State Briefs

Last Senate hot buttons with compromises

State senators will have a hotly contested domestic-partner bill on their agenda when they return to the Capitol on Saturday - the same day Gov. Bill Richardson speaks to two gay-rights groups during an out-of-state presidential campaign trip.

Richardson’s support of the House-passed legislation already has won him mentions on several gay Web sites. But the timing of his trip, during a special session he called to address the domestic-partner bill and other issues, has prompted complaints from the Legislature’s Republican minority.

“I just find it odd that that issue coincides with (the) keynote address to the Human Rights Campaign gala dinner in Los Angeles, Calif.,” House Minority Whip Dan Foley (R-Roswell) said this week.

Richardson plans to speak to the gay-rights group Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Earlier Saturday, the governor is scheduled to stop in Nevada to speak to the national convention of another gay-rights group, the Stonewall Democrats, in Las Vegas.

The legislation would give domestic partners - regardless of sexual orientation - the same legal rights, protections, benefits and responsibilities that married couples have - including parental rights.

Even without the latest grumbling about how the bill relates to Richardson’s national aspirations, the proposal had touched on a hot-button issue during the regular 60-day session of the Legislature, where it died last weekend along with the latest defense of marriage attempt to define marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

Gay marriage is not legal in New Mexico, according to an opinion from the attorney general’s office. While Richardson has emphasized that the domestic-partner bill in no way authorizes gay marriages, the state Republican Party issued a statement Thursday that said,

“If the domestic partner bill is signed into law, it will pave the way to future legislation allowing same-sex marriage.”

Before the regular session adjourned, the Senate last week had substituted an alternative bill that referred to `contractual common households’ instead of domestic partners. Supporters of the original bill, however, called the substitute measure flawed and said it conflicted with existing laws.

In an effort to reach a compromise on language, the latest version passed by the House early Thursday, no longer defines domestic partners as unmarried adults in an intimate and committed relationship - words that proved to be a stumbling block in the Senate.

Nonetheless, Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano (D-Silver City) said the issue continues to stir up controversy.

“It’s kind of a troublesome bill,’’ Altamirano said.

The Governor has said his decision to call lawmakers back to Santa Fe for a special session this week had nothing to do with his presidential bid or Saturday’s campaign events.

“I do things for what’s right for the people in New Mexico and also for the people of this country,’’ Richardson said last week. “We should be a state that leads in protecting against discrimination.”

Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor at The University of New Mexico, said support of domestic-partner legislation could help Richardson in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“He’s trying to create this following as a second-tier candidate,” Atkeson said.

But, if Richardson winds up winning the Democratic nomination, Atkeson said, he could find the domestic-partner issue is one that polarizes moderate voters in a general election.

“It’s one of those wedge issues that we consider in the culture war,” Atkeson said.

Rep. Mimi Stewart, an Albuquerque Democrat who sponsored the domestic-partner rights and benefits bill, said she doesn’t care what Richardson’s motivations are; she’s just glad he pushed the issue to the forefront. “I’m glad the governor is on the cutting edge of political will,” Stewart said.

Alexis Blizman, executive director of Equality New Mexico, a gay rights advocacy group backing the bill, said Richardson has championed gay-rights issues since he took office in 2003. She noted the governor has signed a hate-crimes law, a measure prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and other areas based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and an executive order extending benefits to the domestic partners of state employees.

“I think he’s doing this because he believes it’s right,” Blizman said.

The state Senate, which abruptly adjourned just hours after lawmakers convened the special session Tuesday, plans to return to work Saturday.

Altimirano said he would vote for the domestic-partner rights bill if it comes to a vote, but he also said it was unclear whether senators would adjourn again Saturday.