New ABQ City Council strips Keller’s emergency powers, repeals plastic bag ban
The newly elected Albuquerque City Council, which now skews to the right, with moderate Democrat Louie Sanchez holding the keys to the kingdom, has made sweeping reforms of the city to the ire of far-left Democrat Mayor Tim Keller.
On Monday night, the City Council voted to nix the City’s plastic bag ban, which has already increased costs for grocery stores and consumers. It now heads to Keller’s desk for a likely veto.
“With spring winds kicking up, no one wants to see plastic bags hanging from trees and blowing down our streets again. The plastic bag ban is one important step to reducing litter, and Council should have waited for the results of the impact study they commissioned instead of taking this premature vote tonight,” said Keller in a statement.
The City Council also voted 5-4 to restrict the mayor’s command during an infectious disease outbreak that “presents a threat (to residents’) health or safety.”
The change only allows Keller “advisories and recommendations” regarding another crisis.
But the Mayor’s chief operating officer Lawrence Rael claimed, “There were some specific … situations that occurred in different areas of the city where we had to move quickly,” according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Council also voted 8-1 to pass a measure that calls for renegotiating the DOJ settlement agreement. The proposal encourages a new agreement that sets an end date and caps spending.
After these reforms, Councilor Dan Lewis said, “This is clearly a major shift to a more common-sense, conservative approach to leading our city in the right direction.” He added, “Our conservative leadership and Republican strength on Council will mean great things for the future. Government must have checks and balances, accountability and be fiscally responsible. These are the values that conservatives on the Council are promoting, and, because of this, we are taking the right actions and making the right decisions that will mean better things for the great citizens of Albuquerque.”