(Updated) URGENT: Republicans Mount Counterattack, Stall Impeachment Resolution in Procedural Maneuver

UPDATE 2:20 PM: I just got a call reporting that the impeachment resolution is now being debated on the Senate Floor.

UPDATE 11:30 AM: Terry Riley informed me that he has it on good authority that the blocking maneuver by Republicans will be dismissed when NM Senate Democrats vote to accept a Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the last committee to approve the resolution, sometime this morning. The impeachment resolution is then expected to be debated on the Senate Floor, probably sometime today or tomorrow. The effectiveness of the blocking mechanism tried by the Repubs will be ended when enough Democratic Senators are gathered to vote to accept the Do Pass.

Editor's Note: I just got this in my email and I'm not really sure what's going on at this point. Things are confusing to say the least, but I'll keep passing along the info as I receive it. The NM Legislature website lists the Do Pass of the Senate Judiciary Committee as not adopted. Meanwhile, Marvin Moss, Chair of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party, has been contacted and he has stated that a meeting of all the County officers and Ward Chairs, constituting a meeting of the Executive Committee, would need to be called to vote on a statement of support for SJR 5, as Leland Lehrman is recommending. He also said that no proxy voting would be allowed per State Party rules and that with the officers busy with setting up the coming County Party meetings, volunteers would have to organize the effort and do the work themselves.

From Leland Lehrman of Mother Media:
Floor Vote Called Prior to Debate for Thursday March 7th During Floor Session. All Citizens to the Roundhouse 9:30 AM On. Check Senate Print Media Gallery for Updates.

With shock I received word today from resolution sponsor Senator Ortiz y Pino's secretary Sharon Shaffer that the Republicans had used a procedural maneuver to stall the Impeachment Resolution and prevent a full debate on the floor. Immediately double-checking with Majority Leader Michael Sanchez's secretary Sharmaine, I realized that the impeachment resolution had been dealt a serious if not fatal blow.

During the ordinarily mundane reading of committee reports, wherein the Senate is informed of the decisions of the various Committees, the Republicans decided to block "adoption" of the Judiciary Committee report. They were successful in a voice vote largely because the Democrats, caught completely off guard, were not on hand in number to oppose the motion.

Majority Leader Michael Sanchez successfully held the roll call vote until the Democrats could be present in number, and when I spoke with him late in the day, he told me that the roll call vote would happen some time Thursday.

Therefore, it is now urgently important to call in high volume and with utmost respect to the swing vote Senators listed below under action items via the Capitol Switchboard at 986-4300. Let them know through their secretaries that the Republicans have chosen to use an unfair procedural method to require a vote on the resolution before it even gets a chance to be openly debated. Explain that there will be a Senate Floor roll call vote on the adoption of the Judiciary Committee Report with the Impeachment Resolution SJR 5 in it, and ask them to be on the floor alert to vote in favor.

This vote may be more difficult to win than the vote for final passage, because it must be taken without opportunity for debate on the merits of the resolution.

Some believe that Senator Sanchez has everything under control and will successfully move adoption when he gets the opportunity. According to experienced sources, there is a remote possibility that there will be a "Call of the Senate" wherein the State Police are assigned to track down every Senator and all are required to be on hand.

Regardless, this moment of truth will be a historic occasion and it is essential that maximum public scrutiny of the decision be brought to bear in order that the gravity of the decision be made clear by the citizenry. Be there. Along with the action items below, I have created two worksheets for serious citizens with the phone numbers of relevant Democratic Party Central Committee Members and County Chairs on it. Download and call away. Visit Mother Media for the rest of this message.

Editor's Note: For a collection of our past posts on this issue, visit our impeachment post archive.