Democracy for New Mexico

Today's Insight NM Radio Talk Lineup

Tune in to Insight New Mexico, Albuquerque's weekly progressive talk radio show, today from 3:00 to 4:00 PM on 1350 AM. Host Eric Griego and sidekick Suzanne Prescott will be talking with NM Rep. Al Park, D-NM (above left), Las Cruces political blogger Heath Haussamen (above right) and PRC Vice Chair Jason Marks (below left), as well as fielding audience calls. To ask an on-air question, call 338-4090. To learn more about the show or today's guests, visit the Insight New Mexico website and blog. You can also find info on past guests and progressive organizations, and download podcasts (mp3s) of previous interviews. The Saturday show is rebroadcast on Sunday from 7:00 to 8:00 AM.

Originally signed up to broadcast during the NM Legislative Session, Eric and Suzanne are seriously considering continuing the show beyond March 17, when the 60-day Session wraps up. The show's coverage would switch to local and county politics and government. If you want progressive talk radio to continue, be sure to tune in, call in, spread the word to your friends and consider becoming a sponsor. To learn more, email .

NM Medical Marijuana Bill Narrowly Defeated in House

In yet another legislative defeat of a compassionate, fair-minded, common sense bill, the NM House yesterday narrowly defeated Senate Bill 238, a measure already passed by the Senate 34-7, which would have allowed seriously ill and dying people access to the relief that can be provided by medical marijuana. The final tally was 33 for and 36 against, with 7 Republicans and 26 Democrats voting in support of the bill and 21 Republicans and 15 Democrats voting against it. Yes, believe it or not, it was Democrats once more who defeated legislation representing traditional, core, Democratic values.

Votes like this always make me wonder how different our state would be if unlimited campaign contributions and "gifts" were regulated using ethical priniciples. Trying to overcome the advantage of special interest lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry and "law enforcement community" is always difficult, especially in a poor state like this one. People's pain and suffering be damned -- we're gonna follow the advice of those with axes to grind and turf to protect. Or maybe people are protecting illegal marijuana merchants, who knows?  Something is causing people to take illogical positions on what should be a clear-cut issue of compassion.

A Santa Fe New Mexican article reports:

Opponents disputed that marijuana was an effective medicine. "Medically it just really has no value. For us to approve a drug like this tells our children and tells the rest of the people in this state that we, somehow as leaders, give tacit approval to the use of this drug," said Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad and a pharmacist. "That is absolutely wrong for us to do."

He described marijuana as "the No. 1 gateway drug to abusing other drugs in our society."

It always amazes me when pharmacists make pronouncements as if they are credentialed medical and drug abuse researchers, but then again they get so many nice notepads, pens and who knows what else from pharmaceutical company reps that they get confused about their role in medicine. I wonder if Rep. Heaton realizes that alcohol is actually the number one gateway drug, or that the highest growth rates in addictions these days come from illegal use of already available prescription drugs. Of course I wouldn't doubt that Heaton is among the wrong-headed puritans who want to keep adequate supplies of much needed prescription painkillers out of the hands of sufferers because some kid might get a hold of some and get high. Such are the medieval attitudes of many in the fight against pain relief being provided by anything that could be abused anywhere on the planet at some point in time. Let's punish the law abiding citizens because lawbreakers, as always, are part of the human population.

The proposal would have allowed the use of marijuana for pain or other symptoms of debilitating illnesses such as cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV-AIDS and certain spinal-cord injuries.

No, we can't have that. Instead, people suffering from such serious maladies will have to content themselves with "legal" substances that don't work as well. Or, of course, they can grow their own or have a friend purchase an "illegal" supply of marijuana, found anywhere in America as easily as one can locate a junk food outlet. The main thing is that people like Heaton can portray themselves as "tough on crime" and "tough on drugs," thus providing them with a couple useful campaign slogans that always seem to go over well in an era of soundbites and knee jerks.

To their credit, 7 Republicans voted for the bill, proving themselves more enlightened and informed that 15 members of the Democratic Party.  You remember the Democratic Party, don't you? At one time it was known for its dedication to forward thinking, just and open-minded legislating. Now, however, the Dem Speaker of the House, Ben Lujan, voted to kill the bill while House Republican Whip, Dan Foley of Roswell, voted for the bill, saying:

"If it offers one person ... the pain relief or the help they need, who are we in this body to say no?"

And Patty Jennings, the spouse of Sen. Tim Jennings (D-Roswell), had this to say:

"This is a matter of compassion. It's a very personal matter." She is battling cancer and taking morphine, which she said is much more powerful and dangerous than marijuana would be. "People who are not there don't always understand that we're asking ... to have all the options available to us."

According to MedicalMarijuanaProCon.org, 11 states have enacted laws that legalized medical marijuana, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In polling in the U.S., about 70-80 percent typically support the legalization of medical marijuana. I guess someone should tell our "representatives."

Here's a partial vote tally from today's Albuquerque Journal although, for some reason, they don't have it online:

Republicans Voting YES on Medical Marijuana Bill
Dan Foley, Roswell
Justine Fox-Young, Albuquerque
Keith Gardner, Roswell
Kathy McCoy, Cedar Crest
Brian Moore, Clayton
W. D. "Dub" Williams, Glencoe
Eric Youngberg, Corrales

Democrats Voting NO on Medical Marijuana Bill
Andrew Barreras, Tome
Ernest Chavez, Albuquerque
Mary Helen Garcia, Las Cruces
Thomas Garcia, Las Cruces
John Heaton, Carlsbad
Manuel Herrera, Bayard
Dona Irwin, Deming
Rhonda King, Stanley
Ben Lujan, Santa Fe
Patricia Lundstrom, Gallup
James Roger Madalena, Jemez Pueblo
Andy Nunez, Hatch
Debbie Rodella, Ohkay Owingeh
Nick Salazar, Ohkay Owingeh
Richard Vigil, Ribera

Democrats Not Voting
George Hanosh, Grants

Urgent Action Needed for Otero Mesa

From the NM Wilderness Alliance: Please make a few phone calls. Otero Mesa is critically important for its unique desert grasslands and wildlife, but it also contains the largest untapped source of water in New Mexico--a potentially extremely important resource for southern NM communities.  The fate of Otero Mesa hinges on a proposed hydrologic study of this aquifer. We need to better understand it, and the risk posed by oil and gas development. There are two options to get this critical study funded:

• Governor Richardson has already secured $1 million for the study. We can ask him to completely fund the required $2.2 million.
• The legislature is currently hammering out the final details of the budget. We can ask them to fund the remaining $1.2 million.

Because we can't be certain which will be most effective, we are asking folks to do both:

• Please contact the Governor's office (476-2200), and ask him to fully fund the $2.2 million for the Salt Basin hydrologic study through his capital outlay.
• Please contact the following committee chairs responsible for the final budget and ask them to include $1.2 million in House Bill 2 to complete funding for the Salt Basin hydrologic study. Although these may not be your legislators, they are the ones with the power to add an item to the budget.
  • Kiki Savedra: 986-4316 
  • Lucky Varela: 986-4318 
  • Tim Jennings: 986-4362 
  • John Arthur Smith: 986-4363

Thanks Everyone!
Nathan Newcomer, Otero Mesa Campaign Organizer

Statement by Senator John Grubesic on Action to Stop Debate of NM Impeachment Resolution

This is a statement just released by Senator John Grubesic (D-Santa Fe), who was one of the sponsors of SJR 5, the impeachment resolution that was killed without debate this afternoon. He's one of the patriots in our NM Democratic caucus and in today's America, along with co-sponsor Gerald Ortiz y Pino, all the other Democratic Senators who voted for the resolution as it was passed through three committees and all the ordinary citizens who worked so hard on this effort. I hope future generations will know that there were many who dedicated themselves to stopping the madness of the Bush era, whether we are ultimately successful or not. Not everyone clung to business as usual, in the worst possible sense.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SENATOR JOHN T.L. GRUBESIC
MARCH 8, 2007

This country was founded by rebels.  This country was forged in violence, ferocity, dissent and uproar.  This country is vanishing before our eyes, not because we are blind, but because we are willing participants in its destruction.  Today on the Senate floor you witnessed an excellent example.  The Impeachment Resolution died quietly with no debate whatsoever.  The dignity of the New Mexico State Senate was maintained as we followed carefully designed rules of procedure to ensure that nothing disrupted the workings of this austere body.  We did a great job of making it appear that government was working.

However, we have to ask, which government and on whose behalf?  The action taken by the Senate was not the action taken by a body that protects the freedoms of a sovereign people.  The action was a carefully orchestrated option designed to protect the integrity of an institution and perpetuate the well oiled workings of government.  A government that has evidently forgotten that we serve at the pleasure of those we govern.

It is clear, that from the highest levels of government in our country down to our State, very few of us want to deal with the unpleasant political mess that impeachment could become.  Our actions today showed where our priorities are, we forgot that the Constitution was not designed to serve government, but to protect the people.  There should have been a debate, argument, uproar.  Instead, we quietly gutted the sovereign power of the people with polite political procedure.

When future generations look back on our time, the shock will not be because of the violent, impolite nature of the fight that preceded the destruction of Constitutional government, but by the meekness with which we watched it die.

To read our post on the Senate vote today, click here.

To read all our previous posts on this issue, visit our impeachment archive.

(Updated) NM Impeachment Resolution Killed Before Debate on Senate Floor; 9 Democrats Vote With Republicans to Prevent Debate

Earlier today: I just got a phone call reporting this and I don't yet know what the vote was. However, SJR 5, New Mexico's impeachment resolution, was killed when it failed to get the votes necessary to move to the Senate Floor for debate. So it didn't even get a discussion by the Senate, the very least that could be expected from a legislative body dominated by Democrats. I don't know exactly who voted against debating the resolution or who was absent, but I'll report that when I get it. I did hear that 5 or 6 8 NINE Democratic Senators voted against debating the measure.

According to Steve Terrell, "the vote was 26-13 to uphold Senate Majority Leader Ben Altamirano’s ruling yesterday. Altamirano ruled on a voice vote not to accept the committee report of the Senate Judiciary Committee." We had previously been informed that the original maneuver to keep it off the floor was a Republican effort, but now we learn it was one of our TOP DEMOCRATIC LEADERS who kept it from a debate -- Ben Altamirano. I guess Ben and his pals didn't like to see all those citizen lobbyists up there, practicing democracy like Americans. And those phone calls and emails were so, well, irritating. So much easier to go to lavish dinner parties with lobbyists.

UPDATE 3:55 PM: I just got the names of the eight NINE Democrats who voted not to accept the Do Pass of the Senate Judiciary Committee, thus preventing the resolution from being debated on the Senate Floor:

Ben Altamirano, Silver City, who is the Senate Pro-Tempore, the Senate's top leader

Pete Campos, Las Vegas

Carlos Cisneros, Questa

Phil Griego, San Jose

Tim Jennings, Roswell

John Pinto, Tohatchi

John Arthur Smith, Deming

James Taylor, Albuquerque

David Ulibarri, Grants

I hope they hear from plenty of their constituents and Democrats everywhere. If Democrats won't even allow something this timely and critical to our nation's future to be DEBATED, why do they call themselves Democrats? What this shows me is that these 9 men have only disrespect for all the hundreds and hundreds of our citizens who traveled to Santa Fe on their own dimes, spent hours in the Roundhouse, made phone calls, sent emails, shot video and audio, spoke personally to legislators, spread the word and worked so hard on this effort. They knew they had the votes to ensure the measure failed on the Senate Floor but they chose to kill it early, using an anti-democratic technical maneuver to make sure no debate took place. To me, what they did is the complete antithesis of representative democracy and an affront to the power of the people.

I can understand some of these Dems from conservative districts voting against the bill on the Senate Floor. What I can't forgive is the nine of them voting to stop the people's voices from being represented there. They silenced those who disagreed with them. Is there a worse example of anti-democratic behavior?

For those reading this on a direct link, be sure to go here to a later post and read what one of the resolution's co-sponsors, Sen. John Grubesic, has to say in response to what happened today.

Visit the impeachment archive to see all our previous posts on this issue.

TODAY: Senate Public Affairs Hearing on Domestic Partner Bill

From Equality New Mexico:
House Bill 603, the Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibiities Act, will be heard in the NM Senate Public Affairs Committee TODAY, March 8, at 3:00 PM, in Room 321 at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. The hearing is definitely on. This will be a close vote, so we need as many people in the room as possible to show the Senators our support. We are second on the agenda, so please arrive by 3:00 PM.  (This bill previously passed the NM House by a margin of 33-24.)

(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.

Gov. Richardson Signs Renewable Energy Bills

Audio: Listen to Albuquerque public radio KUNM's Jim Williams reporting on some of the many environmental and greenhouse gas reduction bills being considered at this year's legislature, as well as on Gov. Bill Richardson's signing of two innovative renewable energy bills this past Monday. And here's how a press release for the Governor's office describes the clean energy legislation:

SANTA FE - Governor Bill Richardson today signed two major cornerstones of his clean energy agenda. Senate Bill 418 will dramatically increase New Mexico’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and our use of clean electricity. House Bill 188 creates a Renewable Energy Transmission Authority to promote clean energy jobs and help New Mexico both develop our clean energy resources and market them to other states.

“I am proud today to sign a bill that will quadruple New Mexico’s use of clean electricity by 2020,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “Promoting renewable electricity keeps our air clean and it will help New Mexico meet my aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals. It will also help continue to create new jobs, like those at Advent Solar in Albuquerque, and aid ranchers who want to diversify into the lucrative wind energy market.”

In 2004 Governor Richardson signed New Mexico’s first Renewable Portfolio Standard into law. This mandated that 5% of New Mexico’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2006, increasing to 10% by 2011. Senator Michael Sanchez’s Senate Bill 418 requires that at least 15 percent of an electric utility's power supply come from renewable sources by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020.

House Bill 188 – sponsored by Representative Jose Campos -- establishes a Renewable Energy Transmission Authority that will help New Mexico export solar, wind and other renewable energy and further build our high-wage, and high-tech economy.

“The Transmission Authority and the Renewable Portfolio Standard work in combination to dramatically position New Mexico to develop our vast renewable energy resources,” said Joanna Prukop, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources. “We've just positioned our state to become extremely competitive in all aspects of clean energy development and the benefits that come with it.”

Under Governor Richardson’s leadership, New Mexico has become the nation’s Clean Energy State. In the past few weeks alone Governor Richardson has signed a major, five state climate change agreement, announced a new Tesla electric car plant for Albuquerque and a biodiesel plant in Clovis, NM.

“I am proud that both these bills passed with bipartisan support,” said Governor Richardson. “That is because New Mexico is hungry for clean energy and the good jobs that come with this new industry.”

Editor's Note: Desert Rock Power Plant
Now what we need is for the Governor to speak out strongly against the construction of the massive new coal-fired Desert Rock Power Plant by Sithe Global near Farmington, on Navajo Nation land. If allowed, the plant will pump out 10.5 million tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide each year, effectively wiping out most of the gains to be made by other anti-greenhouse gas efforts in New Mexico, as well as contribute to an existing mercury hotspot.

I know the Navajo Nation has significant sovereign power over the use of their land, but it might help if the Governor made an issue out of the damaging effects the pollution from the plant would have not only on New Mexico, but on communities all across the nation. With a required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) still pending on the plant, there's a chance the plant can still be stopped or at least required to significantly upgrade its pollution technologies. Public hearings on the plant's draft EIS will be held this Spring.

For more information, visit the website of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, the desert-rock-blog, the New Mexico Coaltion for Clean Affordable Energy and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Kirtland AFB Nukes Target of Memorial Set for Hearing Today

From Stop the War Machine:
State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino has introduced Senate Memorial 29, which calls for the dismantlement of the 2000 nuclear weapons at Kirtland, the largest concentration of nuclear weapons anywhere. If Albuquerque were to secede from the union, it would be the world's third largest nuclear power: Russia, USA, Albuquerque.

Concerned citizens have discussed the flaws of Albuquerque safety plan with city council. A number of city councilors have expressed concern over the Albuquerque Emergency Operations Plan, which does not mention the existence of nuclear weapons and relies upon I-25 and I-40 for evacuation routes (remember the snow crisis and the roads out of town)!

There are many other reasons in addition to this to call for dismantlement:

1. All our nuclear weapons did not keep us safe on 911 and do nothing but drain resources that could be better used for education, health care, etc.
2. What are we going to do with them? Use them?
3. 2000 nuclear weapons do not belong in a city, or anywhere.

On January 4, George Schultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn called for disarmament with regard to nuclear weaponry in the Wall Street Journal. On February 8, Governor Richardson declared that the US should lead the way with regard to nuclear disarmament. As the home to the largest concentration of nuclear weapons, New Mexico has an important role in history with regard to disarmament.

We have been told three times in the past four days by the Senate Rules Committee office that SM 29, which calls for the dismantlement of the 2000 nuclear weapons at Kirtland in Albuquerque, will be discussed on Wednesday, March 7, in the Senate Rules Committee that meets at 8:30 AM. Check with the Senate Rules office about SM 29 schedule: (505) 986-4746. Many people are expected to attend the meeting.

Members of the Sen. Rules Committee hearing SM 29:

Linda Lopez (D), chair, 986-4737
John Grubesic (D), vice chair, 986-4260, john.grubesic@nmlegis.gov
Rod Adair (R), ranking member, 986-4385, radair@dfn.com
Kent Cravens (R), 986-4391, jlcravens@nmlegis.gov
Dianna Duran (R), 986-4701, dianna.duran@nmlegis.gov
Dede Feldman (D), 986-4482, dede.feldman@nmlegis.gov
Steve Komadina (R), 986-4377, komadina@stevekomadina.com
Cisco McSorley (D), 986-4485, cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov
Jerry Ortiz y Pino (D), 986-4380, jortizyp@aol.com
Ben Altimirano (D), 986-4733

NM Impeachment Resolution to Move to Senate Floor

From Desi Brown, aide to NM Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino:
With joy and relief I can now announce that SJR 5 has passed through the NM Senate Judiciary Committee on a 5-1 vote! As a member of Senator Ortiz y Pino's staff, I can tell you that at times it felt like we were herding a bunch of wild cats in trying to get members of the public on the same page as what he and his co-sponsor Senator Grubesic were trying to portray to their fellow Senators. But yesterday you ALL (well, almost all) were PERFECT! Those who chose to speak in the hearing were eloquent, concise, and impassioned. Those in attendance were uniformly respectful and attentive to the process (almost!).

What We Need Next
Now, take a deep breath, relax, stretch for a minute and congratulate yourselves! Alright, time to get back to work and help us push through our next step -- the Senate Floor -- and beyond! Take your focused energy, your renewed faith in the process, your understanding of what this bill is about -- and try to stay away from the Senators this week! Now is a stressful time for all of them and the sponsors of this legislation will most assuredly be working hard behind the scenes to try to ensure there will be enough votes when SJR5 comes to the Senate Floor. What you can do is:

• Continue to call all 42 of the NM Senators' offices to simply show your support for the Resolution. (Click for contact info.)
• Particularly try to contact constituents and local civic/democratic groups in Senator Smith's, Jennings', and Carraro's (yes, he's a Republican!) districts to see if they will support SJR5 and forward that info to those three Senators. We are leery of direct contact between them and the public at this point so please try not to approach any of the three directly. Please honor this request by Senator Ortiz y Pino.
• Begin casual contact with Representatives on the House side in the event of passage off of the Senate Floor.
  • Keep in mind everything we have been discussing before!
• Really try to ramp up public input through letters to the editor of local and national papers, call in to radio shows, talk to everyone you know and continue spreading the word.
  • While of course staying on topic and focused on the process, not the end result.
  • Our mantra is that we are asking Congress for an investigation into possible Impeachment via a legally recognized and constitutional means provided to the people of the U.S. thanks to Thomas Jefferson and the founders of our nation.

If this Resolution passes the Senate Floor, there needs to be an IMMEDIATE and INTENSE upswing of public support in order to get it through the House side of the Legislature. We are counting on each of you to make that happen! Thanks again -- you have all been wonderful to work with so far!

I hope that those in attendance last night appreciated Senator Rod Adair's comments and respected the fact that others are entitled to their own opinions, even if they are quite different from our own. This is the first time that a Republican has openly spoke out against this Resolution and you should note that he didn't seem concerned with it on its own merits.  Rather, he focused on the rare mistakes and miscues by speakers that strayed from the direct message of the Resolution.

On behalf of both Senators and their staffs, I would like to send out a sincere thank you for all of your public support. Without your daily presence at committee hearings, without your phone calls, without your letters and e-mails, without you stalking the legislators in the halls of the Roundhouse; this Resolution would not have passed and made it as far as it has. THANK YOU!!!

Wish us and yourselves continued good luck in the coming days of this legislative session,

Desi Brown, (505)256-0668, desibrown@comcast.net

Editor's Note: See our live blogging thread from last night for a rundown on the votes. To access all our previous posts about this initiative, visit our impeachment post archive.