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.
A Senate Committee viewed as a friendly forum for domestic partnerships may have killed the bill Tuesday.
The Senate Public Affairs Committee approved the legislation but voted to give the 816-page bill a third committee referral.
A bill that must be heard by three committees in either chamber – the House or Senate – during a 30-day legislative budget session is usually viewed as dead.
Sen. Eric Griego, D-Albuquerque, said as much prior to the vote on whether to send the bill to the Senate Finance Committee.
“Three committee assignments would kill this bill,” Griego said.
Whether the Senate Public Affairs Committee has the authority to add another committee may come up for debate on the Senate floor in coming days.
But with only 16 days left in the 30-day session, chances for the domestic partnerships bill are looking more dire.
UPDATED 4:55 p.m.: Domestic partnerships’ other committee referral is Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Chief Clerk of the Senate, Lenore Naranjo, just told me there’s precedence for a committee giving a bill another committee referral. That doesn’t mean someone on the Senate floor won’t challenge Tuesday’s action by the Senate Public Affairs Committee, Naranjo said. That could happen.
Whether that happens is another question.
