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.
An attempt to define marriage as between on man and one woman failed in the Senate Rules Committee Monday by a vote of 5-2. Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, had proposed a constitutional amendment that would have added the phrase “Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman,” to the state constitution.
In his opening statement to the committee, Sharer made no mention of homosexuality but said that marriage has always been defined as between one man and one woman.
(It was perhaps the first discussion of a bill that included references to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, the ancient conqueror Alexander the Great and Native American princess Pocahontas.)
Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, a sponsor of the domestic partnership bill, quoted the conservative case for gay marriage from conservative lawyer Ted Olson, in opposing the bill. Olson, who was one of the lawyers representing George W. Bush in the famous Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision, is now working to overturn the gay marriage ban in California.
Sharer spoke about the importance of families having a mother and a father, saying “Throughout history, the basics of marriage has always been about moms, dads and children.”
He did not discuss the importance of marriages between couples who choose not to have children, are unable to have children or are beyond childbearing age.
Sharer said that if one wanted to have a culture of poverty, one would create a culture where we intentionally have unwed teenage mothers. Then he said, “Oh wait, that’s exactly what we have done!”
Sharer did not make it clear exactly how defining marriage as between one man and one woman would eliminate teen pregnancy.
“This is a divisive issue, which I don’t believe has any issue in the constitution,” Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, said before voting against the bill.
Many in the room were in opposition to Sharer’s joint resolution and there were no supporters. Sharer said that this was by design, as he asked supporters not to show up.
