Politics

Leftist columnist blasts Louis, Dems over DWI hypocrisy

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Monday, leftist columnist for the Santa Fe New Mexican, Milan Simonich, wrote a surprisingly critical column on state Rep. Georgene Louis, who blew a .17 alcohol level on her breathalyzer, resulting in an aggravated DWI arrest. 

The 44-year-old legislator was arrested early on Monday, February 14 in Santa Fe, where she repeatedly changed her story, evaded arresting officer Sgt. Heinz De Luca’s questions, and even invoking her status as a legislator during the traffic stop.

“So, like, I haven’t had much sleep because, um, I’m not trying to, like, say anything, but, like, I’m a legislator, so we haven’t had much sleep,” Louis said to De Luca.

De Luca responded to Louis, “To me, you’re just another citizen, another driver, on the road.”

The New Mexico Democrat Party spokeswoman Miranda van Dijk told Simonich, “We do not comment on these kinds of ongoing judicial processes, but we support Ms. Louis as she focuses on her family and her health.”

“I also wanted to emphasize on background that officers have stated publicly that Ms. Louis cooperated fully with law enforcement. There is no evidence that she attempted to use her position as a legislator to influence these proceedings,” the spokeswoman continued.

Simonich wasn’t buying it, writing:

Not true. Louis’ mention of her elected position was gratuitous.

A 44-year-old attorney, Louis knew the office she holds was irrelevant in the police investigation. The only issue was whether Louis was intoxicated and therefore a danger to pedestrians, other drivers and herself.

There’s more to this story regarding Louis’ political office.

Most New Mexico legislators display on their vehicles a special license plate emblazoned with the number of their district. Not Louis. She kept her legislative license plate inside her car, so it could not be seen by police.

She did so, it seems, because she didn’t have a valid vehicle registration. She also could not provide proof of automobile insurance.

Simonich also invoked a 2018 instance where then-state Rep. Monica Youngblood (R-Bernalillo) also invoked her office while being stopped for a DWI. He noted,“ Democrats lambasted Youngblood. They had good reason. But now they excuse similar tactics by Louis and falsely claim she was a model of cooperation with police.”

The rare criticism coming from Simonich shows that Democrats’ rhetoric appears not to be working anymore, even to the leftist paper in one of the most liberal cities in New Mexico. This could mean bad news for Democrats in 2022, especially if Louis remains on the ticket.

Leftist columnist blasts Louis, Dems over DWI hypocrisy Read More »

Maggie Toulouse Oliver triggered after Dems’ pro-voter fraud bill dies

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Shortly after the Democrats failed to ram through their extreme pro-voter fraud bill, S.B. 144, championed by scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and far-left Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, leftists freaked out. But probably the most triggered reaction to that Democrat failure was that of Toulouse Oliver.

On Thursday, Toulouse Oliver sent a frustrated-sounding email, writing, “I am so tired of the obstructionism of our democracy. I cannot sugarcoat any of this: federal voting rights legislation has stalled with the threat of a filibuster. Today, my bill to expand voting rights legislation stalled with the New Mexico GOP obstruction.” 

The bill she supported included unsecured ballot drop boxes, widespread ballot harvesting, automatic voter registration, and allowing felons to vote. But Toulouse Oliver insists her failed bill would “increase voter participation” — although the supposed “voters” she is talking about may be dead or not legitimately supposed to be on the voter rolls. 

“I’m trying to increase voter participation and ballot access because New Mexico should be a leader on voting rights. Instead, the NM GOP killed this bill, without any debate, due to a procedural rule. Why are they so afraid of more people voting?” 

In both the House and the Senate, Toulouse Oliver’s legislation got to debate, but she claims it was not allowed: another lie. 

She went on to ask for campaign donations to “remain the leader of democracy,” whatever that was supposed to mean.

Other allies of the Secretary of State erroneously claimed Sen. William “Bill” Sharer’s (R-San Juan) filibuster of her radical was “white supremacy.”

“Filibuster is a monument to white supremacy. It’s a relic from the Jim Crow era,” Justin Allen, a radical supporter of the bill, claimed. “Voting rights is the issue of this legislation. Fighting it is the legacy of segregation.”

Now, as the Democrats head toward the 2022 elections with a massive record of failure during this legislative session, they are still beating the “voting rights” drum, that not only Republicans, but Democrats rejected.

In the House of Representatives, multiple Democrats rejected the leftists’ pro-voter fraud bill. Those representatives included Reps. Ambrose Castellano (D-Las Vegas), Harry Garcia (D-Grants), Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup), Willie Madrid (D-Chapparal), Candie Sweetser (D-Deming), and Phelps Anderson (DTS-Roswell). Are these Democrat and independent representatives also “white supremacists” and fighting for a “legacy of segregation,” as far-left radicals claim?

Maggie Toulouse Oliver triggered after Dems’ pro-voter fraud bill dies Read More »

Herrell introduces legislation to grant asylum to persecuted Canadians

7 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Following reported widespread violence and government brutality of Canadians amid a massive convoy of trucks dubbed the “Freedom Convoy” in the country’s capital of Ottawa protesting for freedom, Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (R-NM-02) announced she was sponsoring legislation to grant these political prisoners asylum.

Herrell said, “Justin Trudeau’s heavy-handed crackdown against peaceful protesters in Canada is not the action of a Western Democracy, but that of an authoritarian regime like Venezuela.”

“Just as we provide asylum for political prisoners, we should do the same for truckers who have been subjected to violence, had their property confiscated, and their bank accounts frozen by a government that is quickly becoming the embarrassment of the free world.”

Herrell added, “I am introducing legislation that would temporarily grant asylum to innocent Canadian protesters who are being persecuted by their own government. We cannot be silent as our neighbors to the north are treated so badly.”

Canada has been gagging Canadians’ speech, arresting them for speaking out, and guarding the streets of the country — turning it into a police state. 

Herrell’s legislation is sure to grab much Republican support, but it is unclear if Democrats will line up against Trudeau’s tyranny upon his people. 

Herrell introduces legislation to grant asylum to persecuted Canadians Read More »

Brian Egolf’s far-left chief of staff running to replace him

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

During the final minutes of the 2022 Legislative Session, House Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe), a far-left extremist who ran the chamber like a rubber stamp for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s agenda, announced he would not be seeking reelection. 

Just two days after the announcement, his far-left chief of staff, Reena ​​Szczepanski, announced she would be running for the seat being vacated by Egolf, writing on Twitter, “Today, I am ready to do what I’ve long encouraged other women to do: run for office. I am so excited to announce that I will run for House District 47.  I want every New Mexican to feel their dreams are within reach, and I’m reaching for one of mine.”

​​Szczepanski is the former executive director of a fringe group called “Emerge New Mexico” that trains and recruits female candidates to run as far-left Democrats.

It appears ​​Szczepanski is the Democrats’ hand-selected candidate to replace Egolf, with Javier Martinez, the House Democrat floor leader (D-Bernalillo) already gave her his stamp of approval, writing, “No one better for a seat in the #nmleg,” adding, “I’m in your corner, friend. 100%.”

Egolf himself have her an endorsement, writing, “I am proud to be all in for #TeamReena! Reena is an incredible leader…the indispensable force that has made all our victories possible! I am behind her 1000% Let’s go win this election and keep New Mexico moving forward!”

Extremist Democrat Reps. Liz Thomson (D-Bernalillo) and Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana), as well as more moderate Democrat Rep. Candie Sweetser (D-Luna) all gave ​​Szczepanski their stamp of approval.

Gov. Lujan Grisham’s alleged assault victim, who the Governor paid $150,000 to keep quiet after she reportedly grabbed his crotch, James Hallinan, wrote, “​​How much $$$ are you still taking from @GovMLG & @NMRepArmstrong’s Delta consulting? Look forward to your financial disclosure. Sure there’ll be a good Dem contender to take you on. NM doesn’t need more corruption or failed leadership.”

It is unclear if any other Democrats seek to run for the seat, but ​​Szczepanski appears to be a shoo-in, especially since the heavily Democrat district leans heavily Democrat. 

Brian Egolf’s far-left chief of staff running to replace him Read More »

All the biggest victories during the 2022 Legislative Session

9 Comments / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By

The 2022 Legislative Session was sure a rough one — for the Democrats that is. Although there were many long nights and a few all-nighters, New Mexicans from across the state, including so many Piñon Post readers, made their voices heard and secured victories against the Radical Democrat agenda.

Here are some of the biggest victories:

H.B. 156 — Radical Magazine Ban Making Countless New Mexicans Felons

Together, because of all of our calls, emails, and testimony given in House committees, New Mexicans killed H.B. 156, a radical anti-gun bill that would ban firearm magazines containing more than 15 rounds, which would have effectively made many gun owners felons. 

The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee voted to table the radical bill by Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Bernalillo). During the committee, a poll of attendees showed that 82 people were against the bill (93%) to just six in support (7%).

Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) called the bill a“pipeline to prison” that would affect low-income families. The committee’s vote was 5-0, with no one supporting it. Rep. Randall Pettigrew (R-Lea) made the motion to table the bill. Our editor, John Block, submitted testimony against this bill. 

[Read more about it here]

H.B. 9 — Lockup Firearms or Become a Felon

Another radical anti-gun bill, H.B. 9, sponsored by Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo), was rejected by the House Appropriations and Finance Committee on a 13-5 vote to table it. The bill would have mandated citizens to lock up their guns, imposing a cost burden on New Mexicans.

“It is unlawful for a person who keeps or stores a firearm to do so in such manner that the firearm is accessed by a minor without the authorization of the minor’s parent or guardian or when used in the commission of a crime,” the bill reads. Our editor, John Block, submitted testimony against this bill. 

It continues, “When a firearm is accessed by a minor and used in the commission of a crime, the person who keeps or stores the firearm commits unlawful access to a firearm by a minor and is guilty of a misdemeanor.” 

Reps. Patricia Lundstrom (D-McKinley and San Juan), Allison (D-San Juan), Harry Garcia (D-Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Socorro, San Juan, and Valencia), Ambrose Castellano (D-San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Torrance), and Candie Sweetser (D-Grant, Hidalgo, Luna) voted with the Republicans on the Committee to table the bill.  Our editor, John Block, submitted testimony against this bill. 

[Read more about it here]

H.J.R. 2 — Radical Eviro-Marxist Constitutional Amendment

For the second straight year in a row, the Piñon Post helped organize New Mexicans to fight this radical enviro-Marxist proposal to enshrine a constitutional right to “clean and healthy air, water, soil and environment; a stable climate; and self-sustaining ecosystems, for the benefit of public health, safety and general welfare.” It was sponsored by Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Doña Ana) and Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo).

The generic and subjective terms encompassed in the bill would open up private entities, state agencies, and local governments to costly litigation, as seen in other states that have enacted similar resolutions, such as Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts. 

During the short 30-minute testimony period allowed by Chair Gail Chasey (D-Bernalillo) in the House Judiciary Committee, multiple industries spoke out against the radical proposal. One expert from UNM Law School shared that “Small companies and small businesses might be injured as well” as governments from the bill — harming the little guy.

The Committee ultimately voted 9-3 to table the extreme proposal — making it the second year in a row it has failed. The Piñon Post organized New Mexicans in both years against the resolution. Our editor, John Block, testified against this legislation. 

[Read more about it here]

S.B. 14 — Radical 20 to 35+ Cent Gas Tax on the Poor

During a nail-biter victory at around 3:00 a.m. Thursday, the House of Representatives voted 33-33 to kill S.B. 14 by Senate Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo), which would have installed a “clean fuel standard,” resulting in a 20 to 35+ cent per gallon gas tax, harming the poorest New Mexicans.

During the committee process, Stewart erroneously claimed gas prices were lower in California after the clean fuel standard, despite California’s prices being lower before it was implemented. Currently, California’s average price of gas is 135% greater than the national average, according to AAA. 

This is the second year in a row the Piñon Post has organized New Mexicans to fight this radical bill, and it looks to have paid off both times. Our editor, John Block, testified against this bill. 

[Read more about it here]

H.B. 126 — CRT in State Agencies

This bill by Reps. Tara Lujan (D-Santa Fe) and Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo) would implement Critical Race Theory into state agencies, which mandates the “Chief Diversity Officer” of the state to “lead the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equality, equity and inclusion initiatives in support of the state’s strategic plan to create a culture of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion pursuant to Section 6 of the Diversity Act.”

The bill that would have put Critical Race Theory in state agencies thankfully died, due in part to the Piñon Post advocating against the bill. Our editor, John Block, testified against this bill. 

[Read more about it here]

S.B. 8/144 — Dems’ Extreme ‘Wild West of Voter Fraud’ Bill

Possibly the sweetest victory this legislative session was the death of the Democrats’ most desperate, extreme bill imaginable, S.B. 8 (resurrected in the dead of night as S.B. 144), which would have turned New Mexico into the “wild west of voter fraud.” 

The bill was a top legislative priority of scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was hell-bent on ramming it through to enshrine Democrat election fraud forever. It would have legalized widespread ballot harvesting, unsecured ballot drop boxes, automatic voter registration, felon voting abilities, and more in the 165+ page bill that was amended at the last minute to give Democrats everything they could have dreamed of.

But the Democrats got greedy — and they ended up with NOTHING — not even the compromise S.B. 6 bill, which the Senate unanimously passed. 

The Piñon Post sent out tens of thousands of emails about S.B. 8/144 and it resulted in New Mexicans sending tens of thousands of emails and phone calls to members of the Legislature to oppose the radical legislation. Together, we killed the voter suppression bill that would have harvested votes from our senior citizens and taken away the voices of low-income, underserved communities. Our editor, John Block, testified on multiple occasions, both in the Senate and the House, against the bill(s).

[Read more about it here]

H.M. 38 — Critical Race Theory and ‘Sensitivity Training’ for Law Enforcers

The radical memorial, which had around an $800,000 backend appropriation through the General Appropriations Act, would have implemented the first steps into putting Critical Race Theory and “LGBTQ sensitivity training” into the police force. It luckily was never given an audience before the full House of Representatives and it died. Our editor, John Block, testified on multiple occasions, both in the Senate and the House, against the bill.

[Read more about it here]

S.B. 202 — Pay Raises for Governor, AG, Others

S.B. 202, sponsored by by Sen. Pete Campos (D-Las Vegas), would have increased the governor’s and all state-level positions’ salaries by a massive amount. 

The governor would be paid $150,000 — an increase of 36.36% while all state-level officials, including state auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state would receive a 35.29% increase in salary. The attorney general would receive a 31.57% increase in salary and the commissioner of public lands would receive a 38.88% increase. This fiscally irresponsible bill will pay politicians — who already are of little to no use to New Mexico — even more money. The pay increases far exceed inflation, which is currently at 7%. 

The bill never reached the Senate floor and effectively died. Our editor, John Block, submitted testimony against this bill.

[Read more about it here]

H.B. 4/H.B. 227 — MLG’s Hydro Hub Bills

Despite making this a top priority for this legislative session, Michelle Lujan Grisham’s eco-left“hydrogen” bill died early, with both Republicans and leftists rejecting H.B. 4 on a vote of 6-4 in the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The Democrats tried to resurrect it in the form of a zombie bill, H.B. 227 by Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup), but it once again died, being withdrawn from the committee and tabled.

This top Lujan Grisham priority was yet another victory for the reliable oil and gas industry, which the Governor has been hell-bent on crippling throughout her tenure.

H.B. 6 — ‘Clean Future Act’ DEAD

This radical bill by Rep. Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana) would have further crippled energy producers in New Mexico by mandating the Environmental Improvement Board adopt rules that would force the reduction of “greenhouse gas emissions.” 

“by 2030, statewide direct emissions of greenhouse gases shall not exceed fifty percent of 2005 levels; and by 2050, total statewide greenhouse gas emissions shall achieve at least net-zero emissions; provided that total statewide direct emissions of greenhouse gases shall not exceed ten percent of 2005 levels in 2050 or any subsequent year,” the bill reads.

The bill never achieved final passage in the House and ended up dying before it could reach the finish line. This was another top legislative priority of the Piñon Post to kill in the 2022 session, and we did just that — killed it. Our editor, John Block, testified against this bill.

[Read more about it here]

Although there were multiple other pieces of radical Democrat legislation that New Mexicans helped kill, these most horrifying bills all died — thanks to YOU, the readers of the Piñon Post. We are not only your #1 source for online conservative news and opinion in the state, we are an effective resource to battle the Santa Fe Swamp! Thank you for staying in this fight with us to take back our state.

All the biggest victories during the 2022 Legislative Session Read More »

Lujan Grisham finally lifts indoor mask mandate

20 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

As previously speculated, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has lifted her stringent indoor mask mandate following the closure of the 2022 Legislative Session. 

According to Daniel Chacón of the Santa Fe New Mexico, Lujan Grisham announced that the mask requirement is “gone.”

“The governor made the announcement during a Thursday afternoon news conference to discuss the end of the state’s legislative session.” according to KOB 4.“Until today, New Mexico and Hawaii were the only states that had yet to set a date for lifting their mandates,” the AP added.

According to a report from KOAT 7:

There are a few places where the mask mandate still stands, health orders state.

Those institutions include all public hospitals; profit or nonprofit public hospitals; general hospitals; special hospital nursing facilities; assisted living facilities; adult day cares; hospice facilities; rehabilitation facilities; state correctional facilities; juvenile justice facilities; residential treatment centers; the New Mexico State Veterans’ Home; and community homes, except for eating and drinking.

Any privately-owned businesses are allowed to set their own rules regarding face coverings. School districts are also announcing their own policies.

This is a developing story. 

Lujan Grisham finally lifts indoor mask mandate Read More »

Far-left NM House Speaker Brian Egolf will retire

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, far-left Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) announced his departure from the chamber following his current term, creating an opportunity for the lawmaker to be replaced by a much more moderate voice.

The controversial lawmaker has ruled the speakership with an iron fist, including cutting off debate in the chamber, locking doors to force quorums, and ramming through legislation while ignoring parliamentary procedure.

He helped champion extremist legislation, such as 2021’s H.B. 4, which stripped qualified immunity rights from local governments and law enforcement officers — opening the door for costly lawsuits that benefit civil rights attorneys, of which he is one.

House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, (R-Farmington) said Egolf pushed a “Santa Fe-centric” agenda. “The prospect of a new speaker is an opportunity for all New Mexicans to benefit,” he said.

Far-left NM House Speaker Brian Egolf will retire Read More »

GOP successfully kills MLG’s pro-election fraud bill by running out the clock

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, far-left Democrats rammed through S.B. 144, a far-left bill amended in the dead of night earlier this week to put 165 pages of radical pro-voter fraud language to the formerly two-page bill. The bill included ballot harvesting, unsecured ballot drop boxes for ballot stuffing, automatic voter registration, among other measures to make New Mexico elections less secure.

The chamber abruptly cut off debate after three hours, with multiple Democrats voting against the bill, resulting in a tighter 39-30 vote in the chamber.

State Sen. Bill Sharer (R-San Juan) filibustered for hours, talking about everything from trees to volcanic movement, taxation, water, and camaraderie in the Senate. 

“Just let them play. They will figure out how to win the game. Yep, there [have] to be rules, but we just can’t let them do stuff,” Sharer said. 

“I really love you,” state Sen. Michael Padilla (D-Bernalillo) said in the final minutes of the filibuster, hugging the San Juan County senator.

“Mr. President, if the only tool I have is a hammer, everything I have looks like a nail,” Sen. Sharer said regarding using his tools of the filibuster to stop the Democrats’ radical election fraud bill.

Sharer successfully stopped the ramming through of S.B. 144 — another major defeat for far-left scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose legislative agenda has repeatedly failed. Everything from S.B. 14, a gas tax on the poor, to H.B. 9, a radical anti-gun bill, and hydrogen power, has failed. 

Naturally, following the Democrats’ gigantic partisan defeat, leftists lost their minds on social media, with leftists claiming they would“report” GOP tweets about alleged“election misinformation.”

GOP successfully kills MLG’s pro-election fraud bill by running out the clock Read More »

Major victory after 10 Dems cross the aisle to kill leftist gas tax bill

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Early on Thursday morning, 10 Democrats crossed the aisle and voted with Republicans to kill S.B. 14 by Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo) on a tie vote of 33-33. The bill would have implemented strict “clean fuel standards,” resulting in the average gas price to skyrocket 20 to 35 cents — harming the poorest New Mexicans.

The Democrats who voted against it include Reps. Eliseo Alcon (D-Milan), Anthony Allison (D-Fruitland), Harry Garcia (D-Bernalillo), Wonda Johnson (D-Church Rock), Raymundo Lara (D-La Mesa), Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo), Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup), Willie Madrid (D-Chaparral), Roger Montoya (D-Española), and Candie Sweetser (D-Deming).

This is the second consecutive year New Mexicans have killed this radical proposal, with the bill failing to pass in 2021, after advocacy from the Piñon Post and others. 

“This bill would have increased the cost of living for every single New Mexican without producing any measurable reduction in emissions. It would have hurt our senior citizens and caused much hardship for those living on a fixed income. On this vote, members of both parties joined efforts, ensuring the right outcome,” said Republican Floor Leader Jim Townsend (R-Artesia).

Although a tie vote could have been voted over on, the two members who were absent, Reps. Phelps Anderson (DTS-Roswell) and James Strickler (R-San Juan) would have inevitably given the Democrats a second loss if the motion were reconsidered. 

Also, since the bill was amended in a House committee, it would still have to make its way over to the Senate for adoption. With just hours left in the legislative session, it would be an impossible task.

During the committee process, Stewart erroneously claimed gas prices were lower in California after the clean fuel standard, despite California’s prices being lower before it was implemented. Currently, California’s average price of gas is 135% greater than the national average, according to AAA. 

Following the defeat of the gas tax, Western States Director for the pro-energy group Power the Future, Larry Behrens, wrote, “The fact that supporters tried to sneak this green gas tax across the finish line in the middle of the night tells you all you auto know. Thankfully, bipartisan opposition defeated the Governor’s green gas tax and in doing so sent a strong message to politicians who try to put the green agenda ahead of our working families.”

“It’s not enough that decisions out of Washington have delivered the highest inflation in 40-years, but now the Governor and her supporters tried to make a bad situation much worse. If New Mexicans ever needed definitive proof that some Santa Fe politicians care more about campaign cash than their constituents, this bill was it,” added Behrens. 

Major victory after 10 Dems cross the aisle to kill leftist gas tax bill Read More »

ACTION ALERT: Help stop voter suppression and fraud S.B. 144

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee rammed through Democrats’ extremist S.B. 8 amendment to S.B. 144 — turning the formerly two-page bill about election judge safety into an over 165-page bill that will allow for unsecured ballot drop boxes, 16-year-olds voting in municipal elections, widespread ballot harvesting, and removal of security measures on ballots. 

Judiciary Chairwoman Gail Chasey (D-Bernalillo) only allowed for 25 minutes of public comment on either side, with even Democrat county clerks questioning the motives of the night-hour tactics to desperately ram through the bill no one has had a chance to read. 

Democrat Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover was skeptical of the lengthy amendments, questioning why the bill’s sponsor and his expert witness, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, did not consult county clerks. “Perhaps you should include some of the clerks in the discussion.” 

During commentary against the radical amendments to the bill, Chairwoman Chasey repeatedly silenced and muted attendees whom she disagreed with. After the comments, she claimed, “this is a safe space to speak your mind,” with the caveat, “I don’t allow comments from our members to attack members or their witnesses. And I do not allow imputation of terrible motives like ‘treason’ to any of our members. There were a couple of times I cut people off for that reason.”

Naturally, commenters in support of the amendment, despite many of them saying they had no idea what was in the language that they had no time to read, were not cut off by Chasey.

After some discussion from the committee members, Chasey demanded the Committee take a vote despite multiple representatives still waiting to ask questions of the bill sponsor. One of those representatives was Rep. Bill Rehm (R-Bernalillo) who was not called on yet for questions. He noted his hand had been up to speak, but Chasey gagged him. The committee rammed through S.B. 144 with its amendments by a vote of 9-3, with Rehm voting against it but “under protest.” 

The radical legislation now heads to the House floor for final consideration in that chamber before making its way back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. The concurrence vote will be a key factor in its defeat, as the Senate has rules set in place to stop the logrolling of legislation like this. The public is urged to contact all legislators to vote “NO” on S.B. 144. 

CONTACT NM REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE NO ON SB144!

email nm representatives

If the button does not work for you, please add these email addresses in your BCC line of a new email: eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov, anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov, phelps.anderson@nmlegis.gov, deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov, gail@gailfornewmexico.com, brian.baca@nmlegis.gov, karen.bash@nmlegis.gov, rachel.black@nmlegis.gov, kay.bounkeua@nmlegis.gov, c.brown.nm55@gmail.com, micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov, ambrose.castellano@nmlegis.gov, christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov, gail@gailchasey.com, jack.chatfield@nmlegis.gov, zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov, randal.crowder@nmlegis.gov, art.delacruz@nmlegis.gov, meredith.dixon@nmlegis.gov, rebecca.dow@nmlegis.gov, brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov, daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov, csecows@aol.com, kelly.fajardo@nmlegis.gov, joanne.ferrary@nmlegis.gov, natalie.figueroa@nmlegis.gov, doreen.gallegos@nmlegis.gov, hgarciad69@gmail.com, miguel.garcia@nmlegis.gov, joy.garratt@nmlegis.gov, JasonHarperNM@gmail.com, joshua.hernandez@nmlegis.gov, pamelya.herndon@nmlegis.gov, susan.herrera@nmlegis.gov, dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov, dwonda.johnson@nmlegis.gov, RYAN@LANEFORLIBERTY.COM, raymundo.lara@nmlegis.gov, derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov, stefani.lord@nmlegis.gov, georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov, tara.lujan@nmlegis.gov, patricia.lundstrom@nmlegis.gov, willie.madrid@nmlegis.gov, antonio.maestas@nmlegis.gov, javier.martinez@nmlegis.gov, marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov, matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov, roddmontoya@gmail.com, roger.montoya@nmlegis.gov, greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov, kristina.ortez@nmlegis.gov, randall.pettigrew@nmlegis.gov, jpandp@comcast.net, bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov, andrea@andrearomero.com, andres.romero@nmlegis.gov, pat.roybalcaballero@nmlegis.gov, angelica.rubio@nmlegis.gov, debbie.sarinana@nmlegis.gov, larry.scott@nmlegis.gov, linda.serrato@nmlegis.gov, nathan.small@nmlegis.gov, jamesstrickler@msn.com, candie.sweetser@nmlegis.gov, luis.terrazas@nmlegis.gov, liz.thomson@nmlegis.gov, townsend@pvtn.net, christine.trujillo@nmlegis.gov, martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov

This is language you can add in your email body. Feel free to tweak as you like:

Dear Representative, I am emailing to OPPOSE Senate Bill 144, which was amended in the dead of night to add 165 pages of new, dangerous language. The amendments include measures to harm our elections and rip away the voices of New Mexicans, especially from marginalized and underserved communities like senior citizens, low-income families, and others. This bill will permit votes to be harvested from our seniors and forged ballots that will cancel out the voices of New Mexicans — creating widespread voter suppression. For these reasons and others, please vote NO on voter suppression SB 144. We cannot allow New Mexico to become the wild west of voter fraud. Thank you.

The legislation still does not have a place on the latest House floor calendar uploaded to the Legislature’s website at 1:06 a.m. on Wednesday, but that could chance on a dime. The Piñon Post will continue to keep you updated on the latest. The most up-to-date info can be found on Twitter. 

In the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee, radical gas tax on the poor S.B. 14 has stalled, with a committee vote on the measure being pushed to the next meeting. As of Wednesday, there is no scheduled meeting for the committee. With another hurdle looming for the bill’s final passage in the House, the bill appears to be dead. 

ACTION ALERT: Help stop voter suppression and fraud S.B. 144 Read More »

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