The Gun Show Vote

Party-line votes are so boring and predictable. That's one thing I liked about the vote yesterday on House Bill 77, the bill that would require background checks on people buying guns at gun shows. The vote was mainly along partisan lines, but eight Republicans and three Democrats bucked the prevailing winds in their own parties.

Republicans were given some cover by Gov. Susana Martinez, who earlier this week saud she'd probably sign the bill as currently written.

I spoke yesterday, with Rep. Nate Cote, D-Las Cruces, one of the Dems who voted against the bill. He acknowledged that the fact he represents "a conservative district" greatly influenced his vote. His email, he said, was heavily against the bill. (Cote lost his seat in 2010, but won it back last year.)

Here's my colleague Julie Ann Grimm's article about the vote in today's New Mexican. And below are the representatives who didn't vote party line.


Republicans who voted for HB 77
Alonzo Baldonado
Kelly Fajardo
Nate Gentry
Jason Harper
Terry McMillan
Paul Pacheco
James White
Monica Youngblood

Democrats who voted against HB 77
Nate Cote
George Dodge
Kiki Saavedra