Opinion

Clear horizons, unfair burdens: The $2.6 billion question lawmakers won’t answer

11 Comments / Opinion / By

New Mexico deserves an honest conversation about the Clear Horizons Act (S.B. 18). Not slogans. Not carefully worded press releases. And not policies that sound good until you look at who ultimately pays the price.

The Clear Horizons Act is designed to fundamentally reshape New Mexico’s economy by targeting and dismantling traditional energy production, particularly oil and gas, through aggressive emissions mandates, expanded regulatory authority, and long term restrictions intended to force a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. Its stated goal is emissions reduction. Its real world impact, however, is far broader and far more damaging.

This legislation centralizes power, expands bureaucracy, and places New Mexico’s rural economies, state trust lands, and public school funding at serious risk.

It is important to be clear about what this bill is attempting to do.

The Clear Horizons Act seeks to impose statewide emissions caps across multiple sectors, expand regulatory authority over energy production, transportation, and industry, accelerate the phase down of oil and gas development regardless of economic or revenue impacts, and shift New Mexico toward a compliance driven climate model borrowed from states with vastly different economies and land ownership structures.

What it does not do is provide a realistic plan to replace the revenue that currently funds public schools, universities, and essential services across New Mexico.

The numbers tell the story, and they cannot be ignored.

In the most recent fiscal year, oil and gas generated approximately $2.6 billion for the State of New Mexico through royalties, severance taxes, production taxes, and lease payments. That revenue supports public education, health care, infrastructure, and state and local government services statewide. On state trust land alone, oil and gas production pays 20 to 25 percent in royalties, directly benefiting schools and other trust beneficiaries.

By contrast, clean energy projects generated roughly $8 million in state revenue during the same period. While wind and solar projects bring investment and construction jobs, their ongoing contribution to state revenue is comparatively minimal. Most clean energy projects on state trust land pay just 3 to 6 percent in royalties.

That is not a matter of opinion. It is a difference of $2.6 billion versus $8 million.

Equally important is what happens after the energy is produced.

Oil and gas operators are required to contribute to a reclamation fund and post bonds to ensure sites are properly cleaned up when production ends. That reclamation fund is not a tax on the people of New Mexico. It is paid for entirely by the oil and gas industry itself through fees assessed on production. When wells reach the end of their life, those funds exist to protect landowners, taxpayers, and the state trust from cleanup costs.

Clean energy does not operate under the same standard.

There is no equivalent statewide reclamation fund for wind turbines or large scale solar facilities. There is no guaranteed funding mechanism to restore land when projects reach the end of their lifespan or when companies sell assets, dissolve, or walk away.

So the question New Mexicans deserve answered is straightforward. Who pays when wind turbines rust, solar arrays are abandoned, or a clean energy company goes belly up?

If the answer is the taxpayer or the trust, then New Mexico has failed in its responsibility as a steward of public land.

I oppose the Clear Horizons Act because it punishes an industry that pays its fair share and funds the state, while giving a pass to alternatives that do not. It treats oil and gas, an industry that brings in $2.6 billion, pays higher royalties, and funds reclamation, as something to be dismantled, while replacing it with revenue streams totaling $8 million and carrying unresolved long term liabilities.

That is not environmental leadership. It is selective accountability.

New Mexico is a rural, land based state. We manage millions of acres of working lands held in trust for specific beneficiaries. Any climate policy that weakens the revenue streams funding education, land stewardship, and rural communities without a proven replacement is fundamentally flawed.

I am not opposed to renewable energy. I am opposed to unequal rules, unequal responsibility, and unrealistic math.

If clean energy is going to be part of New Mexico’s future, then it must pay royalty rates comparable to other energy producers, contribute to a dedicated reclamation fund paid by the industry rather than taxpayers, and be held to the same long term accountability standards as oil and gas.

Anything less is not a transition. It is a gamble with New Mexico’s land, schools, and future.

Clear horizons require clear thinking. This bill falls short on both.

Two-term Chaves County Commissioner is running for State Land Commissioner.

Clear horizons, unfair burdens: The $2.6 billion question lawmakers won’t answer Read More »

Scapegoating the lawful won’t stop the lawless

8 Comments / Opinion / By

Every time New Mexico confronts a surge in violent crime, the public is promised decisive action. And every time, progressive Democrats seem to reach for the same response: place blame on law-abiding people and call it reform.

First, it was law-abiding gun owners. Now, the focus has shifted to law-abiding gun store owners.

Progressive lawmakers have made clear they intend to introduce legislation aimed at federally licensed firearms dealers—tightening training requirements, expanding licensing rules, and increasing regulatory pressure on small businesses that already operate under extensive state and federal oversight. And if history is any guide, New Mexicans can reasonably expect the return of another familiar proposal: an attempt to revive an “assault weapons” ban.

Most readers will not track which bills are formally filed and which are being discussed behind the scenes. But the direction is unmistakable. When violence rises, progressives look everywhere for answers—except at the policies that allow violent offenders to remain on the street.

That is the real problem with New Mexico’s public safety debate. It is not a failure of law enforcement. It is a failure of law.

At recent public safety hearings, the testimony has been sobering and consistent. Police are making arrests. Investigators are building cases. Officers are doing their jobs—often under dangerous and demoralizing conditions. But weak statutes, loopholes, and policy choices too often turn those efforts into a revolving door.

That reality was laid bare this month in Las Cruces, when Police Chief Jeremy Story presented evidence showing violent juvenile offenders openly bragging about the lack of consequences they face. In messages and videos, these juveniles mocked the system, celebrated violence, and showcased their ability to obtain weapons—including federally regulated firearms such as Glock handguns modified with illegal switches—despite repeated contact with the justice system. Some fired recklessly. Others did so with deadly intent.

The message from those offenders was unmistakable: they do not fear consequences, because the system has taught them there are none.

Those failures are not the fault of police officers. They are the result of laws that prioritize process over public safety and ideology over accountability.

Yet instead of confronting that breakdown, the policy conversation drifts toward symbolic targets. The object. The industry. The lawful business owner. More regulation, more restrictions, more pressure on those who are already complying with the law—while the individuals committing violence remain the least constrained part of the system.

Gun store owners in New Mexico are among the most heavily regulated small business operators in the state. They conduct background checks, maintain records, and submit to inspections. When violations occur, enforcement mechanisms already exist. Broad new crackdowns aimed at lawful dealers do nothing to stop repeat violent offenders—and they do nothing to fix the gaps exposed repeatedly in public hearings.

This is what frustrates so many New Mexicans. From blaming law-abiding gun owners to now blaming law-abiding business owners, progressives continue to blame everyone but the bad apple.

Public safety will not improve through scapegoating. It improves when violent behavior carries real consequences, when loopholes are closed, and when the system intervenes before the next tragedy instead of explaining it afterward.

Here is the simplest test of any public safety proposal: does it restrain criminals—or does it burden the law-abiding?

Democrats keep missing that test. And until accountability replaces deflection, New Mexicans will continue to pay the price.

State Sen. Crystal Brantley

Sen. Crystal Brantley serves the people of Catron, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, and Socorro Counties, being their voice in the New Mexico Senate since 2021.

Scapegoating the lawful won’t stop the lawless Read More »

This isn’t about plugging wells; It’s about decimating independent producers

8 Comments / Opinion / By

Beginning October 20th, the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission will stage a rulemaking to consider proposals by radical environmental groups to impose significant new costs on industry. These new rules illegally bypass required legislative approval, and have been written with the explicit intention of shutting down small, local, multi-generational New Mexico independent producers.

The new language would immediately raise financial assurance bonding by orders of magnitude on later-in-life, marginal wells. With an immediate bond increase assessment per well, there will not be enough of the still-available, but yet-to-be extracted, oil & gas remaining in the underground to financially breakeven. 

As a result, most independent producers will have no choice but to shut-in and plug their lower producing wells, and prematurely cut off oil & gas production before the subsurface reservoir is drained. Such wells can often be reworked or repurposed to enhance production or to dispose of produced water. But, with these options effectively eliminated by the new rules, well revenues (including significant state revenues) will be lost for no justifiable reason.

The new bonding provisions are only part of the rewritten rule. If adopted, state regulators will be granted new authority to deny well operators from selling their existing marginal wells. The state, without due process and without justification, could simply kill the sale of production wells if they deem the buyer to not be financially solvent through their own estimations. This is autocracy over an entire industry on the regulatory level, and will certainly block most operators from selling or acquiring new wells altogether.

The rewritten rules and upcoming hearing has already had a chilling effect not only on the oil & gas industry, but the larger New Mexico business community. The message is clear: Environmentalists and regulators in New Mexico can write and implement their own regulations without the need for legislative consent or substantial consideration of industry feedback. 

In fact, the concerns of independent producers were not even solicited before this rule was filed. State-based oil & gas companies will testify that because no input from independents was considered, they may have no choice but to shut down and leave the state because of the excessive bonding costs and uncertainty over the ability to buy and sell producing wells.

There’s an ugly reality exposed by this rulemaking hearing. On one hand, the state touts industry’s increased production and feasts on enormous oil & gas state revenues.  On the other hand, the state and the enviros continue to kill off smaller independent producers. Since 2017, the number of state oil & gas reporting entities has decreased by 20%. That’s over 100 mostly independent producers who are now either out-of-business, or have left New Mexico due to new regulations antagonistic towards smaller oil & gas companies. 

These are responsible, state-based, and multi-generational producers that live in the communities where they produce oil & gas, and contribute directly to their rural economies. Environmentalists even acknowledge and applaud the future shutdowns this new rule will cause in their already submitted written testimony, which reveals their true intentions.

To counter this inherent hostility, industry intends to present the real facts during the upcoming rulemaking hearing. Industry testimony will demonstrate that operators already plug over 95% of their own non-producing wells, which accounts for hundreds of wells each year. The state’s inflated projection of unfunded liability on wells does not account for that fact. Industry will also demonstrate that state regulators do not even draw upon the existing financial assurance bond money that exists to plug abandoned wells meaning that industry is being asked to bear significant new costs that will have virtually no benefit. 

Also troubling, the state does not adequately administer the already-existing industry-financed reclamation fund, which currently has a balance of over $50 million that remains unspent. Furthermore, the state only contracts with hand-picked oil & gas service companies to plug wells, where as other options are available and more efficient. These are the kinds of facts never show up in biased, environmentally-funded, state-endorsed studies on New Mexico’s unplugged well inventory.

The Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico (IPANM) will fight for the responsible, New Mexico-based independent producers at this hearing. These companies already plug their own wells, pay into the state’s reclamation fund to plug other wells, and protect the ground where they work upon. Sadly, they will face unnecessary shut-ins and complete shutdowns if this rule is passed.

We urge the 3-member Oil Conservation Commission to listen to the testimony of the independent producers, recognize the intended and unintended consequences of these bad rules, and reject the environmentalists’ petition that will kill an important segment of the oil & gas industry. Finally, we urge everyday citizens whose lives are better because of oil & gas to stand up during the hearing public comments and defend the industry that provides for all New Mexicans.

Jim Winchester is the executive director of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico.

This isn’t about plugging wells; It’s about decimating independent producers Read More »

Gaslighting Dems call 2-day spending spree ‘efficient’ as crises go unaddressed

7 Comments / Editorial, New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico House Democrat leadership is trying to rewrite history after last week’s chaotic and wasteful special legislative session, portraying their actions as “heroic” while ignoring the fact that no major crises were addressed — from the state’s broken child welfare system to its collapsing healthcare network.

In a weekend op-ed, Speaker Javier Martínez, Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, Whip Dayan Hochman-Vigil, and Caucus Chair Raymundo Lara claimed that Democrats were “hard at work” protecting New Mexicans from federal funding cuts and “President Trump’s policies.” The four legislative leaders described the two-day session as “efficient” and focused on “urgent needs.”

But critics say that narrative is pure gaslighting.

Instead of tackling real emergencies such as CYFD reform, medical malpractice reform, physician licensure compacts, or the state’s failing education system, Democrats used the special session to funnel millions into partisan pet projects and left-wing political allies — including $3 million for Planned Parenthood and $6 million for so-called “independent” public broadcasting, better known as state-subsidized progressive propaganda.

The governor also rammed through a new vaccine mandate law empowering the Department of Health to impose shot requirements without federal oversight — a move that many parents call “non-scientific” and unconstitutional. 

Meanwhile, the same Democrats who failed to fix New Mexico’s doctor shortage are now patting themselves on the back for “protecting rural healthcare.” Their $50 million spending package does nothing to address the malpractice crisis or the licensing barriers driving doctors out of the state. Even Democratic Sen. Martin Hickey, a physician, admitted earlier this month that New Mexico is “the only state losing doctors.” Yet Democrats refused to even discuss joining interstate medical compacts — one of the few proven ways to attract providers.

The Democrats’ op-ed also bizarrely blames “D.C. Republicans” for supposed “healthcare cuts,” falsely claiming President Trump was responsible for ending temporary Biden-era tax credits from the pandemic. Those subsidies, enacted under the American Rescue Plan, were always designed to sunset — but now Democrats are pretending their expiration is a Republican plot to “strip healthcare.”

In reality, the so-called “healthcare fix” passed during the session simply props up Washington’s unsustainable COVID-era policies using hundreds of millions of New Mexico taxpayer dollars — a bailout that does nothing to reduce premiums long-term.

Even more absurdly, the Democrats celebrated $30 million in new “food assistance,” portraying it as a moral stand against “Trump’s tariffs” and “Republican cruelty,” despite inflation and food costs skyrocketing under the Biden administration.

Throughout the special session, no legislation was advanced to improve public safety, curb child abuse, or repair New Mexico’s disastrous education rankings — all issues Democrats have promised to prioritize for years.

What taxpayers got instead was a political stunt: millions spent on government media, partisan nonprofits, and special interest handouts — while the state’s hospitals, classrooms, and families continue to struggle.

The Democrats’ closing line — that they’ll “continue to protect New Mexicans from Washington’s messes” — might be the most ironic statement of all. After two days of spending taxpayer dollars on ideological pet projects while ignoring real crises, the only “mess” most New Mexicans see is right here in Santa Fe.

Gaslighting Dems call 2-day spending spree ‘efficient’ as crises go unaddressed Read More »

After witnessing Hamas’ atrocities, my support for Israel is unshakable

30 Comments / Opinion / By

As you might know, I have always been a strong supporter of Israel. I recently had the opportunity to join 249 other legislators from across the country — the largest ever delegation — to visit Israel.

My strong connection to the Holy Land grew even stronger on this trip, where we met face-to-face with victims of the Hamas-Palestinian massacre on October 7, 2023, when terrorists invaded the country, starting at the rural Be’eri kibbutz in the Gaza Envelope. Hamas terrorists threw grenades, fired shots, smoked out homes, and then killed 132 people. These were the very individuals who had been advocating for peace for decades, aiding Palestinian people with health care, food, and support. Despite that, they were brutally slaughtered.

Hamas terrorists led the charge into Israel, with Palestinians following their parade of terror — killing, raping, and looting. Brave residents of the kibbutz fought hard until the Israeli Defense Forces could arrive amid the chaos. Heroes saved hundreds, but still hundreds died. The heartbreaking stories of these families encapsulate the reality they have endured.

We then toured the site of the Nova music festival massacre, where 378 young partygoers were slaughtered. Survivors recounted stories of rapes and mutilations, of couples forced to watch each other’s murders by these savages, and of others hunted down and executed in cold blood.

In 2005, Israel decided to cede the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians so they could form their own government. Instead, the people of Gaza elected Hamas terrorists, who have since ravaged the area. Gaza could have been a place of prosperity and trade, but Hamas turned it into a terror state — using its own people as human shields, hiding in hospitals to frame Israel as the aggressor, and blocking 99% of food aid (most of which comes from Israel). What Hamas didn’t seize outright, it resold to its starving population at 300% markups — effectively murdering their own people through starvation.

By contrast, Israel goes out of its way to reduce civilian casualties, issuing warnings days before strikes through leaflets, text messages, and radio signals. Though this limits Israel’s military effectiveness, it preserves countless innocent lives. Hamas, meanwhile, built a 500-mile underground tunnel system for terror operations, making hostage recovery and troop safety nearly impossible.

During our trip, I spoke with people in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Samaria, Kibbutz Or HaNer, and beyond. Some told me how narrowly they escaped the Nova massacre; others described life under daily rocket fire. On our first day, we visited the Old City of Jerusalem — the deeply spiritual experience of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where our Lord was crucified and rose again. We prayed at the Western Wall and toured Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, a powerful reminder of the importance of memory.

We also met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visited the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, where even anti-Israel voices can be elected — proof of Israel’s commitment to free speech.

Our delegation traveled to Ofakim, where each state planted a tree in memory of victims of Hamas terror. We saw the yellow ribbons symbolizing the 48 hostages still in captivity. We dined with young people at Or HaNer kibbutz, witnessed Tel Aviv’s resilience under missile sirens, and learned of the sacrifices of IDF soldiers killed just the day before our departure.

We visited the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, SpacePharma, and the Tel Aviv Medical Center, where cutting-edge trauma care has lowered battlefield mortality rates to just 6%. We ended in Samaria and heard from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, closing with one last walk on the beaches of Tel Aviv.

This journey reaffirmed my unwavering support for Israel. This war can end immediately if Hamas releases the 48 hostages and renounces its extremist rule. As an American of Sephardic Jewish descent, this trip felt like a reconnection to my roots and reinforced the critical road ahead: standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel in its fight for survival.

We must continue advocating against Hamas’s propaganda and lies, which manipulate statistics and fake images to spread hate. Having seen the evidence firsthand, spoken to the people, and reviewed the facts, there is no way any reasonable person could support Hamas or its vision of “Palestine,” which seeks to wipe Israel off the map.

I will not be silenced, nor will I abandon my biblical belief that the Jews are God’s chosen people. We must stand with Israel, no matter the onslaught of hate. God bless the United States, and God bless Israel.

P.S. An interesting fact: over 700,000 Americans live in Israel — more than in any other country — according to Ambassador Huckabee. Supporting Israel is not only standing with our greatest ally but also standing with hundreds of thousands of fellow Americans.

To view these photos from this trip on Facebook, please see this post linked here.

State Rep. John Block represents the 51st District in the New Mexico House of Representatives located in Alamogordo. John is also the founder and editor of the Piñon Post, New Mexicos #1 conservative online news publication.

After witnessing Hamas’ atrocities, my support for Israel is unshakable Read More »

We saw the truth in Israel: Hamas wants war, Israel wants peace

20 Comments / Opinion / By

It was a privilege to be part of the largest diplomatic delegation ever to visit the state of Israel.

The 250 State legislators were a contingent of Republicans and Democrats who traveled from every state in America.

While in Israel, we visited Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holy sites as well as the site where the Nova Festival massacre took place, and where over 400 young partygoers were murdered, and where hundreds more were raped, tortured, and taken hostage by the Hamas terrorist group.

We also visited the Be’eri Kibbutz, where farmers, with just 10 rifles allowed in the entire community, were viciously slaughtered by thousands of terrorists. Many of them had to watch as their children were burned alive in front of them. The burned and bullet-riddled homes in the kibbutz were a shock to our sense,s and they stand today as a monument to the blind hatred so many have towards Israel and the Jewish community.

The invasion by Hamas on October 7th was just one front of the coordinated attack on Israel. While Hamas attacked from the ground, Hezbollah and the Houthis attacked Israel from the air with rockets and drones, which were provided by the Iranian regime.

Their determination to destroy Israel continues to this day. While we were in Israel, our delegation had to seek protective shelter 3 times in 5 days due to rockets launched towards us.

As we travel home, we have been made aware of a protest against the false claim of genocide of Palestinians. If Israel has genocidal intent, they’re sure bad at it. Just one day of bombing Gaza (with the capabilities the Israeli army has) would utterly destroy them, but instead, the IDF does everything possible to avoid killing Gazan civilians who are being used as human shields.

They strive to limit casualties by warning Gazans ahead of time to leave battle zones with millions of text messages, phone calls, dropping leaflets, and by making smaller targeted attacks. 

Since the beginning of the war, Israel has made it clear that Hamas must return all of the hostages, including 2 Americans, for the war to end. Once this happens, the war will end, and rebuilding can start for both sides.

Unfortunately, Hamas has no intention of keeping any cease-fire deal. They prefer to sacrifice their own people in order to gain sympathy from the unknowing public.

If we’re being honest, Americans would never put up with daily rocket fire into our country or the blatant torture, rape, and murder of our women and children by neighboring countries. 

Venezuelan Narco-Terrorists who are flooding our streets with their poison should take note of this.

Israel must be allowed to protect their citizens, as well as the 750,000 Americans who live within their borders; as a matter of fact, the United States should demand it.

Although this op-ed appears under the Piñon Post byline, it was authored by members of the New Mexico Delegation that recently traveled to Israel. The Delegation includes Sens. Jay Block and Ant Thornton and Reps. Rod Montoya, Stefani Lord, John Block, and Jenifer Jones.

We saw the truth in Israel: Hamas wants war, Israel wants peace Read More »

Failed leadership does not deserve a promotion

18 Comments / Opinion, Politics / By

As a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, I am honored to serve on the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Interim Committee. This unique committee has traditionally not been political because advocacy on behalf of New Mexico’s veteran community is not a partisan issue. Unfortunately, under the new chairmanship of State Senator Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque), this committee has become toxic, dysfunctional, and you guessed it: political. 

I was looking forward to serving with Senator Pope, who is retired from the Air Force. However, within just a few months, he has demonstrated his inability to be an effective leader, and it comes at a cost to New Mexico’s veterans. Instead of collaboratively working together on solutions and results for our veterans, Senator Pope has decided to use his chairmanship to score cheap political points with his progressive base.

Recently, he decided to promote a blatantly political letter attacking U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas Collins and, by extension, President Donald Trump.

The letter was not listed on the meeting agenda, and we, the committee members, were intentionally given very little time even to review the letter before the chairman forced a vote on it. Republicans saw right through his scheme, immediately recognizing the bias and unfounded claims contained in the letter.

When we pushed back, Senator Pope threw a temper tantrum and called for a vote despite our sincere request to merely review and propose changes to the letter. I’ve never seen anything like that before. 

So at the next meeting, I decided to present my own letter for consideration. To no surprise, Senator Pope threw another fit and denied the committee’s consideration of my letter, saying the matter was not on the agenda and that the letter was given to the members without sufficient notice. Sound familiar? 

Furthermore, he lacked any sense of proper decorum and displayed unprofessional and frankly childish behavior. You can watch the video for yourselves, but any New Mexican, especially veterans throughout our state, will see this conduct entirely unbecoming of a leader. 

Was this not bad enough for a committee chairman, Senator Pope is now seeking election as New Mexico’s next Lieutenant Governor. This role demands sensibility, patience, decorum, and the ability to work with others, like the current Lieutenant Governor, a Democrat, Howie Morales.

These recent events have revealed that Senator Pope cannot even properly conduct a meeting of a committee with approximately 10 members… how much less will he be able to preside over the entire State Senate or represent the diverse views of all New Mexicans?

As an elected leader and a veteran myself, I simply could not allow the public to remain uninformed about his leadership failures and the danger of giving him even more responsibility should he be elected to higher office. Instead, New Mexicans—and especially our honorable veterans—deserve fair and thoughtful leaders who will work towards solutions that benefit all New Mexicans.

Jay Block serves in the New Mexico Senate, representing District 12 in Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties since 2025.

Failed leadership does not deserve a promotion Read More »

Science over fear: EPA approves WIPP expansion while anti-nuke crowd whines

2 Comments / Editorial, New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico deserves recognition for stepping up where others have balked. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency granted approval for the U.S. Department of Energy’s plan to create two additional underground storage panels at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the nation’s only permanent geological repository for transuranic nuclear material. This isn’t some radical overhaul—it’s the responsible expansion of a proven, scientifically sound facility.

Since opening in 1999, WIPP has safely and securely housed waste such as contaminated tools, clothing, and surplus plutonium from weapons production, buried more than 2,150 feet deep in ancient salt beds that naturally seal fissures over time. The new panels—each comprising seven rooms roughly the length of a football field—will compensate for capacity lost after a 2014 drum rupture that shuttered the site for over two years.

The EPA’s validation of DOE’s modeling—demonstrating that the new rooms meet long-term radiation safety thresholds—is a testament to the rigorous scientific planning behind WIPP. As EPA’s Abigale Tardif stated, the agency “is in general agreement with DOE’s approach and DOE’s interpretation” of safety models.

Critics have predictably cried “mission creep.” Don Hancock of the Southwest Research and Information Center grumbled that a “pilot plant” should not grow. But this is fundamentally flawed logic. WIPP’s measured expansion is not mission drift—it’s public duty. Not to mention that WIPP has a documented record of safety and environmental stewardship unmatched elsewhere.

It’s worth contrasting this with prior drama over Holtec International’s proposed “Consolidated Interim Storage Facility” in Southeast New Mexico, which was slated to store high‑level spent nuclear fuel—far more radioactive and hazardous than WIPP’s existing inventory. In 2023, the New Mexico Legislature passed Senate Bill 53, prohibiting state permits for Holtec’s site, effectively hamstringing the project.

The uproar over Holtec was largely performative. Legislators—under pressure from anti‑nuclear activists—effectively blocked a thoughtfully designed temporary storage proposal vetted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Holtec’s spokeswoman likened dismissing the NRC license as tantamount to disqualifying OSHA or the FAA for safety regulation—and she had a point.

Despite the holdup, Holtec scored a victory when the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6–3 ruling, removed legal obstacles to private interim nuclear waste storage in Texas and New Mexico. That decision underscored the judiciary’s recognition of the need for safe interim solutions—even as New Mexico officials continued reflexively rejecting alternatives to Yucca Mountain status quo.

All told, New Mexico’s embrace of WIPP’s expansion meets a clear national need—responsible, science-based nuclear stewardship in a facility proven for decades. By contrast, the legislative theatrics targeting Holtec highlight how fear, not facts, often drives policy. Let’s celebrate WIPP’s success and support sane, scalable solutions for 21st-century nuclear waste management.

Science over fear: EPA approves WIPP expansion while anti-nuke crowd whines Read More »

Stansbury scrambles to explain link to Ghislaine Maxwell amid public scrutiny

23 Comments / Editorial, New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Far-left Democrat U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico’s First District is scrambling to rewrite her own history after official documents linked her to a nonprofit once led by convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein.

The controversy began when the Piñon Post credibly and factually reported on a 2021 financial disclosure form filed by Stansbury during her campaign for Congress. The document, submitted on February 19, 2021, listed “Terramar Project – Woburn, MA” as one of her former employers.

That name and location match exactly with the TerraMar Project, a now-defunct nonprofit founded and led by Maxwell. The organization gained notoriety for its ties to Epstein and its sudden closure just days after his 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was later convicted for her role in trafficking and grooming underage girls.

In response, Stansbury’s team told the Santa Fe New Mexican amid questions to issue a statement dismissing the report as a “lie” and “100% false.” Her spokesperson, Caroline Sweeney, claimed the listing was due to a “computing error” by campaign staff who had “mistakenly clicked on an auto-populated field” when entering her financial information into the House system.

But public records and House ethics rules cast serious doubt on that explanation.

According to the official 2021 House Financial Disclosure Instruction Guide, filers must manually enter each employer when completing the form. There are no dropdowns or auto-filled fields that could “accidentally” insert “Terramar Project – Woburn, MA” into the record. 

“Filers must input their reportable information the first time… the system then retains this information for future filings,” the guide states.

Also, no other congressional candidate or individual required to file such a form has ever entered TerraMar in Woburn, Massachusetts before, making the story even more implausible.

Even more telling: Stansbury had already listed “Terramar Consulting Group – Santa Fe” correctly on a 2020 New Mexico state disclosure. That means she knew the correct employer name — and chose something else in her federal filing.

Only after the Rio Grande Foundation filed a public complaint linking the disclosure to Maxwell did Stansbury amend her form. On April 21, 2021, she quietly changed it to say “Terramar Consulting Group – Santa Fe, NM.” Then, in a 2022 disclosure, she listed a third variation: “Terramar, Inc.,” another Santa Fe entity, which had been incorporated and dissolved by Cristina Mormorunni — behind the “Terramar” entity in Santa Fe — and campaign donor to Stansbury.

Stansbury’s team alleges the Democrat U.S. representative helped with a project sponsored by the Hewlett Foundation, but no such report or documentation has any trace of Stansbury whatsoever that can be publicly identified.

Facts show that Stansbury’s evolving story doesn’t pass the smell test.

House ethics rules make clear that Stansbury is personally responsible for the accuracy of her filings — staff cannot be blamed for errors.

Until she provides documentation — such as contracts, pay stubs, or client letters — proving she worked exclusively for a local “Santa Fe” firm without any ties to Maxwell’s entity, the original disclosure stands as the most credible account of her consulting past.

For now, one thing is certain: the only person who connected Melanie Stansbury to Ghislaine Maxwell’s nonprofit was Melanie Stansbury herself.

Stansbury tells displaced Diné energy workers just to sell ‘your art or your wool’

Stansbury scrambles to explain link to Ghislaine Maxwell amid public scrutiny Read More »

Far-left Dem McQueen to leave NM House, vie for higher office

16 Comments / Editorial, New Mexico, News, Politics / By

One of the most prickly, petulant, and downright disagreeable members of the New Mexico Legislature is finally throwing in the towel — at least in the House. Six-term Democrat Matthew McQueen announced he will not seek reelection to the Legislature, instead launching a bid for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands in 2026. For New Mexicans fed up with McQueen’s arrogance, condescension, and far-left extremism, the news is both a relief and a warning.

In a press release riddled with political posturing, McQueen declared, “I have the proven record of standing up to bullies and corruption.” But for many New Mexicans, McQueen has been the bully. His track record is one of vindictiveness, elitism, and hostility toward working-class values and rural communities.

Case in point: Edgewood, 2023. When the small town’s commissioners voted to uphold federal law through a pro-life ordinance consistent with the Comstock Act, McQueen threatened to retaliate. “I’m just going to have to reconsider how I allocate my capital outlay,” he sneered, implying he’d withhold funding from his own constituents. When a commissioner called out the threat, McQueen smugly doubled down: “Well, if you want to take it that way.”

He then insulted the town outright, saying, “Edgewood is insignificant.” That’s not standing up to bullies — that is being a bully.

Then there’s his radical land agenda. In 2023, McQueen pushed a sweeping “30 by 30”-style land grab bill — HB 45 — designed to gobble up New Mexico land in the name of “conservation,” which would have devastated working farmers, ranchers, and hunters. His bill was so extreme that even Democrats on the committee joined Republicans to kill it. Rural New Mexico sent a clear message: hands off our land.

McQueen’s abrasiveness isn’t confined to policy. His social media tirades have also drawn ire. In October 2022, he lashed out when confronted with facts about the horrific reality of late-term abortions and infanticide at UNM Hospital, angrily calling it “dangerous” and “disgusting.” But the receipts were undeniable, including testimony from abortionist Eve Espey herself, admitting babies were born alive and left to die. McQueen never apologized for smearing those who told the truth.

McQueen was also a major proponent of extreme gerrymandering of the state’s congressional map to benefit Democrats, resulting in all three of the state’s districts being pushed to the far left and hundreds of thousands of voters left disenfranchised, all while McQueen’s district got bluer. His rhetoric and inclination toward disagreement with all sides is likely not to land him many endorsements from the Legislature.

Now, this far-left trial lawyer wants to control 22 million acres of New Mexico’s trust land and minerals as State Land Commissioner — an office that generates over $2 billion annually for our schools and public institutions. He promises to “build on the successes” of radical incumbent Stephanie Garcia Richard and eco-activists like Jim Baca.

That should concern every New Mexican who values oil and gas jobs, property rights, and responsible land use.

While McQueen cloaks his ambition in lofty rhetoric about education and conservation, his record is clear: punish small towns, lie about abortion, push radical environmental schemes, and fight for far-left causes. He may call it “leadership.” Most New Mexicans call it being a condescending, gaslighting windbag.

Far-left Dem McQueen to leave NM House, vie for higher office Read More »

1 2 3 4 5 6 … 24
Scroll to Top