Renato Costa

Lujan Grisham tries playing the victim after being labeled a ‘murderer’

48 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

State Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) recently took to Twitter to characterize Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s comments supporting abortion up-to-birth as the governor being a “murderer.”

Following the tweet, Lujan Grisham’s office played the victim, telling the Santa Fe New Mexican, “Comments like these absolutely have the potential to incite violence, including to the governor, her family and colleagues.”

It is unclear how she equates being called a “murderer” to “inciting violence,” but she is well-known for name-calling of her own. 

She told New Mexico sheriffs who were unhappy with her anti-gun laws that they were “rogue sheriffs” having a “childish pity party,” and she called her political opponents “QAnon lizard people.”

Lujan Grisham’s former communications director Tripp Stelnicki called the Republican Party in New Mexico a “death cult” for not wanting to cripple small businesses with lockdowns.

She also Lujan Grisham applauded ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter rioters during the George Floyd riots who took to the streets to protest (many without masks or social distancing), writing, “This is a violation of the mass gatherings, no doubt, but we’re just going to take a leap of faith in protecting protesters who have no other way, quite frankly. Right? There’s no other way to be seen, to be heard, to be respected, and to be clear about your message.” This came while conservatives were met with scorn for protesting. 

However, when it comes to being labeled a “murderer” for signing laws to institute abortion up-to-birth in the state, squander $10 million in taxpayer funds for a new state-sponsored abortion mill, and sign laws to restrict local governments from following federal laws banning abortion drugs, she apparently can’t take the heat.

Rep. Block, who was elected in 2022, is the founder and editor of the Piñon Post and a longtime pro-life advocate, fighting on the frontlines for the right to life from conception to natural death. He sponsored New Mexico’s first-ever Heartbeat Bill, H.B. 258, during the 2023 Legislative Session to protect children in the womb from the moment a fetal heartbeat is detected.

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Colorado just became a ‘safe haven’ for minor gender transition ‘tourism’

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico’s neighboring state of Colorado just became the “first transgender tourism state,” according to the Daily Mail, which reported on three new laws signed by Democrat Gov. Jared Polis to allow children to travel for puberty blockers even if the drugs are banned in the states where they live.

“It makes Colorado a safe haven for children under-18 with gender dysphoria looking for puberty blockers, hormone therapies and sex change operations – which have been restricted in more than a dozen Republican states,” reports the Daily Mail. Children can now travel to the state and undergo gender reassignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy without their parents.

The other laws Polis signed include proposals similar to New Mexico’s, which harbors criminal abortionists from extradition to other states for abortion crimes.

“Colorado also became the first state in October 2021 to include transition-related care for transgender people as part of the requirements for essential health care in the state, meaning people looking to access those transition services will be able to use the health insurance they pay for to get the care they need,” noted the report. 

Republican states have moved to protect children from child mutilation, with states such as Indiana prohibiting minors from accessing hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries in the state.

New Mexico state Rep. John Block responded to Polis signing the bill, which he dubbed as “child mutilation trafficking.” 

He wrote, “New Mexico is known as the abortion up-to-birth trafficking state and now Colorado is known as the child mutilation trafficking state. God help us and may He save our children!”

During the 2023 Legislative Session, Democrats rammed through a bill, H.B. 207, which adds “gender identity” as a protected class under the state’s Human Rights Act. Block presented an amendment during the bill’s consideration that would protect children from efforts to force their gender ideology in school locker rooms and sports. That amendment died. 

Although New Mexico is not the first “transgender tourism state,” it is the first abortion up-to-birth state, stripping all protections for women, babies, and doctors in its 2021 legislation.

NM bill to harbor criminal abortionists signed into law

Colorado just became a ‘safe haven’ for minor gender transition ‘tourism’ Read More »

Hobbs woman found guilty after horrifically throwing newborn in dumpster

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, a jury found Alexis Avila, 19, of Hobbs guilty of abuse of a child relating in great bodily harm and attempted murder in the first degree. 

In January of 2022, Avila was caught on camera throwing her newborn, dubbed Baby Saul, in a dumpster outside the Rig Outfitters and Home Store in Hobbs. He was wrapped in a trash bag.

Fortunately, three people dug through the dumpster to find him, and he was rushed to the hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Baby Saul is “happy and healthy today living with family,” according to reports. 

“Officers with the Hobbs Police Department were called to an alley way in the Broadmoor Shopping Center after three people who had been digging through a dumpster found the hours old boy in a trash bag, alive, and with his umbilical cord still attached but crudely cut,” according to YourBasin.com. 

“Medical staff testified that the newborn suffered from hypothermia, severe anemia, and kidney problem, among other issues after being abandoned and left in 40 degree temperatures for more than six hours.”

Once police found Avila, she admitted she gave birth at home and abandoned the child, claiming to be too young to take care of him.

Avila’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1. She faces 18 years imprisonment, but it could be reduced to 12 years.

Following the verdict, Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce noted how “tough” the case was but how fortunate it was that the perpetrator’s actions were caught on camera. 

“That video said it all,” she said. “It clearly caught her actions, her expressions and it’s still difficult for people to watch that video when you think about the fact that baby was inside that bag.” 

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Governor surprises with sweeping line-item vetoes in tax bill

8 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered New Mexicans a major surprise by vetoing major portions of the Democrats’ tax package, H.B. 547, which is seen as a big win for fiscally responsible legislators.

According to one report, Lujan Grisham “struck from the bill a phased-in reduction of the tax New Mexico consumers pay on most goods and services, a 20% alcohol tax increase, an electric vehicle tax credit and changes to the state’s personal income tax system aimed at benefiting low-income residents.”

The far-left enviro-Marxist group the Rio Grande Sierra Club whined on Twitter following the veto of the electric vehicle tax credits, “We are incredibly disappointed to see the [governor] line item veto the climate tax credits in the comprehensive package. This is a climate emergency and merits emergency action.”

The governor also vetoed a 25% tax on cigars, which lawmakers argued would make a $10.00 cigar $12.50, creating a “black market” for the products by bringing them in from other states, as Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) noted. 

Portions of the bill that remain intact include $500 one-time tax rebates for single filers and $1,000 for married, as well as an expanded child income tax credit of up to $600 per child.

A fiscally irresponsible measure left in the bill includes additional film production tax credits, which critics argue will mostly benefit large production houses out-of-state that will hire temporary workers in New Mexico while continuing to keep post-production out-of-state in the Los Angeles area. 

Another bad portion of the bill that she vetoed is a reduction of capital gains deductions. According to KRQE 13, “Currently, New Mexico allows taxpayers to claim a deduction of up to $1,000 or 40% of the profit of a long-term asset sold. In other words, if you sell stock and make a profit of $10,000 on it, you only have to pay state income tax on 60% (or $6,000) of that profit,” The outlet added that “the capital gains deduction for non-business-related personal sales would be capped at $2,500. In other words, if you sold the same amount of stock as given in the example above, you would have to pay state income tax on 75% (or $7,500) of the profit.” 

“And for business-related sales, capital gains deductions would be capped at 20% of the profit, rather than the current 40%. With a lower cap, the change would presumably help the state generate more tax revenue, while potentially costing some businesses more money by limiting the dollar value of their deduction.” With the measure no longer being in the bill, it is a relief for New Mexico business owners and those who sell assets.

A provision Lujan Grisham struck from the bill, despite previously advocating for it, was a gross receipts tax deduction from 4.875% to 4.375%. She vetoed it. 

The governor wrote in her veto message, “Given the unpredictable nature of the economy and our state’s reliance on oil and gas revenues, I am not confident this package is fiscally responsible.”

Governor surprises with sweeping line-item vetoes in tax bill Read More »

NM bill to harbor criminal abortionists signed into law

13 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed S.B. 13, sponsored by Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Albuquerque), which bans the extradition of criminal abortionists and the sharing of information regarding such criminals with other states. The governor was joined by the sponsor and late-term abortion doctor Eve Espey of UNM School of Medicine at the bill signing. 

Section 4 of the legislation reads, “It shall be a violation of the Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Protection Act to request from a third party, or for a third party to transmit information related to an individual’s or entity’s protected health care activity with the intent to: . . . (6) deter, prevent, sanction or penalize an individual or entity for engaging in a protected health care activity.” 

According to New Mexico Alliance for Life (NMAFL), “This language expressly covers any pro-life communicative activity aimed at stopping abortion. It is hard to imagine a broader, more blatantly unconstitutional restriction. Note that it applies not just to the communications of pro-life groups, but also even to inquiries from pro-life individuals.” 

Section 9 of the bill expressly exempts from extradition criminal fugitives who commit or conspire to commit illegal abortions, so long as the perpetrator remains in New Mexico during the commission of the crimes. 

Therefore, “an abortionist who sends pills to another state will be protected by New Mexico. Additionally, the abortionist must have fled from that state after the commission of the action. This may create a loophole if an investigation is not brought before the abortionist arrives in New Mexico,” NMAFL wrote.

S.B. 13 would isolate New Mexico from other states, as many pro-life legislators pointed out during the debate of the legislation.

The measure passed the state Senate by a vote of 26-16 and narrowly passed the House by a vote of 38-30. 

Democrat Sen. Pete Campos of Las Vegas was the lone vote against the measure in the Senate. Democrat Reps. Anthony Allison of Fruitland, Ambrose Castellano of Ribera, Harry Garcia of Grants, D. Wonda Johnson of Church Rock, Patricia Lundstrom of Gallup, and Joseph Sanchez of Alcalde opposed the bill in the House. 

After the signing of the legislation, the pro-abortion New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice wrote on Twitter, “We are proud to say New Mexico protects reproductive freedom at all costs,” boasting about the harboring of criminal abortionists in the state.

NM bill to harbor criminal abortionists signed into law Read More »

Lujan Grisham signs bill changing NM’s assisted suicide law

25 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed S.B. 471, which will no longer force New Mexico doctors to perform physician-assisted suicides following litigation by the national group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in Lacy v. Torrez. The measure passed unanimously through both legislative chambers.

The bill allows exceptions for physicians based on reasons of conscience or religious beliefs. Previously in 2021, physician-assisted suicide passed the legislature, which would mandate all physicians to prescribe drug “cocktails” to cause death in terminally ill patients. 

The American Medical Association previously wrote in a medical opinion, “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.”

During the 2021 assisted suicide bill’s hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the “expert witnesses,” law professor Robert Schwartz and physician Steven Kanig could not 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.”

Following the signing of S.B. 471, ADF’s senior counsel Mark Lippelmann wrote, “We commend the New Mexico Legislature and Gov. Lujan Grisham for enacting this critical law to protect health care professionals who object to assisted suicide for reasons of conscience or faith.”

“Dr. Lacy and the thousands of other Christian medical professionals we represent believe every life is sacred and full of inherent value, and that assisted suicide ends an innocent human life without justification. The government should never force doctors to surrender their religious, moral, and ethical convictions.”

Dr. Jeffrey Barrows, senior vice president of bioethics and public policy for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) wrote after the bill’s signing, “As Christian health care professionals, it is our aim to serve every patient with excellence and compassion, as image-bearers of God,” adding, “We strive to perform our work according to the dictates of our faith and professional ethics, including the belief that every life is precious. We’re grateful New Mexico quickly responded to our lawsuit by enacting protections for conscientious physicians.”

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NM nonprofits misused federal funds, gave them to illegal aliens: DHS audit

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According to a new audit report issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), around $110 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-awarded humanitarian relief to the National Board was misspent by 18 nonprofits, some of them being in New Mexico. However, the names of the particular non-profits were not listed in the report. 

“In some cases, it was given to illegal immigrants who had evaded Border Patrol,” reported Fox News.

The OIG report notes, “On March 18, 2021, FEMA awarded $110 million in humanitarian relief funding to the National Board. According to the National Board, as of September 8, 2021, it had awarded $80.6 million of humanitarian relief funds to 25 LROs throughout California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. We judgmentally selected 18 [local recipient organizations (LROs)], which received awards totaling $66 million, to review how the funds were used. The National Board continued to award and reimburse humanitarian relief funding to LROs throughout our audit.”

“We determined that these 18 LROs did not always comply with the funding and application guidance when using funds. Specifically, the LROs did not always provide or maintain the required receipts or documentation to support reimbursement for humanitarian relief fund services. In addition, some of the LROs were unable to provide supporting documentation for families and individuals to whom they provided services. From the information some LROs provided, we determined some families and individuals did not have a DHS encounter record.” 

The lack of a DHS encounter record means these “gotaway” illegal aliens had evaded Border Patrol agents instead of turning themselves in after crossing into the country illegally. 

“The IG said that of the 824 names it tested as a sample, 197, or 24%, were ineligible to receive humanitarian services, and 154 did not have an encounter record,” the Fox News report noted.

In the 2022 fiscal year alone, 2.3 million illegal alien encounters were registered by DHS.

The OIG warned in the report that “Without additional oversight and enforcement from FEMA and the National Board, LROs may continue to use the funds for services without providing the required supporting documentation for reimbursement, increasing the risk of misuse of funds and fraud.”

NM nonprofits misused federal funds, gave them to illegal aliens: DHS audit Read More »

NM Republicans respond to Dem-led indictment of Trump

16 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, a New York grand jury voted to indict 45th President Donald J. Trump, according to reports. It is the first time a current or former president has ever been indicted.

This is what many believe is yet another attempt to discredit the president. The so-called “witch hunt” against Trump has continued since he first entered the political arena, and it appears that there is no end in sight. Even though there is no evidence of wrongdoing on Trump’s part, his detractors continue to pursue him at any cost.

Actually, according to evidence, disgraced former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid off porn actress Stormy Daniels with his own funds and with Trump or his team having no knowledge of Cohen’s payment.

The New York grand jury’s indictment against Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to vilify this great leader. It represents nothing more than an ongoing effort by the left-wing establishment to undermine everything he accomplished during his time in office. From day one, they have sought to tear down everything he stands for and discredit his administration’s achievements. But despite their best efforts, President Trump remains a hero and a champion for millions of Americans who cherish freedom and prosperity.

The Times reported, “It is unclear precisely when the grand jury vote criminally charging the … president was taken. Prosecutors walked into the office of the clerk in the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, where the paperwork for an indictment was filed only minutes before the office closed for the day. For weeks, the atmosphere outside the district attorney’s office had resembled a circus. But the fervor had cooled in recent days, and the environs of the office were emptier on Thursday than they had been in weeks.”

New Mexico Republicans responded to the news, with the Republican Party of New Mexico’s chairman, former Congressman Steve Pearce, writing: 

“We’ve known from the beginning that this is a political witch hunt against the former President. We had a rogue, Soros-funded district attorney with a political agenda facing intense pressure from the left ahead of an election year.

Many Democrats have criticized this case for lack of credibility and condemned the biased judicial system in New York. This indictment sets a dangerous precedent for the future of the nation. If a former chief executive officer of the United States can be arrested on dubious charges, the same thing can happen to others.

It would be great to see the same fervor for the solid evidence against the Biden family and their ties to Communist China, or better yet, let’s see an investigation into our Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, and her alleged hush money payments made from her campaign funds. I wonder how long U.S. and New Mexico prosecutors will continue to sit on their hands with the precedent that has been set in New York.”

State Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) wrote on Twitter, “Since a grand jury indicted Trump over hush money paid to Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign, then New Mexico Democratic Gov @GovMLG, who paid $150,000 in hush money to settle a sexual harassment claim from a former campaign spokesman, should also be indicted.”

“The BlueAnon mob’s attacks against President Trump are getting increasingly desperate—ANYTHING to make headlines in the hopes it keeps him out of the White House in 2024. Not working. This just emboldens Trump supporters like myself who want America to WIN again. #Trump2024,” wrote state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo).

Ronnie Lucero of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly wrote, “My support for Trump just doubled! Thank you to the radical NY grand jury for assuring a Trump victory in 2024!”

NM Republicans respond to Dem-led indictment of Trump Read More »

Rio Grande Foundation releases 2023 legislative ‘Freedom Index’ results

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On Wednesday, the Rio Grande Foundation (RGF), a free market think tank, released the highest performers of its 2023 Legislative Session Freedom Index, a ranking system by the group based on floor votes taken by state legislators regarding “various economic, education, and constitutional issues from a pro-freedom perspective.”

The group ranked each vote from -8 to +8 “depending on the overall impact of the legislation.”

“The best overall voting records were compiled by Alamogordo area freshman legislator Rep. John Block. Block was followed by Rep. Randall Pettigrew, who represents parts of Hobbs and surrounding areas,” wrote the group. 

Block received a total score of 116, while Pettigrew scored 102. 

“Kudos and thank you to Rep. Block and Rep. Pettigrew for their strong leadership. We’ll discuss the Senate and have more scores in a subsequent post,” RGF wrote. 

The highest-rated state senators were Sen. Joshua Sanchez (R-Grants), with a 75 score, and Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington), with a score of 72.

The lowest-rated senators, according to the Freedom Index, are Sen. Leo Jaramillo (D-Española), with -132, and Sens. Brenda McKenna (D-Corrales), Michael Padilla (D-Albuquerque), Nancy Rodriguez (D-Santa Fe), and Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) tying for second-worst with a score of -131. 

The House members with the lowest scores are Reps. Joann Ferrary (D-Las Cruces) and Natalie Figueroa (D-Albuquerque) with scores of -130. 

Votes included in the Index ranged from gun rights to abortion, with the highest-weighted categories appearing to be regarding taxation, the budget, and the environment. 

A podcast with RGF President Paul Gessing talking about the Freedom Index can be streamed here.

Rio Grande Foundation releases 2023 legislative ‘Freedom Index’ results Read More »

As NM carjackings rise, leftists rejected Dem-sponsored proposal to fix crisis

18 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

During the 2023 Legislative Session, few proposals to tackle the state’s crime epidemic reached the governor’s desk. A handful of bills focusing on retail crime, catalytic converter thefts, and cyber security ultimately passed, but nothing specifically tackling carjackings or other violent crimes.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) report shows New Mexico has the fourth-highest rate of car thefts in the nation, with Albuquerque leading the state in rates of carjackings.

H.B. 491, a bill to tackle car theft, sponsored by Reps. Cynthia Borrego (D-Albuquerque), Joseph Sanchez (D-Alcalde), and Art De La Cruz (D-Albuquerque) died in its first committee, with four leftist Democrats rejecting the measure.

The bill would increase penalties for the unlawful taking of a vehicle, embezzlement of a vehicle, or fraudulently taking a vehicle.

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Under the revised penalties, anyone convicted for these crimes could be guilty of a fourth-degree felony for a first offense; a third-degree felony for a second offense, regardless of which provision was the first offense; and a second-degree felony for a third or subsequent offense, regardless of which provision was the first or second offense.”

Borrego explained was necessary due to the increased number of car thefts, including a family member of hers who owns a car lot and fell victim to thieves stealing a vehicle then later trashing it miles away.

Despite carjackers seeming to become increasingly emboldened to steal vehicles in New Mexico, the four Democrats on the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, Reps. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces), Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces), Liz Thomson (D-Albuquerque), and Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) quickly tabled the bill. Reps. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and John Block (R-Alamogordo) both voted against tabling the bill.

Block wrote on Twitter following the vote, “The NM House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee just tabled a commonsense bill that would enhance penalties for repeat offending carjackers. NM is top in the nation for car thefts, but the bill died on a party-line 4-2 vote despite it being sponsored by 3 Dems. What a clown show.”

Other bills that died on arrival in the committee included legislation from Rep. Bill Rehm (R-Albuquerque) to curb fentanyl dealing, increase sentences for illegal gun possession, and make it easier to keep suspects behind bars pending trial.

Without meaningful crime bills getting across the finish line, it is unlikely crime in the state will let up, as weak-on-crime legislators have prevailed in killing proposals from both Democrats and Republicans to fix the scourge of violence and lawlessness in New Mexico.

As NM carjackings rise, leftists rejected Dem-sponsored proposal to fix crisis Read More »

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