Democracy for New Mexico

(Updated) NM Legislature Convenes: Watch State of State Live

UPDATE: Click to read Gov. Richardson's prepared remarks or view KNME's archived video of his speech.
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You can watch a KNME live stream of Governor Bill Richardson's State of the State address to legislators starting at 1:00 PM today as the New Mexico Legislature convenes its 30-day "short session" at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. It's expected to be a contentious one, with State Senators looking to exert more power over the process, and Richardson critic Sen. Tim Jennings (D-Roswell) replacing the late Sen. Ben Altamirano as the Senate's president pro-tem. Last year, the Senate was the stopper on a number of progressive bills and this year the situation maybe even worse, even though Democrats are in the majority. There are Democrats, and then there are DINOs.

In addition to the usual budget wrangling that's the main focus of 30-day sessions, Richardson has indicated he'll be pushing health care reform first and foremost, as well as ethics and campaign finance reform, energy conservation measures and a domestic partnership bill. He'll also control the type of additional initiatives that will be allowed onto the agenda, which he controls in short session years. According to an article in today's Santa Fe New Mexican:

Richardson said his speech will have a simple message for legislators: "Health care. Health care. Health care. It's going to be an address saying that we have a responsibility in this Legislature, with the governor, to produce universal health care for every New Mexican and to start it with a comprehensive bill — not piecemeal," Richardson said.

Expect battles over a proposal to amend the school funding formula, the budget for roads that must address a large shortfall in funding and a law passed last session that requires candidates to get 20% of the votes at Party pre-primary conventions to get on the primary ballot.

Senate leaders have already balked at one recommendation from the Governor's Ethics Task Force to institute voluntary public campaign financing for statewide races. Who needs that when our candidates can rely on "donations" from big-money interests? What fun would it be if candidates could run without promising the moon to deep pocket special interests? Democracy might start breaking out all over.

According to the Albuquerque Journal's Trip Jennings, Senate leaders including Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez (D-Belen) have "sent signals" to the Governor on ethics reform:

Proposals to cap campaign contributions, create an independent state ethics commission and give the Secretary of State's Office more than $170,000 to fix its campaign reporting system have the best shot at being heard.

Not on the to-do list was a Richardson priority of expanding the public financing of elections to statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

... Some members of the group oppose parts of the ethics and campaign finance recommendations. They made it clear Monday that they weren't endorsing the legislation, but they said some of the proposals deserve a hearing.

... "This is not saying these bills will get through, or that I am supporting them," Sen. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen.

Big man, isn't he?

You can read more about this year's ethics reform proposals in my previous post.

NM FBIHOP has a about this year's health reform battle, including the results of a poll sent to 5,000 of Sen. Dede Feldman's constituents that indicates health care is their number one issue this year.

You can read about how last year's domestic partnership bill was defeated by one vote in the Senate in this post. Four Democrats, including our new Senate president pro-tem Tim Jennings (D-Roswell), John Arthur Smith (D-Deming), Lidio Rainaldi (D-Gallup) and Carlos Cisneros (D-Questa). voted with Repubs to kill the measure. The bill had been passed three times on the House side, including once during an ill-fated Special Session called by the Governor.

Sunday Bird Blogging: Domestic Partnership Edition

Sunny the sun conure is excited about the 30-day NM Legislative Session that begins at Noon on January 15, 2008. As you can see above, he's a strong supporter of GLBT rights and equal rights under the law for all -- birds included. It's understandable given his rainbow coloring, isn't it? This morning he was reminding us how important it is to work with Equality New Mexico and the legislators to get the Domestic Partnership Act passed this time.

Last year's effort was foiled at the last minute by one vote when a certain Northern New Mexico legislator changed his mind and voted against the bill. I guess he doesn't care about giving our state's GLBT citizens (and others who prefer domestic partnerships) some of the basic contract rights that married people take for granted. Sunny wants to feel secure about the partnership of the humans he entertains daily in his extended flock, and he can't see why the idea of granting them rights to a civil partnership is a threat to anyone. He's no bird brain!

If you agree, it's time to sign up as a supporter of Equality New Mexico, maybe donate a few bucks to the cause, perhaps volunteer some time and start contacting your legislators to urge them to support this year's Domestic Partnership Rights and Responsibilities Act (HB28). The EQNM webiste makes it easy to sign a petition in support of the Act and have it sent automatically to your state senator and representative.

The bill (pdf), sponsored once again by the always terrific Rep. Mimi Stewart, has been pre-filed with the Legislative Council Service so advocates can hit the ground running when the Session begins. I'll be following the progress of the bill closely, so stay tuned. Sunny's looking forward to a big celebration when this year's Legislative Session comes to a close. We can do it this year!

Tickets Available Now for EQNM Holiday Soiree

To purchase tickets, please go to www.eqnm.org.

Sign the Petition to Support Domestic Parnerships in NM

From Equality New Mexico:
Families formed by same-sex couples have been denied the basic protections all families deserve for far too long. Equality New Mexico is committed to passing the Domestic Partnership Bill early next year.

If the DP bill is to be passed in the 30 day legislative session that starts in January, we must start now lobbying our legislators and growing our network of supporters. Today we ask you to start this process by signing our petition in support of the Domestic Partnership Bill. We'll immediately let your State Senator and State Representative know you signed the petition. After you sign the petition you'll have an opportunity to send it to your friends and family.

We urge you to ask everyone you know throughout the state to sign the petition. Now is the time to strengthen our movement for the struggle ahead. Together we will win!

Alexis Blizman, Executive Director
Equality New Mexico

Editor's Note: You can review the fate of the Domestic Partnership Bill in the January 2007 New Mexico Legislature and the Special Session called immediately afterwards by Gov. Bill Richardson in a previous post. Basically, the bill came within one vote of passage.

Tonight: Free Screening of 'Laramie Inside Out' with Filmmaker

The UNM Center for the Southwest kicks off its fall film series with 'Laramie Inside Out' on Wednesday, October 17 at 5:30 PM in Rodey Theater in the UNM Center for the Arts. Filmmaker Beverly Seckinger will be on hand following the screening to discuss the film. In the film, Seckinger, a Laramie native, returns home to the site of her own closeted adolescence to investigate the impact of Matthew Shepard’s 1998 murder. She encounters students, teachers, parents and clergy suddenly moved to speak out and take social action.

After the film, the audience will have a chance to ask questions of the filmmaker and hear her thoughts on its production. The film and discussion are free and open to the public.

For more information, call Sarah Payne at 277-7688 or e-mail, cntrsw@unm.edu

Info from UNM Today.

(Updated) My Turn: Bill Richardson and GLBT Issues

UPDATE 8.15.07: Two of New Mexico's notable leaders in the GLBT rights effort, Linda Siegel and Liz Stefanics, have recorded a video describing Bill Richardson's long-time support of GLBT issues and people:

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I'm gay, and I'm also a progressive Democrat. I write this blog and help coordinate a progressive grassroots group. I have both supported and been opposed to any number of Gov. Bill Richardson's actions and positions during his time in office here in New Mexico, whether related to health care, campaign funding, ethics, the environment, energy, education, budget matters or paper ballot voting (where election reform activists worked closely and sucessfully with Richardson and Dem legislators). I haven't decided on a presidential candidate and I'm keeping my options open. I have no axe to grind.

Sometimes I've applauded what Gov. Richardson has accomplished. At times I've been highly critical of him. Sometimes I've lacked trust in what he's saying. But one thing I've learned to trust him on over time is his strong support on issues of importance to the GLBT community -- because I've watched him push through a number of pro-equality initiatives, even when it's been difficult to do so in a state that's conservative in many respects. And I've witnessed him keep trying when a measure like a domestic partnership bill is being bashed by legislators on both sides of the aisle. (During our last legislative sesssion, such a bill lost by one vote.) And as far as I know, he has always interacted with members of the GLBT community with real ease and compassion, whether at pride events, or at a GLBT retirement community ribbon cutting or in other settings.

Do I wish Richardson and every other Democratic politician would just be done with it and proclaim their unequivocal support for gay civil marriage? Of course. I strongly believe that anyone who says they support equal rights for all under the law should have no qualms about doing that. Unfortunately, we're not there yet. I have confidence we will be someday soon, but in the meantime I applaud Democrats for taking positions in support of the fullest domestic partnerships and civil unions that might be achievable legislatively right now. Richardson is one of those Dems.

In other words, despite all the negative punditry about Bill Richardson's performance at last week's GLBT presidential forum on LOGO, I have no fears that he is a bigot in terms of GLBT folks. None whatsoever. We all know that at times he can be verbally clumsy, inarticulate or unclear, especially when he's harried or tired, and I think this was what caused the snafu at last week's GLBT presidential forum on LOGO. I just wanted to get that said publicly so primary voters will make their decisions pro or con based on analyzing other facets of Richardson's character and positions -- but not on any misperception that he's biased against members of the GLBT community.

I think the media and others are giving him a real hard time on this, and I just wanted to say my piece. Bill Richardson is many things, but in no way is he an enemy of the GLBT community -- just the opposite in fact.

More Info: For video clips of the LOGO forum and a view of Richardson and the GLBT presidential forum that differs from that of many of critics, read this. Here's an Advocate article reporting on an interview with Richardson he requested to clarify his positions.

Obama, Clinton, Edwards, Dodd Agree to First Ever TV Debate on Gay Issues

A live, one hour presidential debate on August 9th in Los Angeles will focus on issues of importance to GLBT Americans and others who believe equality under the law is a central tenant of any real democracy. Sponsored by the LOGO TV network and the Human Rights Campaign, the first of its kind TV forum will be aired on LOGO at 7:00 PM Mountain Time, as well as streamed live at LOGOonline.com. Panelists will include Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese and singer Melissa Etheridge, who will ask the presidential candidates questions on such issues as relationship recognition, marriage equality, workplace fairness, the military, hate crimes and HIV/AIDS. LOGO is broadcast on Channel 163 on Comcast cable in Albuquerque.

According to this story at 365Gay.com, "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and Chris Dodd have confirmed they will participate. Several other Democratic candidates also may join the debate." No word yet on whether Gov. Bill Richardson will appear.

As a side note, Richardson is currently the focus of a story about his use of a negative Hispanic term for gayness during a joke sequence with Don Imus on one of his shows about a year ago. I certainly don't approve of Richardson using the term, but given his generally strong record of being supportive of the GLBT community, expect this story to fade fast. The Governor has issued an apology for using the word. I hope he makes it to the LOGO debate to demonstrate his continuing respect for the issues of the GLBT community.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

In keeping with coverage of GLBT Pride month issues, I offer this tidbit reported by a California CBS station:

A Berkeley watchdog organization that tracks military spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in sex than fighting.

Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS 5 that military leaders had considered, and then subsquently rejected, building the so-called "Gay Bomb."

... The documents show the Air Force lab asked for $7.5 million to develop such a chemical weapon.

"The Ohio Air Force lab proposed that a bomb be developed that contained a chemical that would cause enemy soliders to become gay, and to have their units break down because all their soldiers became irresistably attractive to one another," Hammond said after reviewing the documents.

... Gay community leaders in California said Friday that they found the notion of a "gay bomb" both offensive and almost laughable at the same time.

"Throughout history we have had so many brave men and women who are gay and lesbian serving the military with distinction," said Geoff Kors of Equality California. "So, it's just offensive that they think by turning people gay that the other military would be incapable of doing their job. And its absurd because there's so much medical data that shows that sexual orientation is immutable and cannot be changed."

Surely this begs the question of when Congress and American voters are going to start questioning waste, fraud and plain insanity in military budgeting with the same zeal they apply to other government spending. Wanna bet there's some corporate blowhards out there who made large donations to politicos with power over military spending, and who would have made a bundle from government contracts to research this so-called "gay bomb"? 

Imagine how many other similar boondoggles are buried in our military budgets, as well as in the secret earmarks inserted into bills of every stripe. I won't hold my breath for any massive public outcries though. Americans have long been programmed to believe that all government expenditures are bad, except when they're classified as "military" or "homeland security" spending. If anyone dares to question anything in budgets related to these two classes of spending, they're accused to being "soft on terrorism" or "unpatriotic." One hand washes the other in the military technology complex. Bombs away ....

All Shapes, All Sizes, All Colors, All Kinds

Duke City Fix has a great collection of links to tons of photos from this Saturday's Albuquerque Pride 2007 Parade up Central to Expo New Mexico (Fairgrounds). If you missed it (as I did), the slide shows are almost (but not quite) as good as being there. The ABQ Pride website will also have some photos shortly.

Inaugural Pride Interfaith Service to Kick-Off ABQ Gay Pride Week

From Equality New Mexico:
Albuquerque church leaders to conduct interfaith service to bring ‘spirit’ into the Albuquerque PRIDE celebration: Saturday, June 2, at 7:00 PM, at the First Unitarian Church at Carlisle and Comanche.

For the first time ever, a PRIDE Interfaith Service will kick-off the Albuquerque Gay PRIDE Week on June 2, 2007. The 7:00 PM event will bring together:

• Rabbi Joe Black from Congregation Albert
• Rev. Christine Robinson from First Unitarian Church
• Rev. Brian Taylor from St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
• Rev. Pat Holman from St. Paul’s Lutheran
• Rev. Judith Maynard from the Metropolitan Community Church
• Rev. Trey Hammond from La Mesa Presbyterian Church
• Rev. Lee Albertson from first Congregational Church
• Rev. Sue Gallagher from United Church of Christ

Ronald A. Hersom, Ministerial Intern of the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, will deliver the sermon –- Keepers of the Vision. The service will also feature the New Mexico Women’s Chorus, and the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus.

Rabbi Joe Black: We all have the capacity for holiness within us- when we exclude people based on sexual orientation- or any other defining characteristic – we deny their essential holiness and, more importantly we deny our own essential holiness.

The event offerings will be equally divided between RAIN (Religious Alliance for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination) Common Bond (a gay youth organization) and NMAS (New Mexico Aids Services).
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Equality New Mexico is fighting for full civil rights for all New Mexicans. Please help us continue the fight, Make A donation online today on our secure web site https://www.eqnm.org/donate.html or send a check to EQNM at 1410 Coal Ave SW ABQ, NM 87104.

Albuquerque PRIDE volunteers are needed. Click for info.

Albuquerque PRIDE Week is June 2 thru June 9, 2007. Visit the Albuquerque Pride website for an event schedule and much more.