(4 Updates) It's Official: Gov. Richardson Calls Special Session of the NM Legislature

UPDATE 3.21.07, 11:15 AM: The hearing on the House floor for the Domestic Partnership bill that was originally scheduled for 2:00 PM today has been cancelled. The games continue.

UPDATE 8:15 PM: See my later post for how the day ended.

UPDATE 6:10 PM: From Kate Nash, Albuquerque Tribune -They were here for less than 30 minutes before they recessed. And the state senators haven't been back since. Word on the street is that they are still debating whether to adjourn their special session, which convened at noon today, or stick it out and pass the handful of measures Gov. Bill Richardson has demanded. The House, by all appearances, is staying. Its members met this morning and then headed to committees to consider some of the five bills introduced this morning. They are scheduled to return at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

UPDATE 2:40 PM: From Equality New Mexico: House Bill 4, the Domestic Partners Rights and Responsibilities Act, sponsored by Mimi Stewart, has been introduced on the House Floor and assigned to House Judiciary Committee. The House Judiciary Committee will meet today at 3:30 PM in Room 309. We need to have people testify and fill the committee room. If your schedule allows, we would love to see you there. Assuming we pass out of House Judiciary, the bill will be heard on the House Floor tomorrow, time to be determined. On the other side of the Roundhouse, the Senate has recessed until 4:00 PM today and we have no idea what their next move will be.
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The Special Session will be begin at Noon today. You can read his proclamation here. It contains descriptions of the eight bills he's asking the Legislature to consider, which include:

• public financing of statewide judicial elections
• limit campaign contributions to statewide and district candidates and impose other requirements
• create a state ethics commission
• enact a Clandestine Drug Laboratory Act
• increase penalties for certain acts of domestic violence
• authorize Grip II, a large road and infrastructure funding bill
• establish a legal process to register domestic partnerships for both heterosexual and same sex partners

Special Sessions can run for up to 30 days by law. Richardson has said the business at hand could probably be completed within several days. Unfortunately, he's getting some backlash about calling the Session, reportedly from a number of Senators who aren't supportive of ethics and campaign finance reform or have other problems with having to return to Santa Fe so soon after the end of the regular Session. Media sources are even suggesting there may be a plot being hatched, led by Democratic Senators, to scuttle the Session by calling a recess as soon as the Senate meets. We'll see.

If you care about important legislation like ethics and campaign finance reform, domestic partnerships, public funding of judicial elections and increased penalties for domestic abuse, encourage your State Senators and Reps to return to work and get them passed. Click to get contact info.

To see all our coverage on this year's legislature, visit our 2007 Legislature post archive.