Toulouse Oliver trying to crush referendum drive challenging leftist laws
Far-left Democrat New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is on the attack, trying to squash an attempt by private advocacy groups to put radical Democrat bills passed during the 2023 Legislative Session and signed by the governor on the ballot for referendum.
Bills attempted to be overturned via referendum include legislation trying local jurisdictions’ hands from regulating abortion, an expansion of school-based health centers pushing abortion and “gender-affirming care,” bills weakening New Mexico elections, a bill harboring criminal abortionists, and legislation expanding the “Human Rights Act.” Read more about the referendum petition project being organized by Better Together New Mexico here.
The Albuquerque Journal reported, “The Secretary of State’s office has directed county clerks not to provide voter lists to those pushing the repeal effort, and warned voters that current petitions circulating are not valid since they have not been approved.”
“In addition, Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, said in a recent letter the bill blocking local anti-abortion ordinances from being enforced is exempt from repeal. That’s because, under her ruling, it meets a constitutional exemption for laws that provide for the ‘preservation of the public peace, health or safety” of the state,’” the report noted.
Toulouse Oliver wrote on Thursday, “Invalid referendum petitions are being circulated throughout the state to challenge laws passed during the 2023 #NMLEG. As of now, there are no valid referendum petitions in circulation in New Mexico. Check our website for more info.”
She gave a further update, adding, “Today the 13th District Court dismissed a lawsuit against our office, finding that the laws attempting to be put to referendum are exempted from the referendum process. This has been our position all along & is a win for the rule of law.”
“To date, the Secretary of State has not approved and certified, nor has the Attorney General signed, any referendum petitions submitted and none of the referendum petitions currently being circulated will be considered valid under the law to challenge laws passed during the 2023 Legislative Session,” the Secretary of State’s website reads.
However, according to Better Together New Mexico, a supposed setback in court was fake news.
“You may have read in the Journal or from the Secretary of State that we had a setback in court yesterday over the referendum project. That is inaccurate!” wrote the group.
“Ramona Goolsby filed a Verified Emergency Petition for Declaratory Judgment in the 13th Judicial district on April 11, 2023, against the Secretary of State which was very narrow in scope. There was NO ruling made on the merits of the case. Judge Noel’s dismissal has been set aside as of yesterday and the case has been reopened. There was a Request for Motion to Strike filed yesterday afternoon based on the non-conforming pleading filed by the Attorney General’s office. In addition, Ramona will file a judicial complaint against the judge today.”
“As always, there are concerns that partisan politics are alive and well in our courts since Judge Noel was appointed by Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2020. Keep the faith and keep working!”
Not once throughout Toulouse Oliver’s tenure has she approved a single referendum petition — making the process as difficult as possible to hold the government accountable.
However, litigation is likely coming amid the Democrat’s stonewalling, with groups already ready to take the matter to court.
Jodi Hendricks, the executive director of the New Mexico Family Action Movement, one of the groups leading the charge, “said the coalition supporting the repeal effort, which has received support from the state Republican Party, is ready for a court fight, if necessary,” as The Journal reported.
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