I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Some of the rights conferred to married couples are available to unmarried couples — for a price. Meanwhile, others are simply impossible to acquire.
Those two assertions come from a financial impact report released by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico on Wednesday.
“Without the [domestic partnership legislation], seniors, people with disabilities, and gay and lesbian couples continue to be required to pay for some protections that are automatically granted to married couples,” the report states.For example, a married man’s wife would inherit his property in the absence of a will, but an unmarried couple would have to pay to have a will drawn up to provide the same benefit; that costs an average of $500. For one partner to legally adopt the other’s biological child it costs approximately $5,000.
Other rights would be guaranteed to domestic partners — but lost if the couple chose or were able to marry. For example, a woman who collects Social Security or veterans’ benefits from a previous husband stands to lose those payments if she remarries; domestic partnership would allow her to keep that income.
The report was prepared with contributions from New Mexico Coalition for Domestic Partnership and New Mexico Aging & Long Term Services Department.
