HRC Back Story

On Saturday, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary committee moved to put the brakes on a much-needed domestic partnership bill that would grant same-sex couples many of the state rights afforded to married couples. Terry McGuire, who's been on the ground in New Mexico for the past several weeks, has the latest:

The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act, HB9, was dealt a fatal blow on Saturday. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to table the bill – essentially killing it and preventing it from receiving a full Senate vote. After thirty powerful minutes of testimony from our supporters, four senators voted for equality and six voted for a motion to table the bill.

There is strong support for this bill. Today we filled the Senate Gallery with hundreds of supporters for HB9, versus a peppering of opposition that were clearly vastly outnumbered. There were straight families and couples, members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and their families, youth from the Santa Fe Mountain Center, faith leaders and reverends, and Patsy Trujillo, the New Mexico Deputy Secretary of Aging and Long-term Services who took time out of her day to testify on behalf of the bill. What a showing of support!!!

While the community is understandably disappointed, we have the momentum and thirst for justice on our side. I expect that the GLBT and allied New Mexican community will be more motivated and engaged than ever before in this election. I’m excited to be a part of this and I look forward to working in New Mexico throughout the year!!