FALSE: MLG’s office claims lines of people waiting outside of grocery stores just GOP ‘talking points’
On Sunday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office claimed that people being forced to stand in long lines outside of “essential businesses” such as Walmart, Albertsons, Costco, and other locations due to her public health orders restricting grocery stores were just “Republican talking points” that were “politically motivated.”
The Associated Press reported, “More than 20 essential businesses across the state were shut down as of Friday, of which nearly half were grocery stores or major retailers. The closures include two Walmarts in Albuquerque, a Walmart in Santa Fe, a Target in Santa Fe, and an Albertson’s in Roswell.” The shortage is causing a backlog at other grocery stores, which are limited by how many people can be inside at any current time. This is forcing New Mexicans to stand in lines outside for up to two hours.
The Governor’s office further claimed, “The state is not forcing anyone to stand in a crowded line, as you suggest.” These claims were untrue and easily disprovable
However, the Governor’s office is dead wrong. Below are countless examples of places across New Mexico where citizens were forced to stand in long lines. Upon the news that limits of 75 people inside each store, retailers pre-emptively began limiting capacities to begin compliance with the mandate. Below is photographic proof of the lines across the state:
November 13, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): 7800 Enchanted Hills Dr. NE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
November 13, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): Costco on 1420 N Renaissance Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico

November 16, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): 66 State Rd #344, Edgewood, New Mexico:
November 16, 2020: Sam’s Club on 1421 N Renaissance Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico

4:45 on November 17, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): Walmart on 3800 N Lovington Hwy, Hobbs, New Mexico
November 18, 2020: Sam’s Club in Albuquerque
November 18, 2020: Lowes Food, 1410 E Missouri Ave, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 18, 2020: Smith’s on 4800 McMahon Blvd NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico

11:17 a.m. on November 19, 2020: Walmart on 2401 S Canal St, Carlsbad, New Mexico

3:06 p.m. on November 19, 2020: La Tienda Thriftway, Carlsbad, New Mexico

November 19, 2020: Walmart on 604 N 26th St, Artesia New Mexico

November 19, 2020: Fenn’s Country Market, 2001 W Main St, Artesia, New Mexico

On November 20, 2020, it was reported by an Alamogordo resident: “We had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get in – there were about 25 people ahead of us. There are 2 doors, one on each end. The other end had even more people in line. The allowed capacity is only 75 but the guy at the front told us that the store can hold over 1,000 people. They also make the poor elderly people with walkers/canes, etc. stand out there, too – absolutely shameful. Totally ridiculous.”
November 20, 2020: Target on 4900 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Walmart on 233 S New York Ave, Alamogordo, New Mexico

November 20, 2020: Walmart on 400 Eubank Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Walmart on Main Street, Farmington, New Mexico.
November 20, 2020: Sam’s Club on 4500 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Costco on 550 Eubank Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico:

November 20, 2020: Walmart on 2250 Main St NW, Los Lunas, New Mexico

November 20, 2020: Walmart on 66 State Rd #344, Edgewood, New Mexico

November 21, 2020: Walmart on Main Street, Farmington, New Mexico.
One reader reported that on November 21, 2020, they stood in line at Walmart on Eubank in Albuquerque for two hours. They wrote, “Two hours in line to Walmart on Eubank yesterday.”
November 21, 2020: Sam’s Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico:
November 21, 2020: Sam’s Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico:

November 21, 2020: Food King, 930 N Riverside Dr, Española, New Mexico:
November 21, 2020: Walmart, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 21, 2020: Walmart, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: 3:10 p.m. at Smith’s on 751 Trinity Dr, Los Alamos, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: 3:06 p.m. at Walmart in Clovis, New Mexico. The person who submitted these photographs writes, “It’s freezing down here and there are tons of senior citizens who have to stand in line to get their scripts filled. She’s killing us.”
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 1550 Valley Drive, Las Cruces, New Mexico:
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 571 Walton Blvd, Las Cruces, New Mexico:
November 22, 2020: Target on 2541 E Lohman Ave ste a, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Albertson’s on 2501 N Main St, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Albertson’s on 1285 S El Paseo Rd, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Trader Joe’s, 8928 Holly Ave NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Costco, 9955 Coors Bypass NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart, 901 Unser Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
49 degrees, 4:30 p.m., November 22, 2020: 604 N 26th St, Artesia, New Mexico

November 22, 2020: Walmart on 2401 S Canal St, Carlsbad, New Mexico

November 22, 2020: Walmart on 604 N 26th St, Artesia New Mexico

November 22, 2020: Walmart on 901 Unser Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico

4:41 p.m. on November 22, 2020: Walmart, 4500 N Main St Ste A, Roswell New Mexico

November 22, 2020: Walmart at 1021 E Pine St, Deming, New Mexico

November 22, 2020: Walmart at 233 S New York Ave, Alamogordo, New Mexico

November 22, 2020: Walmart at 3728 N Prince St, Clovis, New Mexico

November 23, 2020: Smith’s at 1000 Rio Rancho Dr NE Se, Rio Rancho, New Mexico

November 23, 2020: Costco at 1420 N Renaissance Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico

November 23, 2020: Smith’s at 2110 S Pacheco St, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The other Smith’s location on Cerrillos Road has been closed by the Governor, so this location is extra crowded.

Unspecified date: Albertson’s at 1110 S Main St in Roswell, New Mexico
Unspecified date (last week): Walmart at 3800 N Lovington Hwy, Hobbs, New Mexico

On November 22, 2020, another reader writes, “Just left Sams on Renaissance, we waited about 40-45 minutes to get into a store thee at t was practically void of people! Btw, that was our third store, the lines at Walmart and Costco were longer.”
People are still sending in photographs from across New Mexico, where citizens have, indeed, been forced to stand in lines and wait for anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours just to buy basic household items and food before the Thanksgiving holiday.
The New Mexico Republican Party opined on the Governor’s lie, inviting her to visit grocery stores where New Mexicans are in long lines to get groceries.
The statements from the Governor’s office are not only inaccurate, they are ignoring reality. These people standing in line are not “Republican talking points.” It should be noted that people from San Juan County, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Otero, Doña Ana, and every other county in-between are suffering due to these health orders, and they are by no means an anomaly. These are real New Mexicans forced to stand in lines because of the Governor’s health order, period.