Voting bill dies as 30-day session comes to an end (New Mexico)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 17, 2022 | Dan McKay and Dan Boyd

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE — A grueling push to enact voting legislation backed by Democratic leaders at the Capitol died in the final minutes of a contentious 30-day session Thursday, with a Senate Republican using a filibuster to run out the clock.

The standoff came after lawmakers worked through the night, agreeing in the final hours to send a hefty tax cut package and a broad crime bill to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

A proposal to enact a clean fuel standard, meanwhile, failed on a rare tie vote in the House.

Much of the last-minute drama centered on voting legislation that would have required ballot drop boxes and established a permanent absentee voter list, among other changes to the election code.

The proposal, Senate Bill 144, passed the House on a 39-30 vote just before 10 a.m. after three hours of debate, sending it to the Senate with two hours left in the session.

But Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, effectively killed the measure with a filibuster on the Senate floor.

He talked about San Juan River fly-fishing, baseball rules, Navajo Code Talkers and the celestial alignment of the sun and moon during his lengthy soliloquy on the Senate floor, which began about 9:35 a.m. and lasted through adjournment.

Senators mulled around and chatted during Sharer’s filibuster, with some taking photos.

Under Senate rules, debate can be halted after two hours. But since Sharer’s filibuster was technically not during debate of a bill but instead during announcements to the chamber, he could keep the floor without time limit. And no Senate Democrats attempted to interrupt Sharer.

[CedarDave]

The bill would have made it easy to cheat with a permanent absentee ballot list that would send out mail in ballots without request. Of course, being a Dem bill, requiring voter ID was not part of it.

Also defeated with the noon adjournment were a clean fuel bill requiring zero net emissions in coming years. Rural Dem legislators realized that the price for their constituents to travel would be hefty and joined Pubs to defeat it with a tie vote.

[CedarDave]

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[nicollo]

Great news! Some spine, finally, showing up in Republicans. We can thank Team MAGA for constantly beating on the Nov 3 fraud.

[RitaOK]

A miracle! Courage talks, in a filibuster. A shred of good news helps all of us.
Thanks.

[CedarDave]

In many cases good legislation is no legislation, and New Mexico’s 30-day sessions in even-numbered years proves that right time and time again. Dems have nearly a 2 to 1 majority in both legislative chambers plus a strict blue-state governor and can usually give the political run-around to the Pub members.

But occasionally a smart Pub member has an opportunity to use the legislative rules to avoid passing really bad bills as this one was. And, unfortunately, collateral damage sometimes occurs as worthwhile bills behind the one being debated are defeated by the clock.

The governor can call a special session with limited bills on the agenda, but she knows that there may not be support even among Dems who face calls of unnecessarily spending taxpayer money in an election year.

[rktman]

WOW! Who knew New Mexico was so racis’ CedarDave. LOL!

[Tijeras_Slim]

NM isn’t racist, I haven’t been called an Anglo or gringo for years.

[j.havenfarm]

Wow. Four weeks ago universal healthcare failed in the California Assembly,
Now this. BTW, the filibustering senator represents my centuries-long ancestral
Home. Way to go!

[rktman]

Kinda like the Nevada legislative sessions. Super majority democommies in the senate and majority in the assembly. Las Vegas (NV) writ large here. Toss in Reno/Washoe county and the rest of the counties are left out in the cold. Hopefully we can get rid of our democommie Gov this year but..... Lots of out of state money coming in.

[libertylover]

A grueling push to enact voting legislation backed by Democratic leaders at the Capitol died in the final minutes of a contentious 30-day session Thursday, with a Senate Republican using a filibuster to run out the clock.

You mean, the Republicans actually played hardball for a change?

[I-ambush]

Well…how’s the fly fishing on the San Juan River?

[rktman]

😅😅😅 like back in the 80’s. LOL!

[Squantos]

You didn’t wear ear pro on the range either ? Stay Safe Bub !!!