Related Events at the Capitol

Please see February 24 article on the current state of affairs at the capitol:

Let us not forget the anti collective bargaining,death penalty reinstatement, and vast cut backs to the film industry, just a few things this article does not mention.

Dear Friend,
From immigration to LGBT rights, New Mexico legislature goes on reactionary rampage
Environment, evolution not spared either
By Andrew Beale
FEBRUARY 24, 2011

Bills currently being considered in the New Mexico legislature reveal a reactionary agenda. With a wave of right-wing propaganda sweeping across New Mexico's political landscape, legislators are taking aim at immigrants, environmentalism, gay rights and the institution of science.

The New Mexico legislature is currently in session, and bills have been proposed to lock gay couples out of marriage and to allow the teaching of the "theory" of "intelligent design" in schools. In addition, newly elected Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has come down against the environmental lobby and the right of immigrants to live in this country.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Tom Anderson, a state representative from Albuquerque, introduced a bill to the legislature that would prevent schools from punishing teachers that chose to teach "alternative theories" about evolution.

The bill states that New Mexico's school boards "shall not prohibit any teacher, when a controversial scientific topic is being taught in accordance with adopted standards and curricula, from informing students about relevant scientific information regarding either the scientific strengths or scientific weaknesses pertaining to that topic."

The bill further states, "A teacher who chooses to provide such information shall be protected from reassignment, termination, discipline or other discrimination for doing so."

Among the list of "controversial topics" protected in Anderson's bill are "biological evolution" and "causes of climate change," meaning the bill would allow teachers not only to teach intelligent design, but to deny that humans are responsible for global warming.

This disturbing trend is continued in local elections in the state. The Albuquerque newspaper The Weekly Alibi recently interviewed candidates for the Albuquerque school board. Seven out of 14 candidates interviewed stated they supported teaching intelligent design in school.

Proposed bills attack gay rights

The legislature is currently also the site of outrageous attacks on gay rights. Three separate Republican legislators, William Sharer, David Chavez and Nora Espinoza, have introduced bills that would legally codify marriage in New Mexico as exclusively between a man and a woman.

Currently, New Mexico is one of only 10 states that respects same-sex marriage licenses from other states, although a gay couple cannot be married in New Mexico.

Gov. Martinez herself has added to the attacks on science and human rights. She recently passed an executive order stating that police are required to do immigration-status checks on anyone they arrest. This executive order echoes the racism of SB1070 in Arizona and overturns the state's previous policy of prohibiting police officers from acting as immigration agents.

In addition to the racism of this executive order, Martinez and her administration have taken a hard-line stance against protecting the environment.

Upon taking office, Martinez fired the state's entire Environmental Improvement Board, saying in a statement that their policies of restricting carbon emissions were "anti-business." During her campaign, Martinez expressed doubts that climate change is caused by humans.

"I'm not sure the science completely supports that," she said.

Red-baiting environmental movement

As if that is not enough, Martinez' camp cooked up some 1950s-style red-baiting.

Former astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Martinez's pick for secretary of energy, minerals and natural resources, told right-wing radio host Alex Jones that the environmental movement is made up of Communists.

"There are individuals, apparently among them, who are apparently a very large number who have taken-should we say captured the environmental movement, and turned it into what previously was considered a Communist movement," Schmitt said on Jones's show. "That's just something that people of common sense are going to have to capture, and wake up enough to take control of their government again."

This attack on environmentalism is especially scary considering that the secretary of energy, minerals and natural resources is the highest-ranking environmental protection post in New Mexico.

Schmitt removed his name from consideration for the post after refusing the mandatory background check all members of the governor's cabinet must undergo.

These attacks on science and human rights should be seen as a call to arms for all progressives, and be met with the same kind of resistance demonstrated by our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin.

May be reprinted with credit to LiberationNews.org

http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/new-mexico-attacks-immigration-to-lgbt.html