New Mexico

In latest power grab, MLG sidesteps Legislature, unilaterally forms new office

25 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, Democrat New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sidestepped the state Legislature to unilaterally create an “Office of Special Education” within her New Mexico Public Education Department.

“The governor — who sidestepped the legislative process in creating the agency through an executive order — joined educators, families and top state education officials at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque to announce the effort, framing it as an opportunity to create streamlined services that stretch from birth through college,” reported the Santa Fe New Mexican.

A bill to do just this died in the 2023 Legislative Session amid concerns over local control of such programs in the state. The bill never got a vote in the state House of Representatives.

“I’m not waiting one more minute to get the services and the supports and the education that every student in New Mexico needs,” the governor said, echoing previous remarks she made when she forced through a special session to legalize recreational marijuana in 2021.

At the time, she screamed during a virtual meeting with a group of supporters, “We’re gonna have a special session in a week or so, and we’re gonna get cannabis because I am not gonna wait another year. We’re gonna win it, and it’s gonna have the social justice aspects that we know have to be in a package!”

“This is an elevation of special education,” Lujan Grisham said of her new executive order-sanctioned office, despite New Mexico children being woefully underserved by the failing governmental departments already in place to supposedly protect them, such as the PED and the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD). 

Now, the state will have a new bureaucratic office to likely mismanage disability issues in schools. Currently, the state ranks last out of every other state in the nation in education. 

It is currently unclear what portion of the PED budget would be allocated to the office since the Department did not get funding in the 2023 Legislative Session for the then-nonexistent office. The latest move by the governor not only usurps the Legislature’s powers to create the office but also its appropriation power.

Eco-left rages after U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules against Biden’s EPA

6 Comments / National, New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s rule that regulates waterways in a unanimous 9-0 decision.

The Court’s decision on Sackett v. EPA narrows Waters of the United States (WOTUS), instructing the government to define a waterway as a “continuous surface connection” to major water bodies.

The New Mexico-based eco-left group bemoaned the decision on Twitter, writing, “Everyone should be troubled by this Supreme Court ruling on #SackettvEPA. The #SCOTUS decision puts polluters over people, resulting in extreme consequences for the @EPA’s ability to protect our nation’s waters.” 

Another leftist group in the state, Amigos Bravos, wrote, “The Supreme Court just issued a ruling that severely weakens the Clean Water Act in Sackett v. EPA, putting New Mexico’s communities, public health, and local ecosystems at risk – especially those most vulnerable to pollution and intensifying climate disasters.”

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer angrily wrote in a statement, “This MAGA Supreme Court is continuing to erode our country’s environmental laws,” adding, “Make no mistake – this ruling will mean more polluted water, and more destruction of wetlands.” 

Apparently, Schumer is unaware that every SCOTUS judge voted for the decision — including the three leftist justices Sonya Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. 

Joe Biden’s White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also blasted the decision, saying Thursday, “It will jeopardize the sources of clean drinking water for farmers, businesses, and millions of Americans.”

UPDATE: Democrat New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham bemoaned the decision in a statement via Twitter:

Did you know? New Mexico is the nation’s oldest wine-producing region

5 Comments / New Mexico / By

Thursday (May 25, 2023) is National Wine Day, and wine enthusiasts in New Mexico will be pleased to learn of the Land of Enchantment’s rich viticulture history. The state is the oldest wine-producing region in the United States.

After previous ventures to grow wine in the 1500s and 1600s in places such as Florida and Virginia proved unfruitful, Spanish settlers in New Mexico discovered that the American southwest was an ideal place to grow wine grapes.

According to Casa Rodeña Winery in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, “The first wine making in New Mexico stemmed from the need for sacramental wine in New Spain. As the Spanish Crown edict prohibited wine making here, the requisite transport of wine from Spain brought it across the ocean from Cadiz, via Verazcruz, then overland to Mexico City and finally along the Jornada del Muerte to Santa Fe.”

“Franciscan monks smuggled Monica grape vines into New Spain and searched up and down the Rio Grande River Valley for a place that would replicate the terroir (climate, altitude, soil, mineral content) and climate of central Spain. They decided on the unique terroir of the middle Rio Grande River Valley as the ideal locale to establish the first vineyards at a small mission called Senecu, south of present day Socorro. Frey Marcos de Zuñiga is considered to be among the first, if not THE first, to instigate this crime, which in 1633 resulted in the first wine produced in what is now New Mexico.”

San Miguel Mission, Socorro, Socorro County, NM. Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons.

“After that, wine culture in New Mexico exploded, and churches all over the region began planting and cultivating their own vineyards. By 1633, New Mexican viticulture had completely taken hold,” wrote the New Mexico Department of Tourism.

“In 1868, Jesuit priests settled in New Mexico, bringing their Italian winemaking techniques to the state, and even founding their own winery. Of course, with Spanish and Italian techniques combined, the product was bound to be popular. In the next decade, wine production increased nearly tenfold, and by 1880, New Mexico has more than two times the grapevine acreage of New York. This little state in the south was ranked fifth in the nation for wine.” 

According to estimates from the World Population Review, New Mexico produces 749,818 gallons of wine annually. 

La Viña Winery in Anthony is the state’s oldest winery, established in 1977. Mission grapes are still produced in New Mexico, with wineries such as Rio Grande Winery in Mesilla producing its “Mission” vino. 

Rio Grande Winery vineyard. Photo by John Block.

The United States is the fourth-largest wine-producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France. California, Washington, and Oregon make up 90 percent of all U.S. production. California alone makes up 84 percent of that. 

Storm chasers capture videos of tornado hitting ground near Grady, New Mexico

1 Comment / New Mexico, News / By

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service warned about a tornado storm near Grady, New Mexico, in Curry County. The storm also affected Roosevelt and Quay counties. 

Multiple reports say that the wind was at 90 miles per hour, which is destructive to structures, along with the hail. The shelter-in-place alerts went into effect until at least 8:15 p.m.

See some of the views of the storm caught by storm chasers, with the twister hitting ground shortly after 7:00 p.m. in Grady:

Tornadoes are rare in New Mexico, making this one, which is significant, something for residents to respond to with caution.

Aerial footage shows border wall materials wasting away near NM’s border

9 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New footage shot by war correspondents Michael Yon and Chuck Holton shows tons of materials meant for the construction of the United States’ southern border wall with Mexico wasting away in New Mexico.

President Donald Trump worked to fulfill his campaign promise of building the wall during his term in office, getting hundreds of miles built to protect the country’s wide-open border. 

Unfortunately, when Joe Biden came to power in 2021, he nixed the finishing of the border barrier, thus leaving the materials to rot while leaving massive gaping holes in the wall — emboldening illegal immigration.

Yon wrote, “Unused Border Wall in New Mexico last week,” noting, “Millions of dollars of border wall sitting unused as America is invaded by millions, and we pour buckets of billions into Ukraine.”

New Mexico currently has over 53 miles of border that are not protected whatsoever with any wall built by pre-Trump administrations or under the 45th president’s administration. There have been scourges of illegal border crossings, especially near Antelope Wells, Santa Teresa, and El Paso ports of entry.

 According to recent figures, about six million illegal immigrants have been smuggled by cartel members or came by themselves illegally on their journey into the United States. With the recent expiration of the pandemic-era Title 42, it has emboldened illegal border crossers.

Congresswoman Yvette Herrell reveals the truth about the border wall construction

Democrat NM judge to resign amid DWI charges

12 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Santa Fe Magistrate Judge Dev Atma Khalsa will resign amid an ethics probe that would have had him forcibly thrown off the bench.

The investigation came after Khalsa was stopped for a DWI in February off of I-25 when he crashed his car.

The arresting officer could smell alcohol on Khalsa’s breath and noticed slurred speech from the disgraced soon-to-be former judge.

Mugshot of Judge Khalsa.

The crash happened on I-25 at the Saint Francis Drive exit in Santa Fe.

According to KOB 4, “If he is convicted, he faces 90 days in jail, a $999 fine, and one year of probation.” 

“Officers arrested Khalsa and charged him with reckless driving and driving without a license. After the crash, the state Supreme Court initially suspended him with pay, then without pay last month.” The judge’s license expired two days before the arrest.

Khalsa’s brief stint on the bench, being elected only in November, included a handful of DWI cases, some revolving around revoked licenses. 

The Democrat previously won a crowded three-way primary and faced no GOP opponent in the general election. 

Once the New Mexico Supreme Court accepts the resignation agreement between the judge and the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission, then his successor can be appointed to the bench by Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

New Mexico beats all other states in Whopper sales

3 Comments / New Mexico, News / By

While New Mexicans love their green chile cheeseburgers, they also apparently love Burger King’s signature sandwich.

“New Mexico ordered more Whopper sandwiches than any other state in 2022,” announced the fast food restaurant in its “Flame-Grilled ‘State’ of Mind” report. The Land of Enchantment has been labeled “The Champ.” 

The report also disclosed what states like on the BK menu, with states like North Carolina ordering the most Double Whopper sandwiches last year and Montana buying the most Triple Whopper sandwiches in 2022.

The news comes right before National Hamburger Day is held on May 28. 

Prudence Earl via Unsplash.

Arizona bought the most Whoppers before 10:30 am, being dubbed “The Early Bird,” while Kansas “loves that late-night grub, ordering the most Whopper sandwiches after 8 p.m,” earning the state the title of “The Late Night Adventurer.” 

Alaska “orders a side of Chicken Fries with their Whopper sandwiches more than any other state,” and Texas “spices it up by adding more BBQ sauce and jalapeños to their Whopper sandwiches than anyone else,” earning the title of “The Sweetest & Spiciest.”

“For all those seeking the perfect combination to go with their Whopper sandwich, watch out – New Mexico (Whopper, U.S.A.) knows where it’s at when it comes to fries, but Hawaii (more than any other state) orders their Whopper sandwiches with onion rings,” writes Business Wire.

See the company’s full Whopper map here. 

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EXCLUSIVE: Couy Griffin spent time in jail ‘praying and fasting’ after arrest

20 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Couy Griffin, of Tularosa, New Mexico—who achieved national fame for riding his horse, “Red,” across the United States in 2019 to meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C.—was driving past his mother’s home in Tularosa, on Saturday,  May 21, when he was pulled over by an Officer Villa and handcuffed, arrested, then booked into Otero County Detention Center.

He was charged with three counts of criminal trespassing and two counts of harassment, according to Griffin.

Griffin was released from the Center on Monday and interviewed by the Piñon Post today, Tuesday, May 23. 

“I spent the time in jail praying and fasting. The crazier life gets, the easier it is to let it go,” said Griffin, a former pastor, and a past Otero County Commissioner.  

Griffin indicated that the problematic situation leading to Griffin’s arrest on Saturday, May 21st, began on April 13. 

It was on April 13 that he picked up a man who was a stranger at the El Paso airport. 

“He was a friend of a friend who was homeless in D.C.  He needed help.  I needed the interior of my mother’s house painted, and so I flew him out here, paid for all his food, and took him to my family’s home for Easter dinner.  I let him stay in the house until the painting was finished,” said Griffin.

The location on Dusty Lane is the spot at the end of the driveway where Griffin was filmed being arrested and also the address of the house in which the homeless man and “painter” DeWayne Braithwaite is currently holed up under the protection of the local Sheriff’s office.  

Griffin originally purchased the home on Dusty Lane. However, Griffin had quick-deeded his properties to his mother, a magistrate judge, due to his controversial and highly publicized pro-Trump position and threats he says he has received since he met with Trump. 

Griffin testified that after Braithwaite’s painting job was completed, and he asked him to leave the home, Braithwaite charged him with “harassment.” Braithwaite included the local authorities in his complaints, calling the Sheriff’s department over seven times complaining about Griffin.

Griffin has recently been informed that Braithwaite is a former felon and had just been removed from his sister’s house in Maryland after a three-year eviction battle.

“All my problems began after that meeting with Trump in 2019. The fierce attacks began after that day,” said Griffin, who spent nine weeks in federal prison on charges related to January 6. 

After the meeting with Trump, and related to his attendance at J6, Griffin was arrested by the FBI and placed in solitary confinement for nine days in federal prison—without being charged.  He was not allowed to call family or an attorney before or during this initial imprisonment.  Eventually, he was accused of the non-violent offense of “trespassing.”

Griffin was removed from his position as a commissioner after District Judge Francis Matthew indicated that because of Griffin’s supposed J6 “insurrectionist” behavior, he had violated Section Three of the Fourth Amendment. Defendants for Griffin stated that the clause was used in the civil war, not since 1860, and primarily to prevent Confederates from running for office.

In another interview, Griffin stated to CAT CHAT Rumble host Mahara Daniel that there were no designated areas near or on the Capital grounds or building that were clearly marked with no admittance or no trespassing signs.

Additionally, the crowds—who were mainly conservatives and/or Trump supporters who were both praying and celebrating but also protesting election results—were welcomed into the Capital, by capital security, according to Griffin.

“It was a trap. We didn’t know it, of course.  You don’t let the prey know they are stepping into a trap until it’s too late,” he said, about the January 6th protest, a historical event more often referred to as an act of “insurrection.”

“I feel set up by the system. In this case, I was simply trying to help someone who was destitute, “said Griffin.

The Otero County Sheriff’s Department could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, May 23. 

Video shows Couy Griffin being arrested after argument with ‘squatter’

WATCH: YouTuber takes down MLG’s anti-gun ignorance in less than five minutes

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Prominent YouTube influencer and attorney Colion Noir, whose channel is about the Second Amendment, skewered New Mexico Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham after she made uninformed and false comments while recently appearing on MSNBC. 

In particular, she called AR-15 rifles “weapons of war,” even though the military doesn’t use them, and falsely claimed the weapons were “automatic,” which they are not. 

Noir took down Lujan Grisham in under five minutes in his YouTube segment that is now going viral. 

He ripped her to shreds over what the Second Amendment says, her anti-gun legislation proposed, and the failed anti-gun policies already enacted that are not doing much of anything. 

Watch Colion Noir’s epic takedown here:

Lujan Grisham vows to crush Second Amendment, ‘go after’ gun manufacturers

New Mexico is a top state to mine Bitcoin

4 Comments / New Mexico, News / By

Rising electrical costs in the United States have increased Bitcoin mining prices. Investopedia explains, “Bitcoin mining is the process of validating the information in a blockchain block by generating a cryptographic solution that matches specific criteria. When a correct solution is reached, a reward in the form of bitcoin and fees for the work done is given to the miner who reached the solution first.” 

Since the process takes so much energy, the increase in energy prices means a decrease Bitcoin miners see in revenue. 

“The rising electrical energy charges in the USA have contributed to the rising Bitcoin mining prices, making it much less worthwhile for miners…. The price of electrical energy is a number one expense for Bitcoin miners, because the mining course of requires an unlimited quantity of vitality. The Bitcoin Power Consumption Index estimates that the Bitcoin community consumes extra vitality than [the] entire nation of the Philippines. The electrical energy consumption is primarily pushed by the necessity to energy the [specialized] pc gear used within the mining course of, which requires huge vitality.” writes Crypto News BTC.

The outlet noted, “One other issue contributing to the rising electrical energy charges is the surge in electrical energy demand. Because the inhabitants grows and extra folks use electrical energy, the necessity will increase, driving up the fee. This elevated demand has been notably evident in locations similar to California, the place the inhabitants has proliferated, resulting in a pressure on the state’s energy grid and inflicting rolling blackouts.”

But New Mexico is seen as a leader for Bitcoin miners, per the report, noting, “New Mexico has comparatively low cost electrical energy costs, making it one of many extra inexpensive states for Bitcoin mining. Per the Hashrate index report, New Mexico emerged as probably the most affordable and, in [turn], extra worthwhile state for Bitcoin miners in [the first quarter of 2023] at $16,850 to mint one BTC.” 

According to the report, “In 2023, the electrical energy charge continues to [hit] new highs, which doesn’t come as a shock. Bitcoin miners require no less than $17,000 to supply one BTC in the USA versus the $5,000 to 10,000… in the past. That is based on the Bitcoin mining information useful resource Hashrate Index and Luxor.” 

With the revelation that New Mexico is on the map for affordable Bitcoin mining, it could mean more miners relocate to the state for this purpose. 

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