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.
Among the hundreds of bills introduced so far in the state House and Senate are four from Republicans hoping to restrict marriage in New Mexico, including three separate pieces of legislation that seek to define marriage as between “one man and one woman.”
State legislators (and Independent staffers!) will be back at the Roundhouse next week–Gov. Bill Richardson said at a press conference that he would call a special session to begin next Wednesday at noon.
The special session would not include a…
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…
Four couples celebrated their commitments on Saturday at a group domestic partnership ceremony at the New Mexico state capitol.
Local activist and ordained minister Wenda Watch led the ceremony in front of a small crowd of friends, family and supporters.…
The sign posted on the door of the Senate Finance Committee room is clear: no domestic partnerships hearing until the budget is done. “This session is about fiscal appropriations,” Senator and Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said…
According to a committee schedule on the Web site of the New Mexico Democratic caucus, the domestic partnership bill might be heard during that committee’s meeting this afternoon. The committee, scheduled to meet half an hour after the…
The controversial domestic partnership bill, SB 183, which was scheduled to head to the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday before going before the Senate Finance Committee is instead headed straight for Finance. Senate Majority Floor Leader
As the 800+ page domestic partner bill continues to be debated in the Senate, Governor Richardson is talking about the bill and its chances. “Its not same-sex marriage, its totally different,’ Richardson said, ”my view is that the full Senate should…
The Senate gallery was packed Tuesday for a hearing on SB 183, New Mexico’s domestic partnership bill. We talked to some members of the audience who came to Santa Fe to watch the hearing.
Jill Norton, who described herself only as a New Mexico resident of nearly 18 years, finished her testimony against the domestic partnership bill, SB 183, with a not-so-subtle threat against legislators if they pass the domestic partnership bill that…
Governor Bill Richardson has put his influence behind domestic partnership efforts for years. Now, in Richardson’s final session as governor, there is a final effort to push a domestic partnership bill past the finish line. And the effort starts with…
Approximately 100 people turned up at the New Mexico state capital Monday to support domestic partnership bill (SB 183) expected to be heard in the Senate this week.
Sen. Cisco McSorley told supporters of New Mexico’s domestic partnership bill on Monday that the measure is only “1 or 3 votes short” of a possible vote before the full Senate.
The bill is expected to go…
On Wednesday night in Santa Fe, writers from The Independent mingled with dozens of guests gathered at Rio Chama for the first of four Independent Forum events. The Independent’s partner KNME was on hand to film a panel discussion…
UPDATED This week our panelists respond to the question: “Should we amend the New Mexico state constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman?” On Friday, panelist Bill Jordan added his thoughts, including this: “…as Dr. [Martin Luther] King so rightly noted, when discrimination against anyone is tolerated, discrimination against everyone is possible.”
A District Court Judge ruled this week that an Albuquerque photo studio violated New Mexico’s Human Rights Act in 2006, when the owner refused to photograph a lesbian couple’s commitment ceremony—simply because they’re lesbians, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
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…
“We wanted to do something peacefully, and with pretty gold,” Susan Young of Equality New Mexico said of the group’s effort to surround the state capitol with a gold lame fabric engagement ring to bring attention to the issue of marriage…
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 State of New Mexico will soon be offering retirement health benefits to domestic partners of state employees, both straight and gay. The move is part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union…
