Crunch Time in The Legislature Begins!

Impeachment Drive Ends, Not with a Bang, but a Whimper

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino’s resolution to have the state ask Congress to start impeachment proceedings against President Bush and VP Cheney died on the Senate floor about an hour ago. The quiet death came on a dull procedural vote to approve the Republicans’ opposition to the “do-pass” Judiciary committee report. The bill had passed through three Senate committees, but when it came to a floor vote it failed -- with 13 voting to keep the measure alive and 26 voting to kill it. There were several Democrats who voted to kill it, some of them probably because they didn’t want to spend 2 or more hours talking about the controversial measure. Thanks to all the people who came up repeatedly for this, gave heartfelt testimony, and tried to put a little fire into the proceedings here.

Hope Still Alive for Ethics Reform

It’s been frustrating for ethics reformers like me in the Senate, but with the help of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chair and the Majority leader we are finally moving. At the suggestion of the Sen. Michael Sanchez, Sen. John Grubesic and I are working on an omnibus bill. The bill will be heard tomorrow before the Judiciary Committee. Hope it’s not too late. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House has a bill for public financing of state and judicial campaigns (HB 818) in Senate Rules. Please call the Chair of the Rules Committee Linda Lopez, the Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, and Sen. John Arthur Smith, the Chair of the Finance Committee, to move Speaker Lujan’s bill to Senate Finance to be heard along with mine (SB 799) which has been there for two weeks without a hearing. The Capitol’switchboard is 505-986-4300.

Conference Committee Still Meeting on the Budget

Somewhere out there, in secret, the conference committee is meeting on the budget. We haven’t heard anything yet, and probably won’t until the very last minute, when we’ll be presented with a 500 page document to go through frantically to see whether the items we value are still in it, have been cut out, or maybe we’ll see some surprises that have not even been discussed by the Senate. Then we go to an immediate vote. So it goes without an open process. Meanwhile, the House has passed a version of the open conference committee bill that I sponsored here only to see it loose by one vote.

I hate to cede the high ground to the House on these good government issues. But, they’re better than us in basketball, too, and have been for several years. It’s times like these that I miss Sen. Richard Romero, a great basketball player, and an even better proponent of campaign finance reform.

Death Penalty Ban Done For in Senate Judiciary

Unexpectedly, the ban on the death penalty, wherein the death penalty would have been replaced by life without parole, was defeated in Senate Judiciary last night. The two wildcards were Sen. Richard Martinez, who was celebrating his birthday, and Sen. Lidio Rainaldi, who unexpectedly voted against the measure. In spite of the defeat, I’ve got to give the grand award for moxy, perseverance and grace to Rep. Gail Beam Chasey, a great lady whom I really admire. You have no idea what it’s like to suffer a defeat like that after so many years of efforts…. Thank her if you get a chance.

Cue the Mariachis

As we enter the crunch and have almost no time to breathe, there’s always something around here to bring relief -- like the huge group of mariachis that came in for Sen. Richard Martinez and Lt. Governor Diane Denish’s birthday yesterday. They were both 49 again, I understand. My birthday’s coming up too -- and I hope to bring in the cleaning crew, if I’m lucky.

Comments

[Cynthia B. Hall]

Dede, who are the Democrats who sided with the Republicans on the impeachment bill? Is there any procedural way to get another floor vote? I had not heard that this bill was at risk at the hands of Democrats. I would like to organize a last-minute call-in campaign to those Dems, if it is procedurally possible to bring up the bill again. Please let me know. And thank you for being there and being brave. I agree, you are surrounded by cowards, and I want to know their names.