(Updated) NM House Keeps Working in Special Session

UPDATE 5:30 PM: I've heard tonight the House will try to hear all the bills to be considered during the Special Session, starting at 7:00 PM.
*********
In a running update, Kate Nash reports the NM House is in still in session after reconvening at approximately 2:30 PM today. If they continue to work, the NM Senate will be forced to reconvene on Saturday, after adjourning yesterday in protest of Governor Richardson's call for a Special Session. Is it too much to hope they can pass some bills before making another stand?

According to an Albuquerque Tribune article, eight Democratic Senators voted with Republicans to adjourn yesterday. I can imagine which ones, can't you? As to the importance of the bills on the Governor's proclamation:

Sen. Linda Lopez, an Albuquerque Democrat, made the motion to adjourn. "It's not a health, life-or-death situation," she said after the vote. "It can wait until the next legislative session."

No problem if it's not YOUR civil rights, or you've been blocking ethics and campaign reform the entire session. Meanwhile some Republicans were rumored to be planning to introduce a bill to institute a constitutional ban on domestic partnership agreements, a move that would need ratification by New Mexico voters.

How would you like your rights under civil law put to a vote? Strange that in a republic based on ensuring the rights of minorities and the separation of church and state, this is the kind of anti-American proposal being made by members of a Party always harping on patriotism and the Constitution. I guess they haven't read it carefully, if at all. If they're good at anything, it's cherry picking -- whether it's passages from the Bible, intelligence on WMDs or the U.S. Constitution.

Meanwhile, the domestic partnership act (HB 4) was passed by the House Judiciary Committee yesterday and is headed to the House floor. It was already passed by the NM House during the regular Session:

Linda Siegle, a lobbyist for the Equality New Mexico PAC and other groups, said she's glad to see the issue on the special session agenda - but her group didn't request it be done now.

"We did not request it of the governor for the special session. The governor did it on his own, and we're grateful for that." But, she said, the bill is crucial. "This is a very important bill for people's families to have rights and responsibilities and protection," she said.

Let's hope Senate Democrats manage to lose their attitudes and at least approve this bill. Families all over New Mexico are holding their breath. It's like that when your basic civil rights and the stability of your lives are at stake.