The petition drive has not been endorsed by The New Mexico Republican Party, which has yet to address the issue, but privately members of the GOP are supporting the move. 

Officially, the referendum petition is being organized by a private citizen, Pam Wolfe of Las Cruces. But Wolfe is in reality a paid spokesperson for state Senate Republicans.  

Friday she said the petition is being circulated in several counties.  

"I completely expect that the call for referendum will be successful," Wolfe said. "There's so much activity."

Wolfe and her petition gatherers will need to collect about 200,000 signatures of registered voters to insure they get the required 125,577 certified signatures. They have until June 20 to do so.

If they are successful a question about the law would be placed on the ballot in the November 2004 general election.

The gay rights laws were signed by Gov Bill Richardson in April. They take effect July 1.

The first adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the New Mexico Hate Crimes law. The second broadens the state's Human Rights Act to cover sexual orientation and gender identity. The state's LGBT community had fought for five years to get the legislation passed.

Attempts to force a referendum on a newly-passed law have never been successful in New Mexico.

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