Democracy for New Mexico

Grant County Dem Party Passes Resolution Supporting NM Impeachment Effort

From Jim Fridinger, Gila Regional Community List:
On February 7, 2007, the Grant County Democratic Party, by an overwhelming majority, passed the resolution as written below:

After informed debate and discussion, the Grant County Democratic Party wholly endorses the New Mexico Senate Joint Resolution 05 calling for the immediate instigation of impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney for the crimes detailed in the resolution, acknowledging our responsibility under the Constitution of the United States, and that the result of this vote be forwarded by the Grant County Democratic Party secretary of record to Sen. Ortiz y Pino of the New Mexico State Senate.

Calls, polite and considerate, to Senator Ben Altamirano's office to let him know that this is his constituency speaking, and that we hope he will represent us well in the coming weeks regarding this issue. Perhaps calls to other representatives in the NM legislature would also be in order.

Senator Ben Altamirano:
Capital office phone: 505 986 4733
Home phone (Silver City): 505 538 3525

Contact info for other members of the NM legislature can be found here.

UPDATE: The Silver City Sun-News covered the story on February 10, 2007.

Hearing on Domestic Partner Retirement Insurance Set for Today

From Equality New Mexico:
Senate Bill 502, Senator Grubesic’s Bill to amend the Retiree Health Care Act in order to provide health insurance benefits to domestic partner’s of state employees after the employee retires, is now scheduled for public hearing on Friday, February 9th at 1:30 PM in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is the first Bill on the agenda.

The hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but the Senate had to reschedule the committee hearing, due to a long floor battle over cock fighting. Equality New Mexico has extended our online campaign to contact members of the committee to ask them to support SB 502. You can contact them by clicking on the link below.

Contact the Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Tell Them to Support Senate Bill 502!

We still need people in the committee room who support this legislation to send a message to the legislators that our families deserve protection. If you are able to attend, try to arrive a little bit early as parking is often difficult.

Editor's Note: See our previous post on this issue.

Video of Today's Foreign Policy Speech by Gov. Richardson at CSIS

You can watch video of Gov. Bill Richardson's major foreign policy address given today at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC at his presidential website. Here's the direct link to the video. (Photo left: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Here's what the Washington Post is reporting. Excerpts:

"This administration's lack of realism has led us to a dangerous place. So America needs to take a different path -- a path based on reality, not unilateralist illusions."

... He also called for the United States to join the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on curbing such emissions "and then go well beyond it."

He said that would mean sacrifice to cut oil imports from 65 percent of fossil fuel use to 10 percent in 15 years. He said it would require a massive public and private investment in renewable technology and a drastic increase in automobile fuel economy standards. "This has to be led by a president," Richardson said.

... Richardson said other countries will not take the nuclear nonproliferation treaty seriously until the United States leads a global effort to reduce nuclear weapons, "including our own."

See my previous post on the speech.

--UPDATED -- IMPORTANT: Hearing on NM Impeachment Resolution Postponed!

UPDATE 3:34 PM: The intrepid Terry Riley just called in from the Roundhouse in Santa Fe where he spoke with Leland Lehrman of Mother Media, who has been a main force behind the NM impeachment effort. Leland reports that the Senate Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment resolution originally scheduled for February 9th has been postponed until next Friday, February 16th, at 8:30 AM in Room 321 of the Roundhouse.

The disturbing news, however, is that Republican members of the Senate Rules Committee are reportedly threatening to boycott the commitee meeting if the impeachment resolution is considered. If they do that, it would be impossible to reach quorum, and the hearing couldn't be held, holding up other committee business as well as consideration of impeachment. Talk about cowardly, undemocratic tactics on the part of the committee's Republicans! Of course their threatened behavior is matched by similar reluctance to discuss realities in the U.S. Senate, where Republican maneuvers continue to stop consideration of a resolution against Bush's plan for troop escalations in Iraq.

Leland and other supporters of the impeachment effort are reportedly planning to go ahead with a rally on the East side of the Roundhouse on Friday, February 9, at 9:00 AM, when the resolution was originally scheduled to be heard by Senate Rules. With so many people set to converge on Santa Fe in support of SJR 5 on that day, many probably won't get word of the postponment and be there anyway. All supporters are encouraged to attend!

More official notification from the office of Sen. Ortiz y Pino and Leland Lehrman should be coming soon. Stay tuned to what's an increasingly fluid situation with this bill.
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ORIGINAL POST 11:23 AM: We're getting word that the NM Senate Rules Committee hearing on SJR 5, New Mexico's impeachment resolution, has been cancelled for this Friday, February 9th. The rumor is that it may be rescheduled for Monday, February 11th, but nothing is official yet. Please help get the word out on this as a large turnout is expected. We'll keep you posted.

Try the New, Improved New Mexico FBIHOP

Local blog New Mexico FBIHOP has been up and running since February of last year and doing a great job covering the New Mexico political scene. Now they've replaced their original offering with a new community blog, where readers can post their own diaries, ala Daily Kos and many others. Go join up and try it out at their new URL: . Nice addition to the NM blogging scene, isn't it? Adjust your bookmarks accordingly.

UPDATED: Bill to Abolish the Death Penalty Moves to NM House Floor

UPDATE 2/9/07: HB 190--Abolish the Death Penalty Will Have a Floor Vote on Monday, February 12th. The House usually convenes at 10:30 AM and bills begin to be voted on at about 11:30 AM. At this point  it is impossible to be more precise about the schedule.

Please contact the Representatives below. Call their office today and Monday (starting at 8:00 AM) or send them an email over the weekend. Please make the emails very short--2 to 3 sentences are plenty. Calls and emails should always be extremely polite and respectful.

Rep. Thomas Garcia is new so has never voted on the issue. The other Reps voted against repeal in 2005 but are thoughtful legislators who value hearing from their constituents. Thanks for your help and support.

Kathleen MacRae, Director
NM Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
PO Box 8552, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-986-9536 x22 or 505-681-3920
kmacrae@nmrepeal.org

Contact these Reps:
Rep. Joseph Cervantes, 986-4249   
cervanteslaw@zianet.com
    
Rep. John Heaton, 986-4432
jheaton@caverns.com
    
Rep. Dona Irwin, 986-4249   
donagale@zianet.com

Rep. Kathy McCoy, 986-4214
katrina@swcp.com

Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, 986-4467
jpandp@comcast.net
    
Rep. Thomas Garcia, 986-4242
ocate@hotmail.com

*************************************
From the NM House Leadership:
Santa Fe, NM – A bill to abolish the death penalty received a do pass recommendation from the House Judiciary Committee yesterday with a 9 to 3 vote. House Bill 190 will now move to the House floor. The measure had previously passed the House Public Affairs Committee by a 4-3 margin. An almost identical bill to repeal the death penalty and institute the sentence of life without parole, passed the House of Representatives in 2005 with a bi-partisan vote of 38 to 31.

Rep. Gail Chasey has sponsored similar legislation since 1999. During testimony she said that the death penalty discriminates against people of color and those who live in rural areas or are poor. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 53% of men and women on death row are African American or Hispanic.

Rep. Chasey emphasized that the state spends millions of dollars a year on the capital punishment system even though New Mexico has had only one execution since 1960. Andrea Vigil, whose husband was murdered in Santa Fe seven years ago, asked that state resources be used to expand services for the families who have lost a loved one to murder not to continue the death penalty system.

Rep. Antonio Maestas (D-Albuquerque) spoke in support of repeal of the death penalty as a former prosecutor. He explained how resources are diverted away from prosecuting other violent crimes when a death penalty case takes precedence. He suggested that the state needs to scrutinize all of its expenditures very carefully when we live in a world of scarce resources. “It astounds me that the state will spend millions of dollars every year on the death penalty when we’ve had one execution in 47 years. If this money was being spent on any other program with the same result, we would be laughed out of town,” he said. “Imagine if we allocated $50 million dollars to an economic development program and they reported back to us after a year that they had created one small business.”

Rep. Elias Barela (D-Valencia) also supported death penalty repeal. He said, “I think it is inconsistent that people will see life in a stem cell, but will not recognize it sitting in a jail cell.”

Editor's Note: The New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty is a primary advocacy group that is fighting to abolish the death penalty in the state and provides many resources on the issue. It's organizational members include:

• Indian Bar Association
• Marketing Communications Group, Inc.
• Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation-NM
• NAACP-NM
• National Association of Social Workers-NM
• NM Catholic Conference
• NM Conference of Churches
• NM Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• NM Public Health Association

Medical Marijuana Bill Passed by NM Senate

Senate Bill 238, which would authorize the medical use of marijuana in certain circumstances, passed the NM Senate yesterday by a margin of 34-7. The bill, sponsored by NM Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, moves next to the NM House. The measure gained passage in the Senate twice in two years, but was hung up in the House each time. See our previous posts here and here for more information on the bill and the issues it raises. The Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico is one of the primary advocates behind this bill and provides many excellent resources related to this effort.

NM Senate Judiciary Committee to Consider Health Security Act Monday

From the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign:
The Health Security Act (Senate Bill 720) will have its first hearing this coming Monday, February 12, in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee usually starts to hear bills at 1:30 PM, or half an hour after the floor session ends, if that time is later. The Senate Judiciary Committee meets in Room 321 at the State Capitol. Please come to this important hearing!

Time to Call Judiciary Committee Senators! If your senator is on the Judiciary Committee (see list below), now is the time to call and ask him or her to support the Health Security Act.

Identify yourself as a constituent and urge your senator to support Senate Bill 720, the Health Security Act, which will let New Mexico set up its own health plan, like a cooperative.

If your senator is NOT a member of the Judiciary Committee, maybe you have friends or relatives whose senator is on the committee. Please contact them and ask them to call their senator!!

Constituents calling their senator will have a big impact on what happens to the Health Security Act on Friday. We need your help to ensure passage of Senate Bill 720 in the Senate Judiciary Committee! Please let us know once you have made the call to your senator. We appreciate hearing from you.

Senate Judiciary Committee Members

• Sen. Cisco McSorley, Chair (D) – Senate District 16 (Albuquerque): 986-4485
• Sen. Richard C. Martinez, Vice Chair (D) – Senate District 5 (Rio Arriba County): 986-4389
• Sen. William H. Payne, Ranking Member (R) – Senate District 20 (Albuquerque): 986-4276
• Sen. Rod Adair (R) – Senate District 33 (Chaves County): 986-4385
• Sen. Kent L. Cravens (R) – Senate District 21 (Albuquerque, Placitas): 986-4391
• Sen. John T. L. Grubesic (D) – Senate District 25 (Santa Fe): 986-4260
• Sen. Clinton D. Harden (R) – Senate District 7 (Colfax, Curry, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Taos, and Union counties): 986-4369
• Sen. Linda M. Lopez (D) – Senate District 11 (Albuquerque): 986-4737
• Sen. Lidio G. Rainaldi (D) – Senate District 4 (Cibola and McKinley counties): 986-4310
• Sen. Michael S. Sanchez (D) – Senate District 29 (Valencia County): 986-4727

Don’t Know Who Your State Senator Is? Here’s how to find out:

• Go to the legislature’s website: www.legis.state.nm.us
• Click on “Find Your Legislator”
• Under “Senate,” click on “Search by Name, District or Zip Code”
• Enter your zip code (in some areas—like Albuquerque—you may need to input the extra four digits after your zip code)

You can also call your county clerk.

And While You're at It, Call the Governor! Many thanks to all of you who have called the Governor to ask him to support the Health Security Act. The calls are rolling in. We need to keep this up, so if you have not already done so, be sure to call the Governor at 827-3000. Thank you!

If you have any questions, contact Josette at 771-8763 or jhaddad@cableone.net.

Gov. Richardson to Call for Halting New U.S. Nuke Weapons Programs

On Thursday, Governor Bill Richardson will make what his presidential campaign is calling a "major address" on foreign policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. According to the Campaign News Advisory (see below), Richardson will include among his proposals "halting new American nuclear weapons programs." Quite a compelling announcement considering the roles New Mexico's Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories play in the nuke weapon industry. In fact, Los Alamos is one of two labs to have submitted a design to build what's being called the next generation of nuke bombs, the very controversial "reliable replacement warhead."

According to a January article in the Santa Fe New Mexican:

... last month, the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory listed the new warhead design among the lab's accomplishments. "I think our team did a great job," director Michael Anastasio told employees in a December speech.

At least two watchdog groups in New Mexico -- Nuclear Watch New Mexico and the Los Alamos Study Group -- are opposed to the project, saying it will further nuclear proliferation.

Greg Mello of the study group said the program is primarily about keeping the nuclear weapons complex alive.

Reportedly the Bush administration is considering combining the designs submitted by Los Alamos Lab with that proposed by Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California.

CAMPAIGN NEWS ADVISORY
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to Outline Bold, Strong Foreign Policy Vision for America

US must address threat of nuclear terrorism, should stop new nuke programs

Governor Bill Richardson on Thursday will deliver a major address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC.  In the speech, entitled “The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership”, the Governor will outline his vision for a renewed and strong American foreign policy and his detailed philosophy to confront world challenges.

Governor Richardson believes that under the Bush administration the country’s foreign policy has been guided more by “wishful thinking than by reality”.  He believes the United States must take a different path in foreign affairs, “a path not of hard words, but of hard work.” The Governor will offer his assessment of the true challenges facing America and the world, and his plan on how to deal with them.

Governor Richardson will also discuss ways to make America and the world more secure, specifically by addressing the threat of nuclear terrorism and the need to secure the world’s existing nuclear materials.  He will also propose halting new American nuclear weapons programs.

Bill Richardson is uniquely qualified to discuss foreign policy, having served as a US Congressman for 14 years, Ambassador to the UN, Energy Secretary, and as the two-term Governor of a border state.   

What: Governor Bill Richardson major foreign policy address to CSIS

Where: 10 am Thurs. February 8, CSIS offices, 1800 K Street NW, Washington, DC

Site Contact: Andrew Schwartz, CSIS (202) 775-3242 aschwartz@csis.org

News Advisory: February 7, 2007
Contact: Pahl Shipley, Santa Fe (505) 982-2291

NM House Education Committee to Conduct Open Forum Saturday

From the NM House of Representatives Leadership:
The House Education Committee chaired by Rep. Rick Miera (D-Albuquerque) will be conducting an open forum 9:30 - 11:30 AM on Saturday, February 10th on the House Floor at the State Capitol in Santa Fe.

Rep. Miera said, “This open forum allows the general public, parents, and educators to be part of the legislative process since most of them work during the week when the committees are being held. The people who’ve attended in the past are passionate about education and this provides them with an opportunity to address the committee with their concerns.  The information and input we gather from them has been invaluable.”