Domestic partnership will be on the agenda in January’s 30-day legislative session, according to Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican. It won’t, however, be discussed during the upcoming special session, Terrell emphasized in his blog.

The news was confirmed by Governor Bill Richardson’s legislative liaison Eric Witt.

During his final year in office, Gov. Bill Richardson will try again to get the New Mexico Legislature to pass a bill establishing domestic partnerships, an aide confirmed Tuesday.

In this year’s session, the domestic partnership bill failed by eight votes.

As Terrell notes, the Catholic Church was a big reason for the “lopsided” failure of domestic partnership in the Senate. But the lobbyist for the Catholic Church told Terrell the church doesn’t want the legislation to be on the agenda for the 30-day session, but wait for the 2011 60-day session.

Of course, by then there will be a new governor, one who may not be as supportive of domestic partnership as Richardson.

Those who oppose domestic partnership say it would open the state to a lawsuit which could lead to same-sex marriage. Proponents say it is a basic right for same-sex couples to share the same rights as heterosexual couples.