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.
Wednesday was the first day to pre-file legislation for the legislative session that begins January 19, and among the 15 bills posted on the New Mexico Legislature’s Web site late Wednesday is one that proposes a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
During the regular 2009 session, a bill that would have allowed domestic partnerships was defeated after a lengthy debate, but Gov. Bill Richardson has said that during the next session he will try again to get such a bill passed.The bill proposing a constitutional amendment was filed by Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, but this is not the first time legislation aimed at banning gay marriage has been brought up in the Legislature.
In the 2009 regular session, Sen. Sharer introduced another bill addressing marriage, but using a different method. That bill, SB162, would have elaborated on the definition of marriage as a civil contract “between a man and a woman.” It never made it out of a Senate committee.
In 2008, Rep. Nora Espinoza, R-Roswell, introduced a similar civil contract bill, but it died in committee. Rep. Gloria Vaughn, R-Alamogordo, sponsored a bill proposing a constitutional amendment; it also died.
In 2008, voters approved constitutional amendments banning gay marriage in Arizona, California and Florida.
