(Updated) NM Impeachment Resolution Passes Second Committee, Senate Public Affairs, 4-2

UPDATE: Good news! According to Las Cruces blogger Heath Haussamen, Democratic Sen. Mary Kay Papen (D-Doña Ana 38), was allowed to add her yes vote to the tally on the impeachment resolution since she was present for most of the committee hearing Sunday, making the final Do Pass margin 4-2. Another Democratic member of Public Affairs, Sen. Mary Jane Garcia (D-Doña Ana 36) has signed on to the bill as a cosponsor even though she wasn't able to attend Sunday's hearing. Hurrah for Senators Papen and Garcia!
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SJR 5, the New Mexico impeachment resolution, passed the NM Senate Public Affairs Committee this afternoon by a vote of 3-2! Once again the hearing room was packed, with many left standing and even more trailing out into the hallway. Not one person spoke against the measure during about an hour and 15 minutes of testimony. Particularly moving were a passionate speech from a gentleman from Carrizozo, who led off the testimony, and an eloquent and heartfelt statement by another gentleman who had been a history professor for more than 30 years.

Dems present and voting to pass the resolution were:

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, (D-Bernalillo 12), the bill's original co-sponsor (along with Rep. John Grubesic)

Sen. Dede Feldman, (D-Bernalillo 13), Committee Chair

Sen. David Ulibarri (D-Cibola, Socorro, Valencia) of Grants [no photo available]

A big thank you goes out to these three patriotic State Senators! If you'd like to tell them how much you appreciate their votes, click on their names above for their contact information.

Two Democrats Don't Vote
Although another Dem, Sen. Mary Kay Papen (D-Dona Ana 38), was present for most of the hearing, she left without voting on the measure. The other Dem on the Committee, Sen. Mary Jane Garcia (D-Dona Ana 36), who had previously signed on as a cosponsor of SJR 5, was not in attendance and may have been busy at another committee hearing.

Committee Republicans
Three Repubs attended most of the hearing, although one left near the end and did not vote, thus giving the measure only two nay votes, by Senators Stuart Ingle (R-Chaves, Curry, De Baca & Roosevelt) and Steven Neville (R-San Juan). At the start of the hearing, Ingle also motioned to table the resolution. It failed by a vote of 3-3, with the three Democrats present voting nay and Sen. Gay Kernan (R-Chaves, Curry, Eddy, Lea & Roosevelt) joining Ingle and Neville voting yes.

With a victory previously in the Senate Rules Committee and now this one in Public Affairs, the impeachment resolution moves next to the NM Senate Judiciary Committee. If it passes there, it would go to the full Senate for a vote.

Also see Anne Kass' post on today's Committee hearing for her take on the hearing.

To read our previous posts about the NM impeachment resolution, visit our impeachment archive.