New Mexico

On Tuesday, it was announced by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that the Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Administration had “settled” a dispute with an O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Airport Road in Santa Fe for allegedly not forcing employees to wear masks or display government-mandated COVID-19 signage. 

According to the release, in July, the store was cited after they were snitched-out by “several citizen complaints.” The Department “observed that management did not require employees to wear face coverings– a violation of state law, public health orders and COVIDSafe Practices.” NMED claimed that the alleged non-compliance by the store exposed “staff and customers to the imminent danger of COVID-19.” 

“The store was also cited for failing to post signage requiring customers to wear face coverings while inside the store, further endangering employees. During subsequent inspections, NMED observed store management corrected the violations,” wrote the NMED release. 

“Failure by employers to protect staff from COVID-19– a known workplace hazard – is unacceptable,” said Lujan Grisham’s NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “Employers must take their worker protection responsibility seriously or they will face robust enforcement action by the State of New Mexico.”

O’Reilly Auto Parts will pay $79,200 in penalties, says the release. The penalties will go to the state general fund, meaning the Governor and the Legislature will have access to these funds at the upcoming Legislative Session in January. Gov. Lujan Grisham’s giant $7.6 budget passed the last Legislature in 2020, which included the creation of a new state department, among other pork-filled measures.

O’Reilly being a national franchise most likely can afford to expend nearly $80,000 in fines, however, a mom and pop shop would likely be forced to close for good if faced with such steep demands.

On Sunday, Republican Congresswoman Yvette Herrell was sworn in as the U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s Second District after she beat one-term Democrat Rep. Xochitl Torres Small by around 20,000 votes. Torres Small allegedly was aided by voting irregularities in her win over Herrell in 2018.

Herrell wore a white chequered dress while she showed her constituents her new House office before being sworn-in to the 117th Congress. She wrote, “Excited and blessed to join the 117th Congress later today.” 

Herrell, who has committed to voting against the alleged illegitimate election of former Vice President Joe Biden as president, cast one of her first votes in the House against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s re-election to the post, casting her vote for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy instead.

She wrote, “We don’t need Nancy Pelosi’s socialist agenda. Today I cast my vote for [McCarthy] instead.” 

On Sunday, a man named Darrell House was walking off the trail at Petroglyph National Park with his dog and sister. A Park Ranger later tased him for being belligerent and refusing to identify himself despite being asked multiple times to cooperate. House’s video, which he and his sister recorded, was taken out-of-context by liberal outlets to victimize him. However, the bodycam footage shows the full story that differs from the one House tried to portray.

Despite the Park Ranger being patient with House and giving him multiple chances to get back on the path, as seen in the video leading up to the incident, House did not cooperate with him.

“You guys gotta stay on the trail, all right,” said the Park Ranger, adding, “And then also — sorry, I’m out of breath, I was trying to haul to keep up with you guys. When you’re up along the rocks and all that, that’s super sacred to the tribes — they don’t want anyone up there.”

“It’s also really, really important not to have pets off the trail as well, okay? So, even like right here, we’re not on the trail. We really should be along the fenced-in trail area,” the Ranger continued. “Do you guys have ID’s with you? I don’t intend on writing any–.” 

Then House started walking away and ignoring the Ranger, to which he had to inform House that he was “not free to go right now — hold on. Hold on. Hold on…. Hey, bud, listen, you are not free — do not do it like this. Okay? Please don’t be like that. This is just a simple contact that is honestly, a warning. I don’t expect it to be more than that, okay?” 

After House refused to identify himself, the Park Ranger notified him that he was “refusing a lawful order,” and according to his protocol, he had to detain House until he could be ID’d. House continued walking away from the Ranger, while he was asked to give his sister the dog. 

“My dog ain’t going anywhere,” House repeated multiple times. 

“Okay, here’s what I need you to do — stop right now, sir. Stop walking. Stop walking or you may be tased. Stop walking…. Put the dog down right now. Put the dog down right now,” said the Ranger. After politely telling House to put the dog down, again and again, the man became hostile, screaming, “Help! Help! Help!” He was tased and the officer politely told House to show him his hands. Upon refusal after telling him repeatedly to show his hands, the Ranger was forced to tase House again. 

Unfortunately, the mainstream media refused to add the context of House being belligerent toward the officer, in an apparent attempt to victimize House as innocent, despite his refusal to follow the requests of the Park Ranger. 

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s social justice project, the “Office of Equity and Inclusion,” appeared to side with House, writing, “Like many of you, we have seen the disturbing video of the tasing at Petroglyph National Monument, an area policed by the National Park Service. We reached out to NPS directly, and understand that the events are under investigation — one we expect to be thorough, transparent, and speedy.” 

New Mexico’s far-left Sen. Martin Heinrich took House’s side as well, writing on Twitter, “I am shocked by the video of a National Park Service ranger tasing Darrell House at Petroglyph National Monument on Sunday….This landscape is sacred to Tribes and holds deep meaning for the people of New Mexico. Everyone should feel safe and welcome on our public lands.”

Other socialist members of Congress showed their outrage at the out-of-context video, including far-left Representative-elect Cori Bush (D-MO), an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed candidate.

Darrell House wrote on Instagram, “I didn’t feel I needed to identify myself for doing absolutely nothing wrong. I’m traumatized. My left leg is numb and still bleeding. Geronimo is shaking and hasn’t stopped. I’m shaking.” However, the National Park Service’s bodycam footage shows that he did many things wrong by not following simple requests.

House and his sister were cited by the National Park Service for being in a closed area off-trail, providing false information, and failing to comply with a lawful order.