9, Senator Grubesic’s Bill to amend the Retiree Health Care Act, thereby providing health insurance to domestic partners of retired public employees was indefinitely tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

After a lengthy debate in which the Republicans in the Committee attempted to amend the Bill to remove the language defining domestic partner, the Committee finally voted.  The vote was tied 4-4, with Senators Grubesic, McSorley, Lopez, and Martinez voting in favor and Senators Rainaldi, Adair, Harden and Cravens voting against. Senators William Payne and Michael Sanchez were not present during the vote. When a tie vote occurs in a committee, the bill is automatically tabled until someone changes their vote. 

While this Bill is essentially dead in committee, there is still litigation pending to resolve this matter and Equality New Mexico is continuing its aggressive lobbying efforts to pass other pieces of legislation to benefit LGBT families.
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Senate Bill 182: Health Insurance for Domestic Partners Passes Senate Judiciary with Bad Amendment: On February 12, 2007, the Senate Judiciary passed Senate Bill 182, the bill that would require insurance companies to provide health insurance to domestic partners if employer’s requested, by a 6-4 vote.  Don’t celebrate yet.  The Bill was passed with an absurd amendment.  After much debate, led by the Republicans in the Committee, the Bill was Amended to take out the term “Domestic Partner” and replace it with the term “Contractual Household Member.”  If your first reaction is “HUH?!?” that is the point.  The amendment makes the bill so vague that it is unlikely to pass on the Senate Floor, which is its next stop.

HELP EQUALITY NEW MEXICO COMBAT THESE DAMAGING AMENDMENTS BY DONATING TO OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS NOW!

House Bill 15, the mirror Bill that was brought in the House, remains intact.  It has already passed the entire House and is now in the Senate and currently assigned to Senate Public Affairs Committee and Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee.  It does not have to go through Senate Judiciary.
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Marriage Bill Introduced: On Friday, Senator Cisco McSorley (D-Albuquerque), introduced Senate Bill 1003: A Bill to Change the Marriage Form. This Bill would alter the marriage form to replace the terms “bride” and “groom” with “Applicant 1” and “Applicant 2.”  Currently, New Mexico’s marriage statute is gender neutral.  However, County Clerks still cannot issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.*

*The denial of same-sex couples right to marry is based on a non-binding letter, issued by the Attorney General in 2004, stating her opinion that the statutory form which lists "bride" and "groom" prohibited marriage between same sex couples.  Senate Bill 1003 amends that section of the statutes to make the application form gender neutral.   

Equality New Mexico is committed to the pursuit of full equality for ALL New Mexicans.  We applaud Senator McSorley and all of the legislators who are committed to equality and support this legislation.  We will continue to update you as hearings are scheduled.