Piñon Post

Heinrich continues his crusade against gas stoves

28 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

In his latest move, Democrat U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is once again attacking his most fierce nemesis — the gas stove. You read that right. While New Mexicans struggle to heat their homes and feed their families, Heinrich is passionately joining a crusade of enviro-Marxists working to ban gas stoves. About 35 percent of Americans have gas stoves, according to the Census Bureau. Heinrich wants to make that zero percent.

In a December 22 tweet, Heinrich wrote, “Many people are unaware of the high level of dangerous indoor air pollutants emitted by gas stoves. That’s why I joined @SenBooker and a number of our colleagues in urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help protect Americans from these hazards.”

In an attached letter to the tweet, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) write, “In addition to the climate impacts, these emissions represent real health risks to millions of Americans. Both NO2 and PM2.5 are known to exacerbate respiratory conditions. Short-term exposure to NO2 is linked to worsening asthma in children, and long-term exposure has been determined to likely cause the development of asthma. Both pollutants have also been linked to cardiovascular impacts and a range of other adverse health issues. Even low-level CO exposure can exacerbate cardiovascular illness among people with coronary heart disease and other vulnerable populations.”

The lawmakers, including Heinrich, demand the following measures be taken to limit gas stoves:

• Require gas stoves to be sold with range hoods that meet mandatory performance standards, assessing their efficiency of removing the pollutants, 

• Where feasible, issue mandatory performance standards for gas stoves that address steady-state-off leakage, including requiring automatic shut-off valves, 

• Where feasible, issue mandatory performance standards for gas stoves that address the health impacts of hazardous emissions, 

• Require labels on gas stoves that educate consumers about their exposure risks, 

• Launch a public education campaign on the health risks of cooking with a gas stove, and steps that consumers can take to minimize their risk. 

Previously, Heinrich made a big stink about gas stoves, claiming using one was comparable to letting one’s babysitter smoke around a child. 

It’s unclear what Heinrich’s obsession with banning gas stoves is all about, but Heinrich has been on this tear for years. 

In July of 2021, Heinrich wrote on Twitter, “When you trade out your gas stove for an electric one you lower your monthly energy bills, create jobs, and move us closer to a zero-emissions future. And a bill I’ll be introducing would give you money back for doing that. This is how we build a clean energy powered economy.”

Heinrich previously bragged on social media about supposedly electrifying his home, sharing a video of him installing a new heat pump to supposedly save the planet. 

Heinrich has his most unhinged take yet — this time about gas stoves

Dems’ Jan. 6 panel refers Pres. Trump, his NM-based lawyer for prosecution

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During the last day of the partisan Nancy Pelosi-sanctioned January 6 committee hearing, the committee’s members referred 45th President Donald J. Trump, among others, including his former lawyer John Eastman, for prosecution. Eastman lives in Santa Fe and has been constantly harassed by far-left protesters outside of his residence for months.

“We believe that the evidence described by my colleagues today … warrants a criminal referral of former President Donald J. Trump, John Eastman, and others,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland).

The sham committee referred Trump for prosecution on the following counts:

  • Obstruction of an official proceeding;
  • Conspiracy to defraud the United States;
  • Conspiracy to make a false statement; and
  • Conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by assisting, aiding or comforting those involved in an insurrection

Eastman faces the same referral on alleged “Obstruction of an official proceeding.” Legally, on January 6th, no such “insurrection” took place. There was no such conspiracy to defraud the country nor false statements made before the partisan committee.

Eastman’s legal representatives at Burnham & Gorokhov, PLLC wrote following the news, “A criminal ‘referral’ from a congressional committee is not binding on the Department of Justice and carries no more legal weight than a ‘referral’ from any American citizen,” adding, “In fact, a ‘referral’ from the January 6th committee should carry a great deal less weight due to the absurdly partisan nature of the process that produced it.”

“At its inception, the January 6th committee had the resources and mandate to make important contributions in the area of Capitol Security, Electoral Count Act Reform and other areas of potential legislation.  Sadly, this opportunity has been squandered in favor of concocting a pretend ‘criminal case’ from pretend prosecutors designed to create political advantage for the Democratic Party and stigmatize disfavored political groups.  The American people have been ill-served by the January 6th committee and its members,” the firm continued. 

According to the Albuquerque Journal, “A 154-page executive summary to the committee’s full investigation was released Monday. The summary mentions Eastman 166 times.”

Criminal charges are not mandatory of the Department of Justice and are at the discretion of special counsel Jack Smith.

Editor’s Note: Mr. Eastman is a donor to Piñon Post editor and founder Rep.-elect John Block’s campaign for state House District 51.

Latest desperate smear campaign by leftist convict fails miserably

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A desperate smear campaign by a disgraced convicted felon and leftist Alamogordo-based blogger Chris Edwards ended in defeat after a frivilous ethics complaint filed by his partner, Rene Sepulveda, was dismissed by the full State Ethics Commission. The complaint targeted Republican officials in Alamogordo, including Otero County GOP Chairman Josh Beasley, Republican State Representative-elect John Block, and Alamogordo City Commissioner Karl Melton. 

Edwards, a convicted felon and twice-failed candidate for Napa City Council in California, runs the blog “2nd Life Media,” which is now attempting to brand itself as conservative with the label of “Alamogordo Conserative Daily,” spewing similar leftist talking points and attacks on conservatives. During his failed political career, he was accused of “dirty politics” for misleading elderly voters during candidate forums. The frivolous complaint appears to be yet another Napa Valley-style political smear.

Sepulveda’s panicky eleventh-hour October 31, 2022 complaint, spanning 13 rambling pages, alleged there was a “consorted attack” by the three Republicans against pro-abortion radicals who attempted unsuccessfully to overturn Alamogordo’s sanctuary for the unborn ordinance passed in August. 

The conspiracy theorist’s complainant claimed the supposed attack, which never happened, was “orchestrated” by Melton and Block “via social media posts, a whisper campaign, and facilitated directly by the two individuals, and with their prodding of their supporters and the chairman of the Otero County Republican party, Joshua Beasley, rallied to their cause.” 

Hilariously, even in Sepulveda’s complaint, it acknowledged that Block, the founder and editor of the state’s largest online news publication, the Piñon Post, had factually reported on the petition. Still, he claimed Rep.-elect Block instituted the use of “malinformation.” No evidence was given.

The complaint then repeats a debunked conspiracy theory alleging Rep.-elect Block sent an unsigned piece of mail to those associated with Edwards sharing his federal indictment while claiming mail fraud. This false claim came despite Edwards being convicted of mail fraud previously and serving in federal prison for his crimes after defrauding 1-800 Flowers of nearly $1 million in an embezzlement and tax evasion scheme.

“Mr. Block directly mailed it or a member of the conspiracy did it on his behalf the fact remains an addition [sic] act of mail fraud was conducted having the return address of Mr. Edwards business on it,” claimed Sepuveda’s dismissed complaint, which provided no evidence.

Then, the letter adds defamatory accusations, erroneously claiming Rep.-elect Block and Commissioner Melton “conspired, instigated, and engaged in activities and actions of ‘voter intimidation and harassment,’” and “disqualify” the convicted felon from voting. It also claimed supposed “attempted economic intimidation” by printing news about Edwards’ illicit activities, of which he has repeatedly been convicted.

Previously, Edwards has doxxed Rep.-elect Block by publishing in his blog the conservative’s home address, email address, and phone number. He has done this on previous occasions against citizens who requested the pro-life sanctuary city resolution.

In conclusion, the failed smear tactic demanded the State Ethics Commission, which has no jurisdiction in the matter, grant a “cease and desist” against Rep.-elect Block from printing the truth about Edwards as well as a “retraction of the stories and an admission to intimidation tactics.” It also demanded a “cease and desist in attempts at voter intimidation and voter suppression and an admission of tactics not becoming of party leadership or those of elected office,” all of which have been unproven or destroyed.

The State Ethics Commission saw through the unhinged ramblings of Sepulveda and Edwards, with members of the Commission writing in response, “The claims that Complainant (Rene Sepulveda), filed against Respondents (John Block, Karl Melton, and Joshua Beasley), in administrative complaint No. 2022-041 are dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. See 1.8.3.l0(F) NMAC; Jurisdictional determination (Nov. 9, 2022). This administrative proceeding is closed, and the Commission will not disclose records relating to this proceeding.” 

Yet again, Edwards’ cowardly attacks on Alamogordo conservatives have failed, leaving the far-left California transplant with egg on his face following not only a failed petition drive to strip the City of its pro-life resolution but now a blow from the State Ethics Commission.

Read more about far-left Edwards’ failed smears against Otero County conservatives here:

Chris Edwards, felon and self-dubbed ‘progressive,’ attacks Otero conservatives

All the safest New Mexico college campuses

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The college and university ranking and review site, Niche.com, ranked New Mexico’s college campuses in terms of safety.

The safest college campus, according to Niche, is Northern New Mexico College in Española. The four-year degree offering school earned a “B+” safety ranking.

The top-ranking university campus is Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Portales, which ranked a “B+” grade and the second spot overall when factoring in both colleges and universities.

ENMU President Patrice Caldwell said to Eastern New Mexico News, “Our Public Safety Department, vigilant faculty and staff, and our well-maintained facilities make ENMU an attractive home away from home for our students. Student success begins with a safe place to live and learn.”

The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro clinched the third spot out of all schools in the state, with a “B” rating. New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas ranked fourth among all colleges and universities in the state with a “B” rating as well.

New Mexico’s other universities went unranked, with New Mexico State University in Las Cruces scoring a “B-” grade while the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque scored a much lower “C-” grade. Albuquerque is the sixth most dangerous city in the United States. 

Read Niche’s full rankings of New Mexico college campuses here.

Christian doctors sue New Mexico in federal court over assisted suicide law

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On Wednesday, a Christian doctor and Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), sued the state of New Mexico in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The doctors sued after the state enacted a 2021 law forcing doctors to aid in physician-assisted suicides. The attorneys argued the mandate to facilitate the end of a patient’s life via a cocktail of life-ending drugs violated their religious conscience and professional ethics.

According to Life News, “The federal lawsuit explains that, despite historic condemnations of assisted suicide, New Mexico enacted the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act in 2021. The law requires physicians who are conscientious objectors to facilitate suicide by informing patients about assisted suicide and referring patients to physicians and organizations who will participate in ending their lives. If physicians decline to participate based on their religious beliefs or professional ethics, they can face substantial criminal, civil, administrative, and professional liability, including risking losing their medical licenses.”

“New Mexico is unlawfully compelling physicians to speak a certain message about assisted suicide, even if they object for reasons of conscience or faith,” ADF Senior Counsel Mark Lippelmann told Life News. “The Christian doctors we represent believe that every life is sacred and full of inherent value, and that assisted suicide ends an innocent human life without justification. The government should not force doctors to surrender their religious, moral, and ethical convictions.”

CMDA member Dr. Mark Lacy, who practices in New Mexico, has joined the lawsuit.

Background on the law:

The anti-life law passed the Legislature despite bipartisan opposition to the radical measure, with a final vote of 24-17. Despite the vast opposition, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is close friends with the bill’s sponsor, now-former Rep. Debbie Armstrong (D-Bernalillo).

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 the 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.”

‘It is done’: MLG signs anti-life assisted suicide via lethal drugs bill

All the attempted gun grabs coming in the 2023 Legislative Session (so far)

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As we reported in July, Democrats in the state legislature are scheming to ram through even more bad anti-gun bills to limit New Mexicans’ right to bear arms. They held a hearing where many proposals were previewed. 

During the July hearing, far-left Democrat Albuquerque-area legislators Dayan Hochman-Vigil and Pamelya Herndon released their plans to sponsor anti-gun bills in the 2023 Legislative Session. One measure would create and beef up the “Office of Gun Violence and Prevention,” which was initially funded $300,000 in the 2022 Legislative Session. Anti-gun activist Miranda Viscoli said the department, to be comparable with states like Colorado, needed approximately $3 million in funding. 

Herndon proposed a bill forcing New Mexicans to lock up their firearms. If they did not, and their gun somehow was used in an offense by a minor, the parent of that child could be made a felon if the victim of the crime is killed or permanently disabled. As noted by even some Democrats in the chamber, the bill would be the first crime proposal to base a defendant’s sentence not on their own actions but that of someone else (a minor) who got ahold of a firearm. 

Previous versions of this bill sponsored during the last two legislative sessions by state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo) have died.

Now, even more anti-gun proposals are coming to light. According to the Albuquerque Journal, “Rep.-elect Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, who plans to sponsor the legislation that would raise the buying age for purchasing AR-15-style rifles, said New Mexico needs to keep forging ahead on a multi-faceted approach to addressing gun violence.” 

“She also described the bill as aimed at closing a loophole, as New Mexico already has a minimum age of 21 to purchase semi-automatic handguns.” 

In response to the proposed gun grabs, state Rep. Stefani Lord said, “I feel the gun bills they present are consistently going after responsible gun owners and are not addressing crime issues.” 

Democrats are also floating expanding New Mexico’s anti-gun “Red Flag” laws that violate both Second Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights. 

Anti-gun Dems gag opposing voices in committee as they launch new gun grabs

LFC announces $1.1 billion in new oil and gas money for Dems to blow

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On Monday, the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) announced that it projects around a $1.1 billion increase in new revenue for the fiscal year 2024 thanks to the oil and gas industry. 

The report projects $3.6 billion in recurring revenue for the year, a massive  42.7 percent increase from the roughly $2.5 billion revenue estimate for the 2023 fiscal year.

The “new” money will mean more funds for legislators to spend or save during the next legislative session, which starts on January 17, 2023. 

Despite Democrats being hell-bent on knee-capping the oil, gas, and coal industries in every possible way, the funding to the state coffers for education, health care, and other key pieces of the budget comes thanks to extractive energy industries.

Many legislators have urged the state to use excess funds for one-off projects that benefit the long-term fabric of the state, such as infrastructure projects to fix roads and rebuild aging government buildings. 

One project Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is adamant about ramming through is $10 million to build a new abortion center in Las Cruces to abort even more Texas mothers’ children. 

State Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup), the Senate Finance Committee chairman, said after the LFC report, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, “No one in this state’s history has ever had this opportunity, and if we don’t use this opportunity to fix problems within our agencies, fix problems within our schools, then we’re going to lose out.”

Leger Fernandez violated federal stock trading law

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Democrat U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico’s Third Congressional District recently joined some of her colleagues on a list of members of Congress who violated a federal stock trade law known as the STOCK Act. 

Leger Fernandez is now one of 76 congressional representatives who bucked the law designed to prevent insider trading and stop conflicts of interest. 

According to Business Insider, “Federal records show that Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a freshman member of Congress from New Mexico, violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012, which in part requires members of Congress to disclose within 45 days stock trades they’ve made for themselves, spouses, or dependent children.”

Leger Fernandez sold between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of the investment company Golub Capital BDC. She waited until December to disclose the January 2021 stock trade — made just after she took office. That is well after the 45-day requirement for members of Congress.

An aide to Leger Fernandez, who refused to go on record, defended the stock trade, saying she “made the trade as part of her retirement portfolio, which is normally managed by an independent firm. In this particular instance, the aide noted, Fernandez directed the firm to sell the stock,” according to the report.

The aide claimed the Democrat congresswoman had “drafted” the report of the sale within the 45-day period but blamed an “electronic error” for the trade only being reported this month. 

Leger Fernandez’s aide claimed the congresswoman “supports a ban on members of Congress owning individual stocks,” although Congress has refused to act on legislation to implement such policies.

Results are in for NM GOP’s state officer election

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On Saturday, members of the New Mexico Republican Party’s State Central Committee (SCC) met in Las Cruces to vote on state leadership positions in the GOP.

Running for his third term as party chairman, former Congressman Steve Pearce of New Mexico’s Second District won the race, taking 213 votes (55.2 percent) to Bernalillo County GOP officer Sarah Jane Allen’s 80 votes (20.7 percent). Attorney Robert A. Aragon garnered 51 votes (13.2 percent), Eddy Aragon had 40 votes (10.4 percent), and Rodney Tahe got two votes (0.5 percent).

Following the chairmanship results, newly reelected Chairman Pearce wrote in a press release, “This was a spirited campaign, and I thank the grassroots Republican leaders from across New Mexico for trusting me to lead for another term as RPNM chairman. An overwhelming number of these leaders agree that our data-driven approach to identifying and turning out conservative leaning voters is working, proven by the fact that Republican candidates are getting closer and closer to defeating the Democrats in competitive races.”

“Turning New Mexico red is a marathon, not a sprint, and as we look toward 2024, I am excited about helping our future Republican nominees be successful in their campaigns.”

For the first vice-chairman spot, members selected newly elected Otero County Commissioner Amy Barela with 291 votes to Torrance County GOP Chairman Richard Lopez’s 100 votes.

SCC members selected Leticia Munoz Kaminski for the second vice-chair position, with 305 votes to Santa Fe County Republican Party chairman Robert “Bob” Graham’s 87 votes.

Maricela “Mari” Trujillo-Spinelli won the secretary spot, with 288 votes to former Doña Ana County Commissioner Isabella Solis’ 78 votes.

Members picked Kim James Kvamme for party treasurer with 257 votes to Leonard-David Chavez’s 106 votes.

For each congressional district’s vice-chairmanships, SCC members selected Donelle Inventor for the First Congressional District with 74 votes to Eric Lucero’s 25 votes. In the Second District, state Rep. Rebecca Dow ran unopposed with 107 votes, and in the Third District, Drew Degner clenched the spot with 120 votes versus Anita Statman’s 37 votes and Paul Morrison garnering no votes.

Regarding the other officers’ election results, Pearce wrote, “I am so pleased that Republicans chose this outstanding team of young and diverse leaders who represent the future of our party.”

MLG-appointed NM Supreme Court upholds giving her dominion over PRC

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On Monday, the New Mexico Supreme Court denied a court challenge to the 2020 constitutional amendment that gave the governor full authority over the Public Regulation Commission (PRC), the most powerful regulator of utilities in the state.

The five-member, all-Democrat state Supreme Court is nearly entirely comprised of Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s appointees. 

Justices C. Shannon Bacon and David K. Thomson were appointed by Lujan Grisham in 2019, Justice Julie J. Vargas was appointed in 2020, and Justice Briana H. Zamora was appointed to the Court in 2021. The only justice not appointed by Lujan Grisham is Chief Justice Michael E. Vigil, who was elected by the voters in 2018.

The amendment transformed the formerly elected commission to a three-member panel appointed by the governor. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the petition was filed by the Indigenous Lifeways, New Mexico Social Justice & Equity Institute, and the Three Sisters Collective.

“This case presents a unique circumstance where there’s a real risk of abuse of power,” said the groups’ attorney Sarah Shore. “There’s a transfer away from the people who in their own constitution reserve rights to themselves to the political branches. This is not a circumstance where the Legislature is proposing to change rights that the people already delegated.”

“Shore argued that the amendment should be struck from the state constitution because it illegally rolled several reforms into one ballot question for voters to decide. She said most voters are neither lawyers nor lawmakers and were misled since the ballot measure did not reference the effect on the public’s right to elect commission members,” reported the Associated Press.

The justices denied the request, claiming they did not believe the amendment amounted to logrolling, which would have been illegal. 

Now, the PRC will be entirely controlled by the Democrat governor, who is sure to use it as a political weapon, as she has done in the past with her hostility toward energy producers. 

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