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.
The U.S. Senate today voted to table an anti-abortion amendment introduced by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. The amendment would have put severe restrictions on abortion funding in the health care reform bill that is currently making its way through the Senate. The Senate vote of 54-45 effectively kills the amendment, assuring it will not be a part of any health care legislation that passes the Senate.
Nelson’s bill was virtually identical to the “Stupak amendment,” added by Bart Stupak D-Mich., which passed the House and is a part of the House’s health care reform bill.
Both Senators Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Tom Udall, D-N.M., voted for tabling the amendment.
Nelson has threatened to join in a Republican filibuster of the health care bill if the anti-abortion language is not included in the final bill.
While nearly all Democrats voted for tabling the amendment, Senators Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Robert Casey, D-Penn., Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Ted Kaufman, D-Del., Nelson and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., voted in favor of the amendment. Republican Senators Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted for tabling the amendment.
Senator Robert Byrd, D-W.V., did not vote.
