New Mexico reacts to failed attempt to ban gay marriage
By Mary Perea/ Associated Press Writer


ALBUQUERQUE — Gay marriage advocates in New Mexico are expressing relief and happiness as the Bush administration’s proposed gay marriage ban was rejected by the Senate.

The Senate fell short Wednesday of getting the “supermajority” of senators to allow the proposed constitutional amendment to move forward. The vote was 48-50 — 12 short of the 60 needed to keep the measure alive.

Six Republicans joined dozens of Democrats in sealing the amendment’s fate.

“I’m just very relieved that the Republicans’ attempt to use a socially divisive issue like this as a diversionary tactic to shift the attention from the failures of the war in Iraq and the economy ... failed,” said Mary Ellen Capek of Corrales, who married her partner of 17 years last year in Canada.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., voted against the measure saying he supported a 1996 measure giving the authority over marriage to individual states.