John Block

Assisted suicide via lethal drugs bill one step away from becoming law after passing Senate

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In a sad turn of events in New Mexico, the state Senate approved one of the most extreme assisted suicide via lethal drugs bills to the House of Representatives to concur with the amendments, then to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for her signature. The Governor promised to sign the radical anti-life bill that will jeopardize those living with terminal conditions.

The bill passed despite bipartisan opposition to the radical measure, with a final vote of 24-17. Democrats, Pete Campos of Las Vegas, George Muñoz of Gallup, and Benny Shendo Jr. of Jemez Pueblo joined Republicans in voting against the measure. Despite invoking his Catholic faith and saying he attended mass at the Cathedral, Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana) voted with anti-life Democrats to approve the bill.

During debate. Sen. Gregg Schmedes (R-Tijeras) said, “My concern is that when we legalize this practice, as we’ve seen in other states, the overall suicide rate goes up.” He added, “When I use the word ‘suicide,’ I don’t use it flippantly. Suicide’s the intentional taking of your life.”

The bill, which is opposed by multiple disability rights groups, the Navajo Nation, and many patients living with terminal conditions, seeks to further normalize a culture of death in New Mexico by letting medical professionals prescribe lethal drugs to patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that could take their lives anytime up to six months.

The bill would legalize doctors to prescribe a “cocktail” of lethal drugs to patients suffering from terminal illnesses, which will save insurance companies money. 

During the bill’s hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sunday, the “expert witnesses,” law professor Robert Schwartz and physician Steven Kanig could not even list the drugs that would be prescribed to end an individual’s life and admitted that there is no set “cocktail” that is used. Schwartz claimed the concoction of harmful drugs “has been refined over the years” and that “these drugs do change.”

H.B. 47, which devalues human life and dangerously violates ethical codes in medicine, is sponsored by anti-life extremist Rep. Deborah Armstrong (D-Bernalillo) and a few other partisan Democrats in the Legislature. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham’s press secretary Nora Sackett said in a statement, “The governor has been a lifelong advocate for seniors and their independence, as well as for the importance of dignity and respect in making choices about one’s own health and treatment.” 

The American Medical Association (AMA) itself decries assisted suicide as an affront to the practice of medicine. According to the American Medical Association’s Code of Ethics Medical Opinion 5.7: 

“Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.” 

“Instead of engaging in assisted suicide, physicians must aggressively respond to the needs of patients at the end of life. Physicians:

Should not abandon a patient once it is determined that cure is impossible.

Must respect patient autonomy.

Must provide good communication and emotional support.

Must provide appropriate comfort care and adequate pain control.

In Oregon and California–states that allow assisted suicide–patients have been denied payment for treatments to save their lives, but have been told that less-costly lethal drugs would be covered. Assisted suicide creates a strong economic incentive to deny treatment, which is the antithesis of the above medical ethics mandate from the AMA to provide appropriate comfort care and adequate pain control. 

According to official numbers from Oregon, suicide in the general population in the state is 40% above the national average during the 20 year period that Oregon has had legal assisted suicide. 

In July, it was reported that New Mexico’s suicide rate was the highest in the nation. This bill would further encourage suicide as a socially acceptable alternative to life–a dangerous mindset to place in the minds of people young and old living in our state. By embracing more death and treating people who have a terminal illness as expendable, New Mexico would be dehumanizing individuals and treating them as a burden. 

In Canada, where assisted suicide is legal for the ill and the elderly, they are now trying to force through assisted suicide for people who have disabilities, claiming it will save health care costs (as the country has a socialized medicine system). They are threatening patients, such as a man named Roger Foley, who has cerebellar ataxia, a degenerative neurological condition, giving him only two options: pay $1,800 per day to remain in a hospital after he was mistreated at a government-assigned agency home care center, or kill himself with life-ending drugs. The legalization of H.B. 47 would usher in Canada’s so-called “progressive” policies, ultimately leading to disabled people being included in future bills to kill themselves because they are given impossible choices such as the one Mr. Foley had.

Also, the unsafe life-ending drugs used in the killing of these terminally ill patients would force patients to agree to the below statement that they understand it could take longer than three hours of excruciating pain for them to finally be poisoned to death:

“I understand the full import of this request, and I expect to die if I self-administer the medical aid in dying medication prescribed. I further understand that although most deaths occur within three hours, my death may take longer.” 

As Charlie Camosy, a bioethics professor in the theology department of Fordham University in New York said, “A medical system that kills is no longer recognizable as healing and caring.”

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Deb Armstrong (D-Bernalillo) gleefully rejoiced the final Senate passage of the anti-life bill, writing on Twitter, “This is a tremendous win.”

The bill, which was amended on the Senate floor, now goes to the state House of Representatives. The House already has approved the bill, but will need to approve the amendments. Then it will go to the Governor’s desk for a signature, ushering an even more aggressive culture of death in New Mexico, following the passage of S.B. 10, a bill legalizing abortion up-to-birth and infanticide and stripping all protections for women, medical professionals, and babies in the womb.

Assisted suicide bill advances from committee amid ugly spat between Sen. Ivey-Soto, Pro Tem Stewart

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On Sunday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana) met to consider multiple proposals, chief among them H.B. 47, which is a rabidly anti-life assisted suicide via lethal drugs bill brought forth by Rep. Deborah Armstrong (D-Bernalillo) and Sen. Liz Stefanics (D-Bernalillo, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance, and Valencia). 

The bill would legalize doctors to prescribe a “cocktail” of lethal drugs to patients suffering from terminal illnesses, which will save insurance companies money. The bill is opposed by the American Medical Association’s guide of ethics, the Navajo Nation, multiple Catholic organizations, and disability rights groups. 

During the committee, the “expert witnesses,” law professor Robert Schwartz and physician Steven Kanig could not even list the drugs that would be prescribed to end an individual’s life and admitted that there is no set “cocktail” that is used. Schwartz claimed the concoction of harmful drugs “has been refined over the years” and that “these drugs do change.”

Chairman Cervantes asked multiple questions regarding the legality of the bill, such as its clause listing that a physician would be compelled to list the patient’s underlying condition as their cause of death instead of the lethal drugs. Another concern regarded proof that the patient was not being coerced into the decision, as well as the effectiveness of these drugs to end the patient’s life. He also asked about redundancies in the bill, such as the term “a peaceful death,” referring to the ending of the patient’s life. He said, “The issue here is not to produce that, but rather to produce death. And that really is straightforward.” 

No other senator, Republican, or Democrat asked the bill sponsors or their expert witnesses about the bill, other than Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Bernalillo and Sandoval) arguing with the Chairman over exempting doctors from liability. 

During the consideration of a previous bill in the committee, H.B. 129, Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo), and Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) had a spat over amendments to the bill, with Stewart claiming she was not sent amendments in advance. 

Later, during consideration of the anti-life H.B. 47, Ivey-Soto had informed the committee that he had been asked by leadership not to exercise his “senatorial duties” on any House bills and that he would no longer be hearing House bills in his Senate Rules Committee.

He said, “I just wanted to let everybody know that since I have been asked by leadership not to exercise my senatorial duties on any House bills, I will not be participating in the consideration of any House bills. I am terribly sorry for this. We will also no longer, in my committee, be considering any House bills at this time for the foreseeable future. Thank you very much, and I wish everyone well on this bill and I’m very sorry not to be participating in the consideration of this bill because I find it to be incredible for us to be doing in our work in the Legislature.” 

In prior committee hearings in his Rules Committee, Sen Ivey-Soto has gotten into spats with Sen. Mimi Stewart. She has been critical of his inclination to amend bills to not create problems later on. In contrast, she has been focused on ramming through as much radical legislation despite any ramifications in the future. 

Before the final vote on H.B. 47, Republicans on the committee made a motion to table it, with it dying on a vote of 3-5. The anti-life bill ultimately passed through the committee 5-3 despite many indications of opposition from Chairman Cervantes, with him voting to advance the bill. Cervantes said he intends to offer amendments to the bill on the Senate floor, the proposal’s next stop before the Governor’s desk.

URGENT ALERT: Sign up to testify against anti-life assisted suicide via lethal drugs bill TODAY

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On Sunday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider radical assisted suicide H.B. 47 sponsored by Rep. Deborah Armstrong (D-Bernalillo) at 3:00 p.m. Please sign up to testify below.

The bill seeks to further normalize a culture of death in New Mexico by letting medical professionals prescribe lethal drugs to patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that could take their lives anytime up to six months.

H.B. 47, which devalues human life and dangerously violates ethical codes in medicine, is sponsored by anti-life extremist Rep. Deborah Armstrong (D-Bernalillo) and a few other partisan Democrats in the Legislature. 

The American Medical Association (AMA) itself decries assisted suicide as an affront to the practice of medicine. According to the American Medical Association’s Code of Ethics Medical Opinion 5.7: 

“Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.” 

“Instead of engaging in assisted suicide, physicians must aggressively respond to the needs of patients at the end of life. Physicians:

Should not abandon a patient once it is determined that cure is impossible.

Must respect patient autonomy.

Must provide good communication and emotional support.

Must provide appropriate comfort care and adequate pain control.

In Oregon and California–states that allow assisted suicide–patients have been denied payment for treatments to save their lives, but have been told that less-costly lethal drugs would be covered. Assisted suicide creates a strong economic incentive to deny treatment, which is the antithesis of the above medical ethics mandate from the AMA to provide appropriate comfort care and adequate pain control. 

According to official numbers from Oregon, suicide in the general population in the state is 40% above the national average during the 20 year period that Oregon has had legal assisted suicide. 

In July, it was reported that New Mexico’s suicide rate was the highest in the nation. This bill would further encourage suicide as a socially acceptable alternative to life–a dangerous mindset to place in the minds of people young and old living in our state. By embracing more death and treating people who have a terminal illness as expendable, New Mexico would be dehumanizing individuals and treating them as a burden. 

In Canada, where assisted suicide is legal for the ill and the elderly, they are now trying to force through assisted suicide for people who have disabilities, claiming it will save health care costs (as the country has a socialized medicine system). They are threatening patients, such as a man named Roger Foley, who has cerebellar ataxia, a degenerative neurological condition, giving him only two options: pay $1,800 per day to remain in a hospital after he was mistreated at a government-assigned agency home care center, or kill himself with life-ending drugs. The legalization of H.B. 47 would usher in the so-called “progressive” policies of Canada, ultimately leading to disabled people being included in future bills to kill themselves because they are given impossible choices such as the one Mr. Foley had.

Also, the unsafe life-ending drugs used in the killing of these terminally ill patients would force patients to agree to the below statement that they understand it could take longer than three hours of excruciating pain for them to finally be poisoned to death:

“I understand the full import of this request, and I expect to die if I self-administer the medical aid in dying medication prescribed. I further understand that although most deaths occur within three hours, my death may take longer.” 

As Charlie Camosy, a bioethics professor in the theology department of Fordham University in New York said, “A medical system that kills is no longer recognizable as healing and caring.”

Here is a quick and informative video from the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition against H.B. 47:

ACTION ALERT: 

H.B. 47 will be heard on Monday. However, the committee requires people to sign up 24 hours in advance to testify. Please sign up to testify by emailing SJC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against, and indicate if you wish to speak. Written comments are limited to 300 words or less. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

Your help in defeating this bill will mean the difference between a culture of life or a culture of careless death in New Mexico. We should champion policies that promote life for all people in New Mexico, from conception to natural death. Contact the committee members here:

Dem senator questions why Dems want to raise taxes amid revenue boom—then votes for tax hike

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On Saturday, the Senate Taxation, Business, and Transportation Committee voted 7-4 on H.B. 291 to advance a sweeping tax hike on New Mexicans making over $500,000 annually while also phasing out other tax breaks passed in 2013. 

During committee comments, Sen. Bill Tallman (D-Bernalillo) made quite a fuss over the bill increasing taxes while loads of government money was coming in to help the state. He pondered whether this was the right time for such an action.

“Now that we’re learning that we’re going to get a considerable amount of money from the federal government, I was wondering what we are so determined to increase taxes because I would be… in favor of increasing the working families tax credit and the LICTR (Low-Income Comprehensive Tax Rebate), and forget about increasing taxes for a year or two because they’re raising such a small amount.” He added, “The income tax is only going to raise $40 million. That’s what, one-third of one percent of our $7.3 billion budget,” said Tallman. 

He said, “I hate to argue with you against my good friend, Peter Wirth–Senator Wirth. And I was just wondering why we’re so determined to raise taxes–which I’m not against raising taxes maybe down the road–but why are we so determined to raise it in light of the fact that we’re so flush with money coming in this year?” 

Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) responded, saying that the tax hike was meant to be a “recurring” partial fix to a “permanent problem” with what he described as waning oil and gas revenues. 

But despite Tallman lobbying against raising taxes in the current legislative session, he voted for S.B. 291 anyway. 

The bill would ultimately harm businesses that are already struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and which employ low-income workers in the state. The new tax hike would disincentivize businesses from investing in New Mexico because higher-income business owners would not invest in the state due to over-taxation.

There are many other proposals working their way through the Legislature that will directly impact lower-wage workers and working families, notably S.B. 11, which is a clean fuel standards bill that would ultimately raise the price of gasoline to over 20 cents per gallon–crippling the poor.

The bill now heads to the Senate floor, and despite Tallman’s manufactured concern in the Tax Committee, it appears he will likely vote for the measure on the Senate floor. 

Rep. Herrell takes time out of busy week to treat National Guard troops at U.S. Capitol to green chile

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Although far-left Democrat leaders have shuttered the U.S. Capitol with a giant metal chain-link and razor wire fence, that hasn’t stopped New Mexico’s Congresswoman from the Second District from bringing a little cheer to the brave men and women standing on-guard at the Capitol.

This week, she treated the National Guardsmen stationed at the U.S. Capitol to some of New Mexico’s very own green chile to bring a little New Mexico flavor to the dreary, shuttered, and politically toxic capitol building.

On Twitter, Herrell wrote, “Brought a taste from home to the New Mexico National Guard troops on duty at the U.S. Capitol this week. Green Chile of course,” with a photo of her serving it to the troops. 

This has been a very busy week for New Mexico’s lone Republican congresswoman as she fought hard against a radical gun-grab championed by the Democrats and a Democrat slush fund cloaked as a “COVID-19 relief” bill, which only gives a meager 10% to coronavirus relief while the rest goes to fund Democrat pork, including hundreds of millions for abortions. She also stood up against the Democrats’ deadly open border policies that are bringing hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens into the U.S., many of them flooding through the southern border with Mexico and New Mexico. 

But that’s not all. Herrell also co-sponsored a bill with a Republican senator to make murdering law enforcement officers a federal crime. 

Herrell also sent a letter urging Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to tell Democrat Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján to sponsor complimentary legislation, as she has proposed in the House, to exempt New Mexico from Joe Biden’s radical oil and gas moratorium. 

Bill enacting independent redistricting commission advances to House floor after tense debate

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On Friday, the House Judiciary Committee advanced two redistricting proposals, one bipartisan bill, H.B. 211, brought forth by Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) and Natalie Figueroa (D-Bernalillo), and the other, S.B. 15, brought forth by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) and Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe).

Critics of S.B. 15 noted how it uses partisan data and incumbency as tools for redrawing maps, whereas H.B. 211 does not exclusively use that data. H.B. 211 takes into account the needs of local communities, including tribal communities, and encourages public input in the fair process of redrawing legislative maps. It also would discourage litigation, as has been done in all but one census year over the past fifty, according to Rep. Figueroa. 

At the beginning of the meeting, a poll of attendees showed that 89% of them supported H.B. 211 compared to the meager 11% who opposed it. 

During the committee hearing, Speaker Egolf continually whined about Republicans “casting aspersions” that he did not want a fair redistricting process, demanding an apology from Republicans, including GOP Leader Jim Townsend (R-Chaves, Eddy, and Otero). He did not end up getting one, as Egolf has continually worked to favor Democrats in the redistricting process and only recently joined Sen. Ivey-Soto’s last-ditch redistricting bill to install a more political way of redrawing district maps. After the meeting, Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval & Santa Fe) wrote, “We will NEVER apologize for standing up for the people of New Mexico!” 

Previously on a Zoom call with a left-wing group, Retake Our Democracy, Egolf blasted the idea of an independent redistricting commission, saying, “I think that it puts at unacceptable peril a woman’s right to choose, environmental protection, fairness in taxation.” He added, “It puts at tremendous peril all of the progressive causes that we care about.”

Regarding districts, such as Sen Liz Stefanics’ (D-Bernalillo, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance, and Valencia), which covers six counties, Egolf claimed it was not gerrymandered, despite its strange shape going all the way from Santa Fe to Lincoln counties. 

“They look strange, and they are long—that was not a gerrymander, That was—the litigation around that district, in particular, was focused on trying to preserve and maintain a rural seat…. That’s why we have that district…. That was the purpose for that, and I think that was a good purpose,” said Egolf. 

“The boundaries we have right now in the Legislature were not drawn by legislators…. I don’t believe we have legislatively created maps since 1990 so we are operating basically coming up on thirty years of maps that were drawn by members of the Legislature. And the current maps were drawn by a judge in Santa Fe,” said Egolf.

Egolf also claimed the Republican Party was trying to push laws that were making “it harder to vote,” invoking Georgia strengthening their voting laws to discourage fraud. Egolf claimed laws such as Voter ID are “obvious” discrimination against minorities, even though members of his own party, including Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo), have noted the value of an ID. During a March 7th hearing on H.B. 127, a bill regarding youth ID cards, she said, “Try going a week without an ID and see how difficult it is.” 

Rep. Eliseo Alcon (D-Cibola & McKinley) complained about an independent commission taking away representatives’ “rights” to redraw their own districts, saying, “I don’t think it’s our duty to give up our rights.” He did not like the idea of a seven-member commission making the decisions, not him. “If these seven people really want to be part of the redistricting, then they should run for our spots,” he said, adding, “I will be a solid no matter how you look at it,” despite the majority of people in the committee hearing in support of giving more power to the people. 

Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Torrance and Valencia) made similar comments, discounting the people in support of the bill, saying, “I appreciate the public’s participation, but to say that we should be bound in this committee by the poll of a few dozen people is absurd.” 

Other opponents of H.B. 211, including Rep. Gail Chasey (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Micaela Cadena (D-Doña Ana), constantly invoked the January 6th incursion of the U.S. Capitol as the pivotal moment that they were not in favor of independent redistricting. Chasey said, “January 6th changed that a lot for me. 40-45% of the country doesn’t think we had an election that was valid.” 

Both S.B. 15 and H.B. 211 cleared the committee with bipartisan support, with H.B. 211 getting a vote of 7-4. It now heads to the House floor.

TODAY: GOP-led independent redistricting commission bill to be heard in House committee

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On Friday at 11:30 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hear a Republican-led effort by Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) for New Mexico to form an independent redistricting commission.

H.B. 211, which has previously earned unanimous support in House committees, would create a seven-member redistricting body comprised of two Democrats, two Republicans, and two members belonging to neither major party. 

The commission would fairly redraw district maps without partisans from either side getting to redraw districts to their benefit. It prohibits the use of partisan data, voting history, party registration and prohibits favoring a particular party or incumbent. 

H.B. 211 also discourages litigation over new district maps, requires compliance with the Voter Rights Act, and compels citizen input, which before has not happened. 

A competing Democrat-backed bill by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) in the New Mexico Senate is cloaked as an independent commission, but would allow partisans to draw district lines, let lawmakers draw their own districts, and would welcome costly litigation. 

Citizens are asked to testify in favor of the bill by Republican representatives. Please join in to testify at 11:30 a.m. in the House Judiciary Committee. 

Here’s an easy sheet to compare the two proposals:

Meeting information can be found here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89543370073

Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,89543370073# or +12532158782,,89543370073# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 – Webinar ID: 895 4337 0073

You can reach out to members of the House Judiciary Committee by calling thier offices or emailing their inboxes here:

Gail Chasey (Chair) | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4411 | Email: gail@gailchasey.com

Micaela Lara Cadena (Vice-Chair) | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4210 | Email: micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov

Eliseo Lee Alcon | Capitol: ( 505) 986 – 4416 | Email: eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov

Deborah A. Armstrong | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4344 | Email: deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov

Zachary J. Cook | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4221 | Email: zachary .cook @ nmlegis.gov

Brian Egolf | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4782 | Email: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov

Daymon Ely | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4243 | Email:daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov

Georgene Louis | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4329 | Email: georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov

Matthew McQueen | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4423 | Email: matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov

Greg Nibert | Capitol: ( 505) 986 – 4211 | Email: greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov

William “Bill” R. Rehm | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4214 | Email: bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov

James G. Townsend | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4758 | Email: townsend@pvtn.net

Haaland confirmation almost certain as four GOP senators signal support

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On Thursday, the U.S. Senate advanced the confirmation of Deb Haaland to become the next secretary of the Department of the Interior. Democrats were helped in their efforts to push through the anti-energy extremist by four moderate Republican senators, Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Susan Collins (R-ME).

Now, Haaland’s confirmation moves to its final vote in the Senate, where it looks like senators from energy-rich states such as Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Bob Casey (D-PA) will vote with their party despite Haaland’s complete assault on energy and natural resources while on the campaign trail and in power as a congresswoman.

BACKGROUND

Haaland has no qualifications to speak of. Not a single piece of legislation she has sponsored in her short two-year tenure in the House has become law, and she has a record of straight-up lying to the American people. Not to mention the fact that despite her multiple attempts at passing the bar to become a lawyer, she has failed. 

During a candidate debate in October, Haaland misled on multiple issues. She claimed she worked in “a bipartisan way” while in Congress, despite voting with socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 95% of the time, she called a leftist Black Lives Matter/Antifa mob committing arson and vandalism in Lafayette Square near the White House “peaceful,” she claimed she did not support Antifa, despite calling them “peaceful protestors,” saying she has never “missed a vote,” despite missing several, and falsely claiming President Trump called COVID-19 a “Democrat hoax,” which liberal fact-checkers have even admitted is incorrect. 

While running for Congress in 2018, she said, “Let’s be honest, there is a reason there has never been a Native American woman elected to Congress or to a Governorship in over 240 years. Our electoral system was not designed to elect women like me.” That should say it all about the level of pandering she is willing to go to be elected. 

Also, during COVID-19, Haaland exploited the pandemic to raise campaign cash for her feeble re-election bid while New Mexicans were hurting.

But being of a minority group does not and should not be a test for any candidate up for any office of public trust—qualifications should, and Haaland doesn’t hold a single redeeming qualification other than being a partisan Democrat loyalist, who will say just about anything to hold onto power. Qualifications make someone qualified for a position, and Haaland has none.

Fifty of the farthest left Democrats in the House have sent a letter to Joe Biden begging him to pick her to run the Department of Interior along with a group of fringe organizations also lobbying him to tap Haaland for the post. Haaland’s backers say an awful lot about her extremism now and when she could arrive at the Department of the Interior. 34.72% of New Mexico is federally controlled land, meaning Deb would control over 1/3 of our state’s natural resources—meaning sudden death to our state.

During Haaland’s Senate committee hearings, she could not answer basic questions regarding the department she was vying for, stumbled on every single question she was asked and did not have a general knowledge of the energy industry, much less the public lands she claimed to be a champion of. 

Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) plainly asked Haaland, “Did you or do you now support the Biden action of shutting down the Keystone Pipeline his first day in office?” She refused to answer the question, responding, “I have to respect it, uh, Senator. He is the president of the United States and I realize that, um, these are some of the things that he talked about when he was running for office.” Not until Sen. Risch had to press three more times did he get a vaguely discernible answer from Haaland where she finally said, “I will tend to support President Biden’s positions. I assume you could take my answer as a yes.” 

During one line of questioning by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Haaland was asked why she made the statement that she would vote to legalize marijuana to account for lost jobs in the oil and gas industry due to extreme government regulation. She claimed her argument was merely one about “diversify[ing] our funding streams.” 

Barrasso pressed her, “Is selling marijuana among what the Biden administration calls ‘better choices… to give jobs to displaced oil and gas workers?” Haaland said she didn’t know Biden’s position on the legalization of weed. Barrasso clapped back, “Well, we know what your stance is on replacing the revenue from the energy jobs… And your preference is to turn to drugs is what you’ve recommended to the voters.” 

During another exchange, Haaland had difficulty answering basic questions about oil and gas pipelines on federal lands from Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), ultimately admitting she didn’t know the answer to the question.

The final Senate vote on Haaland is expected on Monday. With the defection of moderate Republicans and the betrayal of moderate Democrats, Haaland’s confirmation to lead the Department of the Interior is almost certain.

Every Democrat NM senator voted to raise gas taxes on the poor by 20+ cents per gallon

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On Thursday, in a fast-track effort to ram through extreme legislation, the New Mexico Senate approved the 20+ cent gas tax on the poor, Sen. Mimi Stewart’s S.B. 11, on a party-line vote of 25-14 with every Democrat voting for it and one Democrat, Sen. Bill O’Neill (D-Bernalillo) absent for the vote. However, he has supported the measure in previous committees. 

Despite public outcry from countless New Mexicans about this bill and the measure raising gas taxes on the poorest in our state by hiking taxes on transport fuels, the outrage fell on deaf ears as Mimi Stewart is the Senate Pro Tem, meaning she can force through just about anything she wants, such as the radical abortion up-to-birth and infanticide S.B. 10, which is now law. 

S.B. 11 puts extreme clean fuel standards on businesses that produce or import transportation fuels and fuels used in motor vehicles. The restrictions on these companies would force them to invest in costly upgrades to their fuel standards, meaning these costs would transfer to the consumers. The bill also adds vague and sweeping “enviro-justice” provisions to state law.

In California and Oregon, where clean fuel standards are already in place, there are already increased costs of up to 24 cents per gallon on gas, which directly hurts poor consumers. Similar bills have been enacted in Oregon and California, states where the gas prices are 119% and 135% higher than the national average, respectively, according to AAA.

In Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee, Stewart got flustered with people calling her bill out for harming poor New Mexicans, where she insisted, “You know what gas costs in Europe? It costs $6-7 a gallon!” She said people drove smaller electric cars in the region and said she didn’t appreciate “the sky is falling” arguments regarding concerns attributed to her bill. Stewart also complained about the committee hearing nearing two hours long on her bill. 

However, senators from rural areas did, indeed, have concerns about her bill since many people in more remote areas have to drive farther to go to work and to get basic needs from neighboring towns. This de-facto gas tax would harm the poorest New Mexicans. 

But despite any logical argument otherwise, Stewart insists her bill will bring industry to New Mexico, while poor citizens foot the bill for her pipe dream. S.B. 11 now heads over to the House of Representatives, where it will be introduced, deferred to committees (likely only one), and then go for a full House of Representatives vote. 

ACTION ALERT

Reach out to members of the House of Representatives and ask them to vote “NO” on S.B. 11–the gas tax on the poor. You can find your legislator here.

Brian Egolf’s anti-police bill bankrupting local governments advances to full Senate

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee advanced H.B. 4, the “Civil Rights Act” sponsored by Speaker of the House Brian Egolf and Rep. Georgene Louis (D-Bernalillo), who are both attorneys. 

The bill has the ability to bankrupt local communities with slews of frivolous civil rights lawsuits, end qualified immunity and put a target on law enforcers’ backs. Local governments from all across the state are vehemently opposed to the measure, as well as many local law enforcement officials from all over New Mexico.

“More money for insurance or claims means less money for essential services or higher taxes,” said Santa Fe County Attorney Greg Shaffer during testimony against the bill. “This shifting of risk impacts all citizens,” he said. “More money for insurance or claims means less money for essential services or higher taxes.”

In a previous hearing of the bill, Detective Shaun Willoughby of the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association said, “This particular bill takes away our ability. This is basically a tax increase. We are taxing the public all over the state of New Mexico. Hurting budgets that can be used for training on the mental health, can be used for resources and social programs in the poorest state in the nation.” 

Proponents of the police-attacking bill came sponsored by dark money groups like billionaire Mike Bloomberg’s “Moms Demand Action,” the Soros-funded “Sierra Club,” “ProgressNow New Mexico” and “Equality New Mexico.” These groups’ supporters claimed H.B. 4 was a necessary reform for civil rights while not addressing how it would cripple local municipalities’ budgets, open these localities to million-dollar frivolous lawsuits, and put targets on peace officers’ backs. 

Egolf has been criticized for sponsoring the bill, as it would directly benefit his private law practice, which is 60% civil litigation and claims. His unethical sponsorship of the bill led a prominent retired judge to file an ethics complaint against Egolf. He had his lawyer file a motion to dismiss the ethics complaint, as reported on Friday. During House consideration of H.B. 4, Egolf voted against an amendment proposed by Rep. T. Ryan Lane (R-San Juan) to bar legislators from financially benefiting from the bill.

The measure barely squeaked by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a vote of 5-4, with Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) voting with all Republicans against the radical measure. A similar measure was brought forth by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana) regarding tort claims and qualified immunity. However, it was swiftly rejected, with two Democrats voting to kill the bill. Cervantes also may have profited off of his legislation.

It is unclear how long it will take H.B. 4. to get to the full Senate, but the bill’s passage would be just one step away from becoming law.

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