NM Senate: Will They Stay or Will They Go?

Kate Nash at the Albuquerque Tribune says:

Word is that the Senate is expected to come back to Santa Fe at 9 a.m. [Saturday] to caucus and then reconvene at 10. We'll see how that goes. At the conference, Richardson said he wants to see the Senate to do the work the House did Wednesday night. I'd say it's up in the air right now as to whether they will stay. Senate President Ben Altamirano says he thinks the votes are there; I just talked to Senate Minority Whip Leonard Lee Rawson, who said the votes are there to leave . . .

This morning, an Albuquerque Journal article quoted Sen. Altamirano on the prospects of Senate action Saturday:

"I can almost say I'm positive we can go in there and get the Senate together," said Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City. But he said staying in session doesn't guarantee passage of the governor's agenda. "(Richardson) said that all he wanted is an up-or-down vote," Altamirano said. "If the guy wants an up-or-down vote on those bills, it's time we gave it to him."

Senators Griego and Altamirano also said a voter backlash might develop if the Senate again adjourned without voting on anything:

...  Altamirano and Sen. Phil Griego, D-San Jose, another Richardson ally, said they believe there could be a voter backlash if the Senate calls another adjournment. "Another turn of events would turn the general public against us," Altamirano said.

The most positive news was that the Senate might pass a couple of bills tomorrow, including the domestic partnership bill that failed in the Senate by a few votes near the end of the regular Session:

While he is willing to meet, Griego said he doesn't believe there are enough votes to pass measures that cost money— such as the $208 million highway package and the ethics commission. But he said he's hoping for a compromise: Pass the domestic partners bill, and possibly a House-approved measure to increase the penalties for domestic violence ... [emphasis mine]

We can only hope that everyone involved stops using the domestic partnership legislation as a political football and instead do what's right for a significant number of New Mexican citizens who have long been striving to obtain the most basic of civil law protections for themselves and their families.

To access the archive of all our posts on the 2007 Legislature, click here.

To read our archive of posts on the domestic partnership act, click here.