Far-left Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced she had issued an executive order Monday directing state agencies to transition to fully electric vehicle (EV) fleets within the next 12 years. Exceptions for heavy equipment and emergency vehicles were also announced at the Symposium on the Future of Transportation in New Mexico. Governor Lujan Grisham also expressed plans to request “robust” electric vehicle tax credits during the upcoming legislative session in January 2023. It is unclear what counts as “robust” to the governor.
EV tax credits are likely a strategic move by the governor, who faced fury from the eco-leftists after she line-item vetoed tax credits from the legislative budget passed earlier this year.
“These were important but way too small,” Lujan Grisham said of the vetoed tax credits. “These benefits were so small, they don’t move the needle. Sometimes, when you get something, you don’t get a second bite at it.”
In response, the dark money eco-left group, the Sierra Club of the Rio Grande Chapter, posted, “@GovMLG are you truly saying that you vetoed the electric vehicle tax credit that we’ve all been working on for the last 15 years because it was too small? Those were thousands of EVs for low-income New Mexicans that now won’t have that benefit.”
Others charged the governor with “blowing smoke” with her “bull***t response.”
The Western Environmental Law Center’s executive director Erik Schlenker-Goodrich tweeted, “Listening to @GovMLG at #POLITICOenergy attempt to explain (unpersuasively) why she vetoed sensible climate tax credits just confirms that her administration, after a promising 1st term, has no climate policy agenda in its 2nd term beyond a word salad.”
The proposed tax credits would be transferable and applicable to both new and used electric vehicles, aiming to make electric vehicles more accessible to middle- and low-income buyers. Governor Lujan Grisham emphasized that these credits should work at the point of sale, focusing on consumers to drive changes in the marketplace.
The proposed tax credits received support from legislative committee chairs Sen. Benny Shendo (D-Jemez Pueblo) and Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque), who emphasized their importance in moving the state towards a lower-carbon future. However, Larry Behrens, the Western states director of the pro-energy group Power the Future, criticized the tax credits, arguing that they primarily benefit the rich.
Regarding the executive order, Governor Lujan Grisham declared that by 2035, the state government fleet would be 100% electric, encouraging the use of zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles.
“In fiscal year 2022, state employees drove a whopping 16,650,964 miles in state vehicles, with only 36,077 of those being in the governor’s [electric vehicles] — less than one percent,” he wrote.
This electric vehicle initiative follows the governor’s plan announced in July, requiring vehicle manufacturers to provide an increasing number of electric models over the next decade. The Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Trucks rule aims for at least 43% of all cars and 15% to 20% of all trucks sold in New Mexico to be electric models by 2026.
Larry Behrens criticized the governor’s push for electric vehicles, arguing that tax credits and spending on electric vehicles for state employees are attempts to force a product that New Mexicans don’t want.
Governor Lujan Grisham acknowledged the need for more electric vehicle infrastructure in New Mexico but noted that the state still ranks among the top six nationally. She cited a New York Times article recommending Northern New Mexico for electric vehicle tourism, particularly the high road to Taos.
This pipe dream will run out of gas soon.
Can they make EV low riders for Espanola?
MLG is robust.
Funny, last time I saw her motorcade they were all gas powered SUVs. Practice what you preach . Reminds me of her actions during her COVID lockdown
Whenever anything is subsidized by the Government, it normally means it is: 1) Undesirable. 2) Immature technology. 3) Benefitting some connected politician or their family.
MLG has surpassed the idiocy of all previous Dimocrat Governors.
Typical MLG maneuver…throw tax payer money at a “problem she created” and hope no one notices! Good luck traveling in your new, bigger, better EV’s…and I hope your travels are all in state, or you will surely run out of battery!
New Mexico doesn’t have nearly enough EV pumps. Would hate to be stranded in the desert in summer.
A poor state asking its folks to purchase highly expensive means of transportation? Sure boss!
Grisham: “Let them drink oil.”
Get your head out of your a–s, Grisham.
It’s trick or treat time! Gov. Gruesome!! I don’t make enough money to get a tax credit. Next we will have to give organic candy to her little monsters!
Electric powered vehicles do not generate power, they rely on gasoline or diesel powered generators to re-charge their EV’s. The power grid comprised of coal, nuclear, or diesel is the main source of electricity. The cost and ugliness of wind turbines and solar panels, plus their proven unreliability make them not feasible for constant power production. So ignore the diesel generator behind the charging stations and plug in your EV to “save the planet “. Then wonder for who? The” elite “Billionaires , the WEC ?
Executive orders are not laws. Governors do not have the authority to create laws. Governors are public SERVANTS, not dictators, or kings, or queens… If we get that message out to enough people, we may can get enough people to stand up and tell her NO! and YOU’RE FIRED!!!
So the New Mexicans that cannot afford to even think about a decent gas car will pay the taxes for the rebates so rich NMs can get buy electric. Makes sense to me!!!! Our governor is a POS!
MLG has yet to condemn Hamas.
There he is! And a comment that I can finally address. Mr Hoylen, I was looking for you during the comments of the Stansbury article. Being that you made a ton of comments on the “New Mexicans react to Hamas’ violent attack on Israel” I thought you would say something. Do you want to try and debunk my arguments that no other Christian Zionist could do the other day? I welcome your response.
There are two sides to every story, correct? Why don’t you take the time to look at this 5 minute video of the Israeli Palestine Basics and let me know what you think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5pvtUEk_gQ&t=1s
As a true Catholic, I reject the State of Israel for religious reasons first. Look at what Pius X told Theodore Hertzl when he petitioned the him for a Jewish homeland in Palestine on 1904.
“We cannot give approval to this movement. We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem – but we could never sanction it. The soil of Jerusalem, if it was not always sacred, has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ. As the head of the Church I cannot tell you anything different. The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.”
The current day State of Israel is totally Anti-Christ. It is an abomination of desolation in a place where it does not belong.
The second reason i condemn the State of Israel is because it is clearly in violation of international law concerning their treatment of the Palestinians. This is a undeniable fact that you can’t ignore. I actually did a video on this topic back in 2010.
Verses that prove current day Jews are NOT God’s Chosen.
“And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children.” (Mt. 27:25)
“Jesus therefore said to them: If God were your Father, you would indeed love me. For from God I proceeded, and came; for I came not of myself, but he sent me: Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.” (Jn. 8:42-44)
“(The Jews) Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men;” (1 Thes. 2:15)
“Serving the Lord with all humility, and with tears, and temptations which befell me by the conspiracies of the Jews;” (Acts 20:19)
“But their senses were made dull. For, until this present day, the selfsame veil, in the reading of the old testament, remaineth not taken away (because in Christ it is made void). But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.” (2 Cor. 3:14-15)
“Know ye therefore, that they who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham… For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:7, 26)
“That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh [racial Jews], are the children of God; but they, that are the children of the promise [Catholics], are accounted for the seed.” (Rom. 9:8)
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.” (Jn. 1:11-12)
“Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father, and the Son.” (1 Jn. 2:22)
EV, phone home.
A clear example of how she is not representing the people of NM. She is representing the globalists. She needs to go ASAP!
MLG aims to kill the oil industry in NM. Without the royalty income, how will the state afford to buy these wheeled toasters?
I suppose our nutball governor (and her green buddies) are missing the basic energy equation:
More EVs = more power generation.
Without investing in more generation capacity, your won’t be able to power all these new vehicles. Vast investment in solar and other renewables buys you nothing unless backed up by increased fossil fuel generation for when the sun doesn’t shine and wind doesn’t blow.
Failure to add fossil fuel backup for renewables leads to power outages. Oh wait – didn’t PNM warn us of this when 4-corners generation was eliminated?
Wonder who’s crotch she is rubbing this time?.. Come on New Mexico -it’s time to arrest and jail this Loserjan!
The green and blue agendas were hatched by the banking cartels. The banks enrich themselves, the ecoterrorist mob is duped and we the people get the shaft meanwhile the elite drive their gas powered vehicles and fly in their private jets.
MLG is eating, drinking, smoking cannabis in large amounts from the vendors who lobbied for her support in making it legal. These are the after effects of cannabis… and they are in full display with MLG…..stupid is as stupid does.