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Hey All,
We need numbers here tomorrow:
What: Rep. TOM UDALL TOWN HALL MEETING
WHEN: Friday March 16th 5pm (gather at 4:30 PM)
WHERE: CORRALES MUNICIPAL COURT (Corrales Rd. across from post office)
We will gather with signs, attend meeting, initiate serious dialog with Tom, etc.
TV AND LOCAL PRESS IS EXPECTED
Thanks for your support!
Mike Davis
Duke City/Corrales Council
MoveOn.org
March 16, 2007 at 01:08 AM in Events, Iraq War, Local Politics | Permalink | Comments (0)
From Jeff Conant: A coalition of groups is protesting war, including the Action Coalition of Taos (ACT), on Saturday, March 17, 2007 at 2 PM on the Taos plaza.
John Nichols, Lila Johnston and others will be speaking, reading poetry, playing music and rapping. Bring signs and colorful representations against war and empire! Also check out my very civilized little article on Rumsfeld in Counterpunch ... Taos Fights Back. For more information, please call 776-1932.
March 15, 2007 at 03:08 PM in Iraq War | Permalink | Comments (1)
The Bush wing of the Republican Party, nationally and here in New Mexico and other states, has long been pumping out misinformation and distorted spin about alleged "voter fraud." As I'm sure you've noticed, one of the major complaints about U.S. Attorney David Iglesias by Domenici, Wilson and other New Mexico Repubs has been that he didn't bring a voter fraud case before the 2004 election, or since.
Various mouthpieces for the Party have repeatedly claimed that massive voter fraud -- by Democratic voters or those registering them -- exists in our state. They claim to have turned over tons of "evidence" of this to Iglesas in 2004. They've been pissed off ever since because he obviously didn't find anything that merited the timely indictments they wanted to use for political hay. Instead, Iglesias appointed a bipartisan task force to study the problem. Surprise -- they found nothing but minor infractions and certainly nothing that rose to the level of "massive voter fraud." Regardless, the Repubs have kept up the disinformation campaign to this day, and now the Department of Justice is using the issue as yet another excuse for firing Iglesias and other U.S. Attorneys.
Iglesias Addresses "Voter Fraud" Claims
As reported today in an Albuquerque Tribune article, here's Igelsias' response to the accusations that he had adequate evidence to issue indictments for voter fraud in New Mexico but refused to do so for some reason:
Iglesias also countered Justice Department claims that his inability to bring indictments in a voter fraud case was a primary reason for his dismissal. His office was one of two in the nation, he told KRQE, that formed a voter fraud task force. It investigated numerous complaints about voter fraud but found only one case that might have gone forward.
"But after looking at the evidence" and conferring with higher level department officials, he said, "we decided jointly" not to pursue prosecution "because we did not have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt."
Repubs Push "Voter Fraud" Strategy in New Mexico
NM Repub State Chair, Allen Weh, continued the harangue on this non-issue into New Mexico's 2005 legislative session, where Repub lobbyists and legislators pushed strict voter ID bills as their preferred solution to a problem they couldn't prove existed. It was a part of a longstanding, Rove-inspired effort to make it harder for people to vote in swing states -- especially people who might be expected to vote Democratic. You may recall the problems created by Republican operatives in Florida and Ohio during the last two presidential elections.
While Dem legislators in Santa Fe worked with nonpartisan election reform activists and election officials to craft bills to improve many aspects of the New Mexico election process, including a switch to a paper ballot system statewide, many Repubs fought them tooth and nail and kept up the "voter fraud" litany. Many Bush Repubs voted against every single bill to reform and improve New Mexico's election process EXCEPT for voter ID measures.
Digging back into our archives, here's a post from early May of 2005 about Allen Weh's fact-impaired attack on Dem Sen. Linda Lopez and the election reform measures she helped craft and pass. It includes her response to Weh's wacky accusations.
Ironic, isn't it, that Bush and his cronies keep trying to project their own sins onto Democrats in states where elections have recently been close ones? They keep crying wolf with their voter fraud allegations but, so far, haven't managed to come up with a shred of valid evidence to prove their case -- even when they hand their "documentation" to a Republican U.S. Attorney and pressure him any which way they can to get him to play ball with them.
Rove's Pattern of Using Concocted Indictments for Political Gain
More discussion of the voter fraud angle emerged today in an excellent Salon piece by Sidney Blumenthal entitled, "All Roads Lead to Rove." You really should read it in its entirety because it does such a great job of laying out Rove's involvement in the recent political purges, as well as his history of using the FBI for political gains. Here are a few nuggets:
White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, acknowledged that the U.S. attorneys' dismissals were preceded by a conversation between President Bush and Gonzales last October in which Bush complained that some prosecutors were not pursuing voter fraud investigations. These were, in fact, cases that Rove thought were especially important to Republicans.
... Rove was the conduit for Republican political grievances about the U.S. attorneys. He was the fulcrum and the lever. He was the collector of information and the magnet of power. He was the originator, formulator and director. But, initially, according to the administration, like Gonzales, he supposedly knew nothing and did nothing.
... From the earliest Republican campaigns that Rove ran in Texas, beginning in 1986, the FBI was involved in investigating every one of his candidates' Democratic opponents. Rove happened to have a close and mysterious relationship with the chief of the FBI office in Austin. Investigations were announced as elections grew close, but there were rarely indictments, just tainted Democrats and victorious Republicans. On one occasion, Rove himself proclaimed that the FBI had a prominent Democrat under investigation -- an investigation that led to Rove's client's win. In 1990, the Texas Democratic Party chairman issued a statement: "The recurring leaks of purported FBI investigations of Democratic candidates during election campaigns is highly questionable and repugnant."
... In 2002, the first midterm elections of the Bush presidency, Republicans systematically raised charges of voter fraud involving Native Americans in the hotly contended U.S. Senate race in South Dakota. Though the accusations were never proved and the GOP failed to depose the Democratic senator, Tim Johnson, the campaign served as a template.
By the election of 2004, Rove became a repository of charges of voter fraud across the country, from Philadelphia to Milwaukee to New Mexico, all in swing states. In the campaign, unproven voter fraud charges, always aimed at minority voters, became a leitmotif of Republican efforts.
... In 2006, Rove addressed the Republican Lawyers Association on the "growing problem," as he put it, of voter fraud. Every instance he cited was in a swing state. New Mexico was one of them.
Rove had heard complaints from the New Mexico Republican Party chairman, Allen Weh, about David Iglesias, the state's U.S. attorney, for his supposed refusal to indict Democrats for voter fraud. Iglesias appeared to be a dream figure for local Republicans -- the model for the movie "A Few Good Men," Hispanic and evangelical. "Is anything ever going to happen to that guy?" Weh asked Rove at a White House Christmas party. "He's gone," Rove replied. Indeed, Iglesias' firing was already a done deal. [emphasis mine]
The Charade Continues
Funny, if you read local rightwing blogs, they're still insisting that Iglesias was justifiably in hot water because he refused to prosecute "voter fraud" cases. I still haven't heard any logical reason he might refuse, other than the fact that evidence didn't exist to justify indictments. I guess once the locals start repeating Rove's talking points, they can't bring themselves to stop even if the case they're trying to make is clearly not valid or factual.
Another good source of information on this issue is Talking Point Memo's archive of "voter fraud" posts that dates back to the 2002 election cycle.
To read DFNM's past coverage of the attorney purge, visit our post archive on the story.
March 15, 2007 at 01:05 PM in Crime, Ethics & Campaign Reform, Local Politics, U.S. Attorney Iglesias | Permalink | Comments (3)
Was it Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Rep. Tom Udall or someone else in a leadership role in the Democratic Party who ordered SJR 5, the New Mexico impeachment resolution, killed before it got to the floor of the NM Senate? David Lindorff examines the odd parliamentary manueuver used to preclude debate of the measure on the floor of the NM Senate, "Democrats Kill Democracy and Protect a Criminal Presidency in New Mexico". The article also ponders who may have called the shots on the strategy. His piece has been published on BuzzFlash and other progressive national news outlets and blogs.
As far as I know, it's unprecedented to have a measure that's been approved by three Senate committees blocked from having a floor debate in the NM Senate. It certainly appears that something anti-democratic and underhanded happened between the time SJR 5 was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and it was killed by a refusal to accept the Committee's "Do Pass" report. Speculation continues here and nationally as to just exactly what that was and who was behind it.
Editor's Note: To access our previous coverage of the New Mexico impeachment issue, visit our impeachment post archive.
March 15, 2007 at 10:38 AM in Democratic Party, Impeachment, NM Legislature 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4)
From Democracy for America:
Hear Senator Edwards' Response |
Last month, Democracy for America members petitioned the presidential candidates to oppose any escalation of the Iraq War, demand a swift end to the occupation, and propose a plan that brings our brave men and women home. We delivered over thirty thousand signatures and comments to every candidate and asked them to respond.
Senator John Edwards took time to shoot a video response to you and we are excited to make it available today.
Senator Edwards believes Congress should use their funding authority "to force George Bush to steadily bring troops out of Iraq." He believes troop levels should be "capped initially at one hundred thousand" and wants all combat troops out of Iraq in about a year. Senator Edwards closes his remarks with a thank you:
"Thank you for organizing at a grassroots level and building a movement to try to end this war in Iraq... and for helping build a movement to deal with all the big issues that matter in this country."
This video is just the beginning.
Over the next several months, DFA members will work together to pressure the presidential candidates on the most important issues. The road to the Democratic nomination is a long one and each candidate will be working hard for your endorsement and your vote. Victory in 2008 is up to us.
Thank you for everything you do,
Tom Hughes, Executive Director
P.S. John Edwards is the first candidate to answer your call for a direct response. If you like what you see and hear, I encourage you to sign up for his campaign and help in any way you can:
That said, this message should not be construed as an endorsement of Senator Edward's candidacy. In the months ahead other candidates for president will be reaching out to Democracy for America members too, because you have the power to shape the presidential primaries in a way no one else can.
Editor's Notes: Democracy for New Mexico is loosely affiliated with the national group, Democracy for America, which has its origins in the presidential campaign of Howard Dean when it was known as Dean for America. Click to learn more about DFA.
DFA-Democracy for New Mexico Meetups are held on the first Thursday of the month in Albuquerque. To become a member and join our email list, visit our Meetup site. You should also register at Democracy for America so you can be kept informed of their actions on the national level. Once registered, you can also join our DFA Link group. Although we still use Meetup for our meeting organization, members are urged to also register at our DFA Link page.
March 14, 2007 at 11:00 PM in Democratic Party, DFA, DFNM - Albq, Iraq War, MeetUp | Permalink | Comments (6)
UPDATE 3.15.07: The Senate debate on this bill has been postponed until sometime after 11:00 AM on Friday, March 16.
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From Equality New Mexico:
By a vote of 5-1, HB 603, the Domestic Rights and Responsibilities Act, passed out of Senate Judiciary last night. Over 50 people showed up to support HB 603. The opposition only had about 8 people in the room.
Rep. Mimi Stewart presented the bill. Sen. Cisco McSorley, Chair of Senate Judiciary, asked how many people were there to oppose the bill, and asked them if they wanted to testify. One man, who most of the opposition seemed to believe was their best spokesperson, spoke in opposition. His statement claimed that if they passed HB 603, it would lead to people marrying children, relatives, and sheep. The testimony was over.
Sen. McSorley asked how many people were there to support the Bill. Our 50+ people raised their hands, but offered no testimony. The committee went immediately into the vote. Voting in favor of HB 603 were Senators McSorley, Grubesic, Martinez, M. Sanchez and Lopez. Sen. Adair opposed the Bill. Senators Rainaldi, Cravens, Harden and Payne were not in the room.
HB 603 will be heard tomorrow, March 15th on the Senate Floor. This is our last hurdle. If the Bill passes tomorrow, the Governor will sign it, and Domestic Partners will have rights in New Mexico.
We need to pack the Senate Gallery! The Senators all need to see how many people are there to support this legislation.
There is no way to predict when this Bill will be heard. The Senate will go into session at 10:00 AM, and will most likely remain in session all day and late into the night. The Senate does not follow their agenda, so tomorrow will likely be a very long day.
YOUR HELP NEEDED!!
We have one more obstacle to overcome. In an attempt to kill this legislation, it is likely that our opposition will try to amend this bill on the floor. We cannot allow HB603 to be amended in any way.
We have only one day left, so please, if you live in any of the targeted Senator’s Districts listed below, contact your Senator by phone and by clicking the link below and ask them to support HB603 as is and to vote against any amendments which would change or delay this Bill.
If you don't know who your Senator is, click here and search by zip code.
Editor's Note: Let's see if our Senators are as concerned about human civil rights as they are about the health and welfare of roosters during this Session. We can only hope.
To check on the final outcome of this bill, visit our archive of GLBT posts.
March 14, 2007 at 05:17 PM in Civil Liberties, GLBT Rights, NM Legislature 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)
From Steve Fettig, Los Alamos:
The Los Alamos High School Coalition For Peace has organized a rally and march at Ashley Pond starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 17th. They hope to catch people coming from The Empty Bowls Project at the Senior Center. There will be music and an open microphone followed by a march through town.
Please bring your signs and come and support our youth. If you would like an electronic flyers for the event, to print and post around your office, town and on cars, contact Stephen Fettig at osprey@cybermesa.com. Help these young people make a statement to the rest of America! Thanks!
March 14, 2007 at 01:24 PM in Iraq War, Peace | Permalink | Comments (0)
From Maggie Toulouse, Bernalillo County Clerk, Albuquerque:
2006 General Election Evaluation: PUBLIC INPUT NEEDED
What did you think of last November’s General Election?
(click for flyer (pdf) - feel free to distribute)
As part of an on-going effort to ensure accuracy, fairness, integrity and efficiency in our election process, County Clerk Maggie Toulouse will be hosting the following opportunities for the public to provide input and feedback:
PUBLIC FORUM
Party Activists and individuals (poll workers, challengers, watchers etc.) who were involved in the General Election are invited to share their experiences, concerns and suggestions in a panel forum environment. Members of the panel will include the County Clerk, Deputy Clerk and Bureau of Elections staff. Comments will be recorded and compiled into a working list that will be considered when planning for future elections.
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2007
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Bernalillo County Commission/City Council Chambers
One Civic Plaza, NW – Basement
STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS
Meetings will be organized with representatives from Party Organizations, Candidate Committees, and Voter Advocacy Organizations to explore experiences, concerns and suggestions in detail. Specific action plans will be developed to meet the needs of stakeholders.
APRIL 1 – APRIL 30
Meetings will be organized and scheduled upon confirmation with organizations
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
The County Clerk accepts comments from the public year round; however this period will be a concerted effort to gather as much input from the public at large as possible. Opportunities will be available via regular mail, email, and fax.
APRIL 1 – APRIL 30
Mail comments to:
Election Process Review
County Clerk
One Civic Plaza NW, 6th Floor
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Email comments to: clerk@bernco.gov
Fax comments to: (505) 768-4151
All information received as a result of this process will be compiled into a report and published for public review.
We hope that you and your organization will take this opportunity to share your experience, ideas and concerns regarding our election process. You are critical to our success!!
If you have any questions, require further information or would like to reserve time for your organization’s meeting, please contact:
Robert Adams, Deputy County Clerk
(505) 468-1207
radams@bernco.gov
MAGGIE TOULOUSE
COUNTY CLERK
ONE CIVIC PLAZA, N.W. - 6TH FLOOR
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO 87102
(505) 468-1290 FAX (505) 768-4151
Editor's Note: Is this cool, or what? Excellent to see our new County Clerk reaching out to the community and encouraging input about what works and what doesn't in our election process. All those interested in making sure our elections are run efficiently, effective and fairly are urged to participate in the evaluation process. This is a great opportunity for ordinary citizens and those who are a part of the election process to contribute to making the election process in the county the very best it can be.
March 14, 2007 at 11:09 AM in Election Reform & Voting, Events, Public Policy | Permalink | Comments (4)
This is a guest blog from Joe Thornton of Carizozo, NM:
Good Morning Governor Richardson:
I just finished reading over the vast amount of information in regards to your biography that was superbly presented by Thomas Cole and Leslie Linthicum, in the five part series presented in the Albuquerque Journal. Many events caught my eye while reading over the information.
For example, “Former house speaker Foley says Richardson’s personality was a major asset during his years in Congress.” “He’s outgoing and makes friends easy,” Foley says, “Politics is an interactive, personal business.”
“Richardson also likes to give people nicknames and tease those who work for him.”
“The nicknames he chooses are often incomprehensible – he has called several aides Joseph over the years – and always chosen to especially annoy their recipients.”
I like nicknames as well, Governor. After reading over your resume, and realizing the number of goals that you have accomplished in your short lifetime, probably the nickname I would give to you would be Bill “Get Results” Richardson.
“A former senator says Richardson has an “enveloping energy and enthusiasm.” A longtime friend calls him a “Force of nature.”
It seems to me, that by being a fast moving and high energy type individual that you would almost have to be a prankster type while attempting to associate yourself around people that has a hefty sense of humor in order to stave off some of the stress of the job. For example: “When Richardson arrived in Congress, Rep. Claude Pepper, D-Fla, was an esteemed member of the House. He also was elderly and had a hearing problem.” “Richardson would approach Pepper on the floor and frustrate him by mouthing but not speaking his words, causing Pepper to fiddle with a hearing aid before catching on to Richards’s prank.” I’m smiling while writing this, and if you have read this far, then you are probably grinning while you are reading this. That was very funny to me, when I first read it.
Another thing I noticed in the Journal series was: “Former Rep. David Bonior, D-Mich, says, Richardson is more than book-smart.” “He’s street-smart, too,” Bonior says. “He knows what’s important to people.”
We The People and SJR5
At this point I would like to change gears, and share with you what I believe to be important to We The People. For several weeks, we have traveled from Lincoln County to the Roundhouse to support other grassroots American We The People, in regards to the committee hearings in Room 321 of the Roundhouse. We were in attendance at the Rules Committee hearing where Senator Linda Lopez, Chair of Rules conducted the hearing. There was a great host of We The People at that hearing, and probably just as many people out in the hallway. The Rules Committee passed SJR5, by a vote of 5-0 out the committee hearing. Several days later, some of the same We The People plus others (both Democrats and Republicans, and other persuasions) were in attendance at the Public Affairs Committee Hearing where Senator Dede Feldman, Chair conducted the hearing. Probably more We The People present at this meeting both inside and out of Room 321, than at the Rules hearing. The Public Affairs Committee passed SJR5 by a vote of 3-2.
Then it went to the Judiciary Committee where Senator Cisco McSorley, Chair conducted the hearing late in the evening on Monday, March 5, 2007. We didn’t get to make that meeting, because we were there all day on Saturday, March 3, 2007, waiting for the hearing to take place that day. The vote in favor of passing the Committee hearing out of the Judiciary passed by 5-1, with Senator Rod Adair voting against. From shortly after the passage of the Senate hearing report to be sent to the Senate Floor for acceptance and debate, apparently things were happening behind the scenes, I don’t know this for sure, because the big surprise happened on Wednesday, March 7, 2007, when the Republicans used a procedural maneuver to stall the Impeachment Resolution and prevent a full debate on the Floor.
On Wednesday, March 7, 2007 something major happened on the Senate Floor that has thus far destroyed the rights of We The People. The Republicans decided to block "adoption" of the Judiciary Committee report, by using a procedural move not to adopt the committee report from the Senate Judiciary Committee. They were successful in a voice vote largely because the Democrats were not on hand in number to oppose the motion.
On Thursday, March 8, 2007, sometime after 2:15 p.m., Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez had held out for a roll call vote sometime that same day. The roll call vote was on this order: If you wanted “to uphold” the voice vote of the previous day (which was to block “adoption” of the Judiciary Committee Report) let your vote be known by “YES”. If you “did not want to uphold” the voice vote of the previous day (which was to block “adoption” of the Judiciary Committee Report) let your vote be known by “NO”.
The Senate did not vote on the resolution itself. Rather, it voted 26-13 not to adopt the committee report from the Senate Judiciary Committee. By refusing to adopt the committee report, senators have prevented the resolution from reaching the floor this session.
Governor Richardson, I believe the vast majority of We The People across these united States of America want the war (killing) to stop, the troops to be brought home, the corrupt administration removed from office in order to set a precedent to any and all government officials that the stealing, killing and destroying has to stop and truth has to prevail no matter who is in office.
You might say, What does all of that have to do with me, the governor of New Mexico, and my answer would be because you have a life long reputation as being an excellent negotiator. In my opinion, there is no presidential candidate in the Democratic Party that is more qualified than Governor Bill Richardson, who carried New Mexico with over 60% of the vote. As you declared your candidacy for President, something in the neighborhood of 40% stated that it would be good for New Mexico state to have you as President of the United States.
A Request
Therefore, I, Joe Thornton, am appealing to your best side to use your natural born ability to persuade the Senate to reconsider/revisit SJR5 by allowing the Senate Judiciary Report to be accepted on the Senate Floor and debated and voted upon as soon as possible. This very special Senate Floor Session should be absolutely on the up and up, with no trickery or slight of hand allowed. The Senate Floor hearing should designate a specific time so We The People would be able to attend the session and observe from the gallery the hearing. It would also be proper to allow select people in the gallery to speak to the issue, either for or against, which would require some microphones up in the Senate Gallery.
I believe you have the influence to pull this off, and I hope and pray, and trust that you will do the right thing.
Some might would say, How will this affect his run for the Presidency? It will definitely enhance your candidacy for the President of the united States, by showing the whole world that is watching via the internet that New Mexico has a very progressive action oriented Governor that likes to get the job done. On the other hand, if you so choose not to do anything, then what happened on the Senate Floor on Wednesday, March 7, 2007,and Thursday, March 8, 2007, with the action that the Republicans initiated by slipping in the procedural move to block the Senate Judiciary Committee Report, the Repub’s along with the missing Dem’s took away (stole) one of the Constitutional means to possibly right some of the many wrongs against We the People and innocent people everywhere by blocking the passing of SJR5 from New Mexico state to the U. S. Congress urging Congress to investigate and begin Impeachment proceedings for high Crimes and Misdemeanors. (Article II, Section 4)
The whole world will be watching via the internet whatever action you take. Thanks for accepting this fax that attempts to express my heart.
Thanks,
Joe Thornton
Carrizozo, Lincoln County, New Mexico
Phone: 505-648-4447
Editor's Notes: This post is a guest blog by Joe Thornton, a citizen activist supporter of SJR 5. Guest blogs provide readers with an opportunity to express their personal views on issues. The opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by this blog. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of the page.
The New Mexico impeachment effort has been followed and discussed all over the internet by tens of thousands of people across the nation and the world. It's generated blog and forum posts, articles, videos, audios, photographs and many threads of comments. It's resulted in this blog receiving up to 5,000 hits per day from people seeking information about the progress of the legislation. To read our previous coverage of this issue, visit our impeachment post archive.
March 14, 2007 at 09:54 AM in Guest Blogger, Impeachment, NM Legislature 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4)
UPDATE 3.15.07: The Senate quickly approved a House floor amendent yesterday. The House floor amendment states that medical marijuana could not be distributed within 300 feet of any church, school or day-care center. The bill now goes to the Governor.
UPDATE 3.14.07: I've since learned the bill was passed with a minor amendment so it will have to go back to the Senate before heading to the Governor for his signature. It's not anticipated this will cause any real problems. The original medical marijuana bill passed the Senate by a margin of 34-7.
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This just in from Steve Terrell's Legislative Blog. A medical marijuana bill passed the NM House today by a vote of 36-3, with 29 Democrats and 7 Repubs voting "yes." This means nine Dems voted "no" along with 22 Repubs (unless some didn't vote). The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature. Richardson has said he'll sign it. I hear there may have been some amendments to the bill, but I have no further info on that.
Terrell reports that Santa Fe Reps. Lucky Varela, Jim Trujillo and Peter Wirth voted yes, while House Speaker Ben Lujan voted no.
As my rather irate Friday post reported, another version of the bill, SB 238, failed in the House by a margin of 36-33 after some confusion in the voting process. In that tally, 26 Democrats and 7 Republicans voted to support the bill and 15 Democrats and 21 Republicans voted against it.
On Saturday, a bill that originally allowed only marijuana patches and ointments and known as SB 523, was revived and a substitute crafted to mimic the bill that failed in the House. This is the version that was then passed by the Senate and sent to the House, and which gained passage today. Whew. These things get complicated during the waning days of a legislative session.
Anyway, on this last vote, three more Dems voted for passage, but I don't yet know who they were. Whoever they are, I think they should be commended to changing their minds and voting for compassion in the treatment of seriously ill or dying New Mexicans who will now be able to have an additional choice for pain and nausea relief. So should the Governor, who reportedly was doing all he could to persuade a revival of a bill to permit medical marijuana.
Hats off to Governor Richardson and the three as yet unnamed Dems who changed their votes, as well as all the other Reps and Senators who voted for a common sense policy and against scare tactic spin! I know the bill will mean a lot to suffering New Mexicans and anyone who believes in patients and their doctors being empowered to make important decisions about their care.
As Terrell reports in an earlier Santa Fe New Mexican article,
For the past seven years, drug-law reform advocates have been trying to get the Legislature to adopt a medical marijuana program. The Senate has passed such bills several times, only to see the legislation die in the House.
In 1978, the Legislature passed a medical marijuana research project at the urging of Lynn Pierson, a cancer patient who died before the bill went into effect. That bill had a "sunset clause," which means it expired several years ago.
This progressive legislation has been a long time coming. Congratulations to all those who helped make it a reality.
March 13, 2007 at 09:21 PM in Healthcare, NM Legislature 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)
