News

Edgewood passes pro-life ordinance, dealing blow to pro-abortion leftists

23 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday at around 1:38 a.m., the Town of Edgewood passed Ordinance 2023-002 by a vote of 4-1 to make it illegal for any person to violate the federal Comstock Act after a meeting called at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.

After an extremely lengthy closed-door executive session that started at 5:51 p.m. Tuesday and ended shortly after 8:00 p.m. to talk about the pro-bono legal counsel provided by pro-life attorney Jonathan Mitchell regarding potential litigation regarding the ordinance, the Commission took public comment. 

Pro-abortion state Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) opposed the ordinance, while pro-life Reps. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo), and Sen. David Gallegos (R-Eunice) stood in support of the ordinance. 

A few leftists claimed the pro-abortion drugs that are maiming and killing women are safe, although scientific evidence analyzed from the FDA data proves they have been proven deadly. A majority of commenters were in support of the ordinance, which ultimately passed. The Commission then went back into executive session until around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday. 

The ordinance proposed by Commissioner Sterling Donner of District Five and passed by the Commission reads, in part, “It shall be unlawful for any person to violate 18 U.S.C. § 1461 by using the mails for the mailing, carriage in the mails, or delivery of: 1. Any article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion; or 2. Any article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.” 

Commissioner Filandro R. Anaya of District Four repeated the canned pro-abortion talking point, asserting abortion “is between them and their doctors and only them and their doctors.”

Some commissioners asked to pass an amendment in Section Eight changing the ordinance so it would not take effect until or unless the U.S. Supreme Court rules on other Comstock Act cases. That amendment failed on a vote of 3-2.  

“This is not an ordinance. This is a resolution,” said Commissioner Donner regarding the proposed amendment that would weaken the law to a mere statement. “This does nothing. This shows again that we are not acting courageous[ly]. It doesn’t keep anything out of this town. I disagree with this. I think this goes against everything we’ve been trying to get done…. And we wasted 15 hours of our time discussing this. I’m tired of being weak and bowing down to the state. What they’re doing is not right. We continue to bow down, we continue to give, and it’s never going to end.” 

“This is a weak move,” he said, adding, “It’s just weakness” regarding the failed amendment.

Commissioner Jerry Powers of District Two claimed the consequences of passing the final ordinance were “serious,” and he criticized the enforcement mechanisms for the Town of Edgewood, saying it puts the town in “strict jeopardy” after his motion failed to push the ordinance on the ballot as a question.

“If we want to gain ground, join our allies in the state that are doing these things, this is what we have to do,” Donner concluded regarding passing the un-weakened ordinance before it went to a vote. “We need to fight for the rights of these unborn children who don’t even have a chance.” 

After the discussion, Donner’s motion to pass the final ordinance succeeded, with all but one commissioner opposing it. Anaya was the only dissenting vote, citing the town’s home rule provisions as cover.

Do you stand by Edgewood in its passage of the pro-life ordinance?

Please fill out the form:

‘Can’t be justified’: Leftist editorial board scolds governor over lavish staff raises

11 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, in an unusual turn of events, the far-left editorial board for the liberal Santa Fe New Mexican chastised Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham over the extravagant raises she gave her staff, averaging a 22 percent increase per high-level staffer. 

The board wrote, “Take top employees in the Governor’s Office. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has awarded members of her staff whopping salary increases, with raises averaging 22% in recent months. The employees are poised to get another raise in July under the state’s budget, which includes funding for average 6% pay increases across the board.”

“Raises in the Governor’s Office seem especially generous,” the board continued, noting that “it’s not the first time the governor has been generous with taxpayer dollars to reward her favorite colleagues. In 2021, her employees received raises of $7,500 to $12,000 during the pandemic. The increases came at a time when private sector workers were facing pay cuts, furloughs and layoffs.” 

“[S]uch hefty raises — done with little notice to the public — can’t be justified in a state as poor as New Mexico. Big raises deserve discussion and, when necessary, pushback. That way, salaries remain within sensible boundaries.” 

The board concluded, “Pay increases for statewide elected officials, which we supported, had to be scrutinized through the legislative process. That resulted in a decision to increase salaries for most statewide officials to $144,714 this year, with the governor’s raise from $110,000 to $169,714 postponed until 2027, after Lujan Grisham is out of office.” However, Lujan Grisham vetoed pay increases for judges.

The median income in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office is $131,950.00, with the lowest-salaried person, a constituent services deputy director, receiving $41,600.00 with the next-highest salary being $58,760 for a “special assistant.” The highest-paid positions in the office are tied at $185,000. 

The median household income in New Mexico is $54,020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Even the leftist Santa Fe New Mexican editorial board couldn’t ignore the stark disparity between Lujan Grisham’s office and the average New Mexican. 

See how much MLG’s staffers are making after their extravagant raises

Gabe Vasquez silent as NM Dems fling 2024 endorsements at Biden

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, Joe Biden announced another run for the presidency in 2024 without a formal announcement rally but rather a video touting his support for abortion and weaker election laws. 

Naturally, former 2020 vice-presidential shortlisted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico has already endorsed the octogenarian.

“I’m proud to stand with @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris in their reelection campaign – standing together to protect our democracy and freedoms,” she wrote on Twitter.

Far-left U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger de Fernandez (D-NM-03) wrote on Twitter, “Nuevo Mexico, estamos listos para cumplir el trabajo,” which translates to “New Mexico, we are ready to get the job done!”

Other far-left U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01) wrote, “In 2024 we’re going to take back the #USHouse, hold our Senate majority, and re-elect @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris.”

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) wrote, “Historic investments in infrastructure and our climate, 12.4 million new jobs, and the first gun safety reform in decades–just to name a few. We must keep going forward, so let’s finish the job and send @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris back to the White House!” 

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) praised Biden for choosing staffer Julie Chávez Rodríguez as his new campaign manager in his endorsement.

He wrote, “Julie Chávez Rodríguez is a proven leader and organizer, and it’s great to see her continue her family’s legacy of public service. Excellent first hire.”

Noticeably silent was far-left U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, who has yet to endorse Biden for his 2024 shot at the presidency. It is unclear why he is the lone member of New Mexico’s all-Democrat congressional delegation not to endorse, but it could be the same reason former Rep. Xochitl Torres Small was reluctant to endorse Biden in 2020, with him being wildly unpopular across the nation. 

A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that of those who voted for Biden in 2020, 40 percent of them said he should not run for another term. What is more devastating to the octogenarian is that 35 percent of respondents said they would vote for a third-party candidate over Biden, even if it meant President Donald Trump would win the White House again.

Gabe Vasquez brags about Dem gerrymandering for political gain

Pro-abortion Dems planning showdown at pro-life Edgewood meeting

6 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The Town of Edgewood is expected Tuesday to pass a pro-life ordinance mandating compliance with the federal Comstock Act, which prohibits the illicit transport of “abortion pills” or “abortion-related paraphernalia.” The town Commission is meeting at 5:00 p.m. to discuss and vote on it appearing on the ballot.

However, the pro-abortion side of the aisle is rearing its ugly head, looking to stir the pot in the pro-life community.

Fringe legislators, such as state Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), says she will be in attendance, declaring on Twitter, “I’ll see y’all in Edgewood, NM tomorrow. We will not stand down,” adding, “I will be standing in strong opposition to this proposal and will be standing firmly for the laws we passed to ensure that EVERYONE in New Mexico has access to safe and legal reproductive healthcare!” 

However, chemical abortions, which Romero calls “reproductive healthcare,” are extremely dangerous, according to scientific studies. 

A 2021 scientific study found from FDA data between 2000 and 2019 that there were many deaths and adverse medical events directly linked to the use of mifepristone. The researchers found in their research that “[s]ignificant morbidity and mortality have occurred following the use of mifepristone as an abortifacient.”

Romero voted for all the pro-abortion bills that passed during the 2023 Legislative Session, including H.B. 7, which forces public bodies, including schools to facilitate abortions while attempting to ban localities from passing life-affirming laws. 

The Piñon Post has learned that Galisteo-area state Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Santa Fe) is also planning on attending. McQueen, like Romero, supports abortion up to birth.

The town meeting will be held at the Townhall of Edgewood Commission Chambers at 171A, State Rd. 344. A Zoom link to join is here. Find the agenda for the meeting here.

See how much MLG’s staffers are making after their extravagant raises

16 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham administration is no stranger to seeing hefty pay raises for staffers, as we have reported for years, such as in 2021 when she gave a $32,000 raise to a special assistant to New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney, who also got a hefty raise. 

But new figures from the governor’s office show extravagance in raises to staffers after her 2022 reelection. 

According to figures from the New Mexico Sunshine Portal, her new chief of staff =, Daniel Schlegel, got a staggering $72,524 pay raise — a 64 percent increase.

Administrative assistant Sheila Nelson got a 50 percent pay increase of $28,462, senior advisor Courtney Kerster got a 30 percent pay bump of $41,100, cabinet director Mariana Padilla was raised 28 percent or $37,850 in pay, and deputy chief of staff ​​Diego Arencon and director of cabinet affairs Caroline Buerkle both got a 19 percent pay increase totaling $28,218.

Many other instances of lavish pay raises happened across the board from legal assistants to senior-level staffers, who made up to a mind-boggling $185,000. 

The governor’s spokeswoman Maddy Hayden claimed, “Merit-based raises are standard practice across virtually every workplace, and the governor recognizes the extremely hard work employees in her office do every day, which routinely includes work on holidays, late into the evening and over weekends, to serve the people of New Mexico,” as reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican. 

“Hayden did not respond when asked why some employees in the Governor’s Office, such as Martin Chavez, a former mayor of Albuquerque who has served as Lujan Grisham’s infrastructure adviser since November, or administrative assistant Shiela Nelson, didn’t get salary increases,” the outlet reported. 

The median income in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office is $131,950.00, with the lowest-salaried person, a constituent services deputy director, receiving $41,600.00 with the next-highest salary being $58,760 for a “special assistant.” The highest-paid positions in the office are tied at $185,000. 

The median household income in New Mexico is $54,020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Are MLG's lavish staffer pay increases justified?

Please fill out the form:

Albuquerque ranked on a national list — this time for something good

13 Comments / New Mexico, News / By

New Mexico’s largest city is making headlines by being ranked on a national list — but unlike in the past — it’s for something good this time.

Money Magazine ranked Albuquerque as one of its best places to travel in 2023. It is ranked alongside Lisbon, Portugal; Alexandria, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Barcelona, Spain.

The magazine says the average cost of a trip to Albuquerque is $1,889.00. 

“To explore the city, stay in downtown or Old Town, two of Albuquerque’s most historic (and walkable!) neighborhoods. You’ll have easy access to public art, boutiques and day spas, and a hotel will only cost you about $145 a night — 53% cheaper than in nearby Santa Fe,” Money writes.

The article also boasts the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway and Central Avenue, which it writes “is packed with neon signs and quirky restaurants.”

“One last note on Santa Fe: Albuquerque’s neighbor to the north is just an hour and a half train ride away, and the scenery you’ll see from the Rail Runner Express train is worth the trip alone. An adult day pass is just $2.25, so you can hit up the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Meow Wolf and the New Mexican Museum of Art and be back in Albuquerque in time for another gorgeous sunset,” it adds. 

Money also boasts New Mexico’s state question when referencing cuisine choices while also advising visitors to pack “plenty of layers due to the fluctuating desert temperatures. The final recommendation Money has is to “drink lots of extra water — and don’t overdo it on the cocktails” due to the high elevation. 

The good press is a welcome change from the constant headlines broadcasting the Duke City’s horrific crime problem, making it one of the deadliest cities in the country. Many businesses, even big box stores like Walmart, have fled Albuquerque due to an increase in theft and crime-related losses. Despite these, the Money Magazine spread focuses on some of the good aspects of the city and why one should visit.

‘Rust’ armorer the apparent scapegoat in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin

1 Comment / New Mexico, News / By

Despite actor Alec Baldwin pulling the trigger and fatally shooting Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021, film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is the one apparently taking the fall, with a court date set for August 9 on involuntary manslaughter charges.

The Santa Fe District Attorney’s office has accused Gutierrez-Reed of “sloppy mishandling of firearms.”

The New York Post reported, “The rookie had been in charge of initially loading the vintage Colt .45 revolver Baldwin ultimately used in the October 2021 disaster. But she then allegedly left the church set where the scene was being filmed and was not present when the life-ending shot was fired. She claimed later to police no one notified her the weapon was being used on the set.”

Live rounds and dummy rounds were found together on the Rust set, which is a violation of safety standards, of which Gutierrez-Reed was reportedly in charge. 

Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers said regarding her charges, “The new special prosecutor team has taken a very diligent and thorough approach … They are seeking the truth and we are also … We fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.”

Despite Baldwin claiming he did not pull the trigger that delivered the fatal shots, FBI investigators previously determined “there was no other way the shot could have been have been fired,” as the Post reports. 

Baldwin was cleared of his charges “without prejudice” last week, with his attorneys Nikas and Alex Spiro saying in a statement, “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident.”

Alec Baldwin gets off scot-free of criminal charges from deadly ‘Rust’ shooting

Don’t mess with our gun rights: Like in NM, CO legislature rejects anti-gun bill

8 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

While Colorado and New Mexico’s legislatures ram through extremist bills regarding abortion up to birth and transgederism, the one commonsense stance they can agree on is not passing bans on high-capacity firearms.

During the 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session, other than one bill regarding firearm storage, every single anti-gun bill died.

The dead gun-grabbing legislation from New Mexico’s legislative session includes S.B. 44 banning citizens from carrying a firearm within 100 feet of a polling place during an election, S.B. 428 targeting firearm retailers and manufacturers with frivolous lawsuits, H.B. 100 banning most firearms over 10-round capacity, and H.B. 101 mandating a 14-day waiting period before firearm purchases.

S.B. 427, which is similar to H.B. 101 banning magazine capacity, died, while S.B. 116, mandating a person must be 21 to purchase a firearm, did not make it across the finish line.

In Colorado, H.B. 1230 was blocked last week, which would have banned high-capacity magazines. 

The bill was blocked Thursday by three Colorado House Democrats and two Republicans in the Colorado House Judiciary Committee. 

According to The Denver Post, “Democratic Rep. Elisabeth Epps, HB23-1230’s primary sponsor, twice attempted to amend the measure before the vote and narrow it to a ban on specific equipment, a nod to the entrenched opposition even among her party colleagues on the committee, but the group narrowly rejected those amendments before nixing the bill in its entirety.”

The Democrat Party “has complete control of state government and a supermajority in the House,” according to the Post. Despite that overwhelming control by leftists, the radical anti-gun bill died.

In New Mexico, Democrats feared even putting their extreme anti-gun bills for a vote in front of the full House of Representatives because they merely didn’t have the numbers to pass their bills to unconstitutionally rip away gun rights.

The lesson to be learned by these Democrat setbacks is that even in states run by far-leftists like Colorado and New Mexico, guns are a part of our states’ fabric and the assault of Constitutional rights to bear arms will not be well-taken, even if Democrats have supermajorities or near-supermajorities.

Edgewood to vote on pro-life sanctuary ordinance Tuesday

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The Town of Edgewood is considering passing an ordinance making the municipality a sanctuary for the unborn. 

The Town Commission already held one preliminary meeting on April 4, 2023, to talk about it. According to reports from that meeting, “While the workshop was scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM, several trolls chose to interrupt the Zoom call – echoing racial slurs, broadcasting porn, and showing male genitalia. These interferences caused the meeting to start over an hour late.”

A planning meeting is scheduled for Sunday night ahead of the vote scheduled for Tuesday.

Mark Lee Dickson, the founder of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn, will be in attendance at the Sunday planning meeting held by organizers at 6:00 p.m. 

The group of pro-lifers will meet at Legacy Church’s East Mountain campus located at 379 NM-344 in Edgewood.

The official commission meeting to vote on the ordinance will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. and be streamed via the Town’s Facebook page found here. The address for the Townhall of Edgewood Commission Chambers is 171A, State Rd. 344.

According to the agenda posted on the Town of Edgewood’s website for the Tuesday meeting, the proposed Ordinance 2023-002 would entail “Requiring Abortion Providers in the Town of Edgewood, New Mexico to Comply with Federal Law,” brought forward by Commissioner Sterling Donner of the Fifth District.

Edgewood’s potential move toward sanctuary status comes amid news of the City of Eunice filing a lawsuit against Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state Attorney General Raúl Torrez to uphold its similar ordinance that mandates the state follow the federal Comstock Act, which prohibits the transfer of obscene materials between state lines, effectively outlawing abortion pills.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a lower court must rule on an abortion pill case before the Court would prohibit the sale of the product nationwide. The case is set to be heard in early May. 

To learn more about the Tuesday meeting, the Town of Edgewood’s agenda is posted here on its official website.

U.S. Supreme Court lets abortion pill stay on market for now

Leave a Comment / National, News / By

A short 7-2 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court Friday evening ordered the abortion drug mifepristone may remain on the market until a federal lower court rules on the matter, giving the Joe Biden regime a temporary win pending a court determination.

“In this case, the issue is not abortion pills directly, but whether the FDA acted appropriately in approving the drug more than 20 years ago. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the pro-life plaintiffs, alleges the FDA ‘chose politics over science’ in approving the drug and acted unlawfully by removing safeguards around mifepristone, including permitting the pill to be delivered by mail,” reported Fox News. 

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. wrote, “ At present, the applicants are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim. The applicants claim that regulatory “chaos” would occur due to an alleged conflict between the relief awarded in these cases and the relief provided by a decision of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. It is not clear that there actually is a conflict because the relief in these cases is a stay, not an injunction, but even if there is a conflict, that should not be given any weight. Our granting of a stay of a lower-court decision is an equitable remedy.”

He further noted, “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has engaged in what has become the practice of ‘leverag[ing]’ district court injunctions “as a basis’ for implementing a desired policy while evading both necessary agency procedures and judicial review.” 

Justices Alito and Clarence Thomas were the only justices to dissent from the majority opinion, with no other justice weighing in on the matter. 

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter followed U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk’s ruling on a case ordering the abortion drug to be banned from being distributed due to the unsafe nature of its contents, which has been proven in the case.

A 2021 scientific study found from FDA data between 2000 and 2019 that there were many deaths and adverse medical events directly linked to the use of mifepristone. The researchers found in their research that “[s]ignificant morbidity and mortality have occurred following the use of mifepristone as an abortifacient.”

Until the Fifth Circuit rules on the case, the abortion drug will be allowed to be disseminated. Some radical far-left pro-abortion sources are claiming they will create a black market for the killing drug even if a court strikes it down, opening the possibility for more women to be maimed and killed by the abortion industry via contraband efforts. 

1 … 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 … 195

Stay Updated

Scroll to Top