In New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District — a district President Donald Trump decisively carried in 2024 — far-left Democrat Gabe Vasquez continues to alienate his constituents by doubling down on radical opposition to the president’s commonsense agenda.
Since Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, Vasquez has taken every opportunity to obstruct policies overwhelmingly supported by working Americans. Earlier this year, Vasquez voted against the Laken Riley Act, a commonsense bill requiring the detention of illegal aliens accused of serious crimes. Despite bipartisan support for this basic public safety measure, Vasquez instead sided with open-borders extremists, choosing the interests of criminal aliens over the safety of American citizens.
Worse yet, Vasquez opposed President Trump’s efforts to strengthen election integrity, including legislation to ban non-citizens from voting in local, state, and federal elections. Even though the overwhelming majority of Americans — including many Democrats — support restricting voting rights exclusively to U.S. citizens, Vasquez showed where his loyalties lie: with the radical left, not the voters of southern New Mexico.
At a recent town hall event in Las Cruces, Vasquez launched into a bitter tirade against President Trump, blasting the administration’s “immigration crackdowns” and accusing Trump of promoting “fear and division” — rhetoric more at home in deep blue New York City or Washington, D.C. than in Trump country New Mexico.
His contempt for the president is especially clear in his unhinged fundraising emails.
In two recent blasts to his donor list, Vasquez ranted about Trump’s investigation into ActBlue, the Democrat fundraising giant facing mounting scrutiny for suspected widespread fraud. In one email, Vasquez seethed:
“Donald Trump just signed a memorandum targeting ActBlue — the grassroots fundraising platform that powers nearly every Democratic campaign in the country — in an attempt to shut it down… Trump knows that grassroots movements like ours are the only thing standing between him and total control.”
Rather than addressing the credible allegations of financial misconduct surrounding ActBlue — including concerns about illicit foreign donations and donor fraud — Vasquez played the victim, calling Trump’s efforts to safeguard campaign finance laws an “attack” and a “rigging of the system.”
In another desperate appeal, Vasquez went even further, lashing out at Trump’s economic policies and bizarrely blaming the president for New Mexico’s economic woes:
“Trump’s economic policies are a disaster for the country and the world… Instead, they’re falling in line and remaining silent. They are letting Trump drag our economy into chaos.”
Vasquez even bragged about teaming up with radical leftist Senator Cory Booker to introduce legislation targeting private companies like those owned by Elon Musk — a transparent publicity stunt that does nothing to help New Mexico’s struggling farmers and ranchers.
For a man representing a district that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump, Vasquez’s nonstop hostility toward the administration is nothing short of political malpractice. Instead of working with President Trump to secure the border, lower inflation, and restore law and order, Vasquez seems more concerned with playing resistance warrior for a Washington, D.C. donor class out of touch with New Mexican values.
With his reckless and sketchy voting record, repeated attacks on the president, and open disdain for his own constituents’ priorities, Gabe Vasquez is making it clear: he’s not interested in representing the people of southern New Mexico — he’s only interested in fighting Trump at every turn.
Voters will remember.
John Block represents New Mexico House District 51 — Alamogordo — in the state Legislature. He is the founder and editor of the Piñon Post — New Mexico’s #1 online conservative news source.
On Tuesday, the New Mexico State Capitol’s Rotunda became the epicenter of a contentious confrontation during what was ostensibly a pro-Palestinian rally. The event took a confrontational turn after state Reps. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and John Block (R-Alamogordo), both of whom have Jewish heritage, passed through the Rotunda, where protesters got violent.
The rally aimed to attack Israel and its supporters. However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically upon the arrival of Reps. Lord and Block. Their presence was met with immediate hostility from attendees, leading to a series of heated exchanges.
Eyewitnesses reported that the legislators were subjected to verbal assaults, with accusations labeling them as antagonists. Jonathan Juárez, a participant, claimed that Rep. Lord was “antagonizing people, saying that they’re Hamas supporters.” That came despite Hamas flags and clothing spotted in the audience, per photos and videos of the event.
The situation escalated as demonstrators surrounded the representatives, prompting security personnel and New Mexico State Police officers to intervene. It included one woman who attempted to lay her hands on Rep. Lord while two other aggressors violently screamed at the two representatives.
If you are yelling F* ICE and F* THE POLICE, you're in the roundhouse wearing terrorist garb, or you are carrying disparaging signs inside, I'm going to call you out, just like I would if white supremacists were there acting stupid. I won't put up with this garbage in the state… pic.twitter.com/jeKasA42j7
As tensions mounted, demonstrators continued to hurl profanities and accusations at the representatives.
In response to the hostility faced, Rep. Block lamented the lack of tolerance exhibited by the demonstrators, stating, “It’s just horrible that there are people that want to erase our people, especially in this state where they claim to be so tolerant.” This sentiment reflects a broader concern about the erosion of civil discourse and respect for diverse perspectives.
Notably, during the confrontation, the speaker at the podium addressed the crowd, asking, “Does anybody in this room hate Jewish people?”
Following the incident, both representatives reported feeling threatened and highlighted the presence of what they described as “terrorist propaganda,” including a “makeshift bomb” and “terrorist outfits.” Rep. Lord expressed profound indignation, stating, “This was so uncalled for I can’t even begin to tell you how infuriating, and how insulting, and how demeaning this is to anyone who has any Jewish blood in them.”
House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) addressed the incident, condemning any form of intimidation or threats of violence. He expressed regret over the occurrence, stating, “I was not aware of that, and I’m very sorry that that happened.” This acknowledgment underscores the necessity for maintaining a safe and respectful environment within the Capitol.
Further criticism arose from Sen. Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho), a staunch supporter of Israel, who questioned the appropriateness of allowing such an event within the Capitol. He highlighted the fear experienced by Jewish employees, stating, “We have employees that are Jewish that were hiding down here on the first floor because they were afraid to go on the second floor.” This revelation points to a broader issue of ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals within public institutions.
Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) echoed these concerns, noting that “two people were arrested [and] several others were removed from the Capitol,” based on information from the director of the Legislative Council Service. This indicates that the event not only violated Capitol protocols but also posed security challenges.
New Mexico State Police spokesperson Wilson Silver confirmed that an attendee, Elliot Shawn Vigil, was removed for trespassing and subsequently arrested for violating the order not to return. This incident underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement in maintaining order during such events.
A video of the protester being arrested is below:
One of the violent pro-Hamas agitators, reported to be Elliot Shawn Vigil, was arrested yesterday after following @Lord4NM and I, hurling racial slurs at us, and being removed from the Capitol for trespassing, then refusing to obey law enforcement directives to not return. pic.twitter.com/XJqmY3ZmSx
The events that unfolded during the pro-Palestinian rally at the New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda reflect a concerning trend of intolerance and hostility toward differing viewpoints. The aggressive actions directed at Representatives Stefani Lord and John Block, both of Jewish heritage, raise serious questions about the true intent of the rally and the respect for democratic principles within public discourse.
A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.
A lot happened this week at the Roundhouse. My apologies in advance for the lengthy (but thorough) update. Here are some of the highlights:
Committees
On Monday in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIC), we heard a bill, H.B. 241, that would increase the number of racing days at New Mexico’s racinos, which many came out against because of concerns the increase in horse racing would create safety concerns. I voted no.
No real bills of significant consequence were heard on Tuesday in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC).
On Wednesday in HGEIC, mostly benign cleanup bills relating to the judiciary were heard, but a radical piece of legislation, H.J.R. 10 to allow felons, including murderers, rapists, and school shooters, to vote WHILE IN PRISON passed the committee on a party-line 5-3 vote — a slap in the face to victims. I voted no.
On Thursday in HCPAC, an extreme bill, H.B. 470, was heard to charge parents with “neglect of a child” and force the kid into Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) custody if they have access in any way to a firearm or a firearm suppressor (with no exceptions). The original bill included all “weapons,” which could include kitchen knives, baseball bats, ice picks, and even rocks, according to the CYFD analysis. The bill was amended in the committee to only target guns — more legislation attacking firearms and our Second Amendment rights.
On Friday in HGEIC, I voted against H.M. 37, which brings awareness to Mount Taylor, which is northeast of Grants, but it also attacked uranium mining in general — which is a key component to the country’s energy independence through nuclear energy.
In HGEIC on Saturday, we heard H.B. 448, which creates a new office of housing, duplicating efforts already underway with multiple government agencies, and it is accompanied by hundreds of thousands of dollars in the budget to fund free houses for homeless people — making people further dependent on the government. I voted against it. Another bill heard on Saturday was H.B. 536, which allows 16-year-olds to vote in municipal, school board, and other local elections, despite them not being allowed to own firearms, sign contracts, get tattoos or piercings, and many other things. I voted against this bill as well.
Floor Sessions
On Monday, Democrats and some Republicans (not me) voted for the most fiscally irresponsible budget in state history (H.B. 2/3), which included $266 million for “culturally competent healthcare,” shots, government-funded contraceptives, and vague “behavioral health” initiatives, $35 million for job-crushing “paid leave” programs, $31.2 million for fighting “climate change,” $3.5 million to “conserve” the American beaver, $640,000 for “migrant programs” at New Mexico colleges, among so many other wasteful programs and initiatives. Republicans offered a substitute bill that included $600 rebates to New Mexicans (much like Alaska due to oil revenue surpluses). Democrats (and some Republicans) rejected that idea and passed the $10.8 billion boondoggle.
Terrible, fiscally irresponsible budget passes the NM House by a vote of 50-18, which includes: ❌$266M for "culturally competent healthcare," shots, government-funded contraceptives, and vague "behavioral health" initiatives ❌$35M for job-crushing "paid leave" programs ❌$31.2M… pic.twitter.com/6mlSg5QCCn
On Tuesday, Democrats passed a radical expansion to the state’s “red flag” bill (H.B. 12) that would further infringe on due process rights, allowing authorities to immediately snatch one’s guns upon service of an “extreme risk protection order.” Cases in other states, such as New York, and even the U.S. Supreme Court, have affirmed that it is unlawful for seizure of weapons before a hearing — blatantly unconstitutional. If the bill does pass and become law, it will likely be immediately challenged and stricken down.
Also on the House floor Tuesday, Democrats passed a horrible bill, H.B. 91, to allow utilities (like PNM and NM Gas Co.) to allow non-low-income rate payers to subsidize low-income individuals’ utility bills — redistribution of wealth — and raising utility rates on the middle class, which is barely getting by as it is.
On Thursday, I voted against H.J.R. 1, which would allow for two 45-day legislative sessions every year (unlike the current cycle of 60 days on odd-numbered years and 30 days on even-numbered years) because it would allow for a bill that did not pass in the first session to be carried over to the next at its same progression, meaning more bad bills will be rammed through. I also voted against H.B. 260, which bans security guards and other personnel from restraining students, even in cases when a student has a weapon at school.
A good bill, H.B. 104, of which I am a primary sponsor, passed the House with a handful of anti-police Democrats voting against it. The bill would merely give equal rights to law enforcers when they become victims of crimes. This fixes a major loophole in New Mexico’s laws, which deprive law enforcers of equal protection.
On Friday, Democrats passed the extremist H.B. 11, which will annihilate small businesses and kill jobs by forcing upon them “paid family and medical leave.” The bill would forcibly garnish wages from employees and mandate employers pay into a massive pool of money to pay for 6-12 weeks of paid time off — leaving businesses scrambling and employees with fewer dollars in their paychecks. According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, it would leave the state with a deficit of $800 million, and a mere 4% of workers would be getting the benefits of this horrible program, while 96% of workers would see a benefit while being mandated to fork over their pay for it. Five Democrat state representatives voted against the proposal, along with all Republicans. They should be commended: Rep. Martha Garcia (D-Pine Hill), Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup), Rep. Wonda Johnson (D-Church Rock), Rep. Marian Matthews (D-Albuquerque), and Rep. Joseph Sanchez (D-Alcalde).
On Saturday, we debated multiple bills throughout the day, ending the floor session at around 8:00 p.m. Bills that passed included H.B. 339, which forces ALL LANDLORDS to take Section 8 housing vouchers. When one GOP representative asked whether someone who could not comply with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) building codes and standards to accept such housing vouchers, the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces) responded, “I mean, maybe don’t rent.”
Another bad bill heard on Saturday was H.B. 89, which will give graduate scholarships to illegal aliens studying at New Mexico institutions of higher education. Also, we heard a radical solar bill to further subsidize the solar industry, H.B. 128.
My Sponsored Legislation Being Heard This Week:
On Tuesday, my sponsored bill, HB 521, to support the agritourism industry by helping remove vague liability restrictions, UNANIMOUSLY PASSED the House Rural Development, Land Grants, and Cultural Affairs Committee. It next goes to the Judiciary Committee. Thanks to R.B. Nichols for being my expert witness and for leading the charge on this great bill.
On Monday, March 3 (tomorrow), in the House Health and Human Services Committee, I will be presenting my bill that would empower counties to be the sole authorities who can tax alcohol and remove the state’s excise taxes. Studies throughout the decades and even recent research show that taxing alcohol higher has little to no impact whatsoever on alleviating alcoholism and alcohol harms in any form or fashion. Please visit the meeting link below to listen in and support my legislation by testifying in support. The committee is scheduled for 8:00 a.m., but I expect the bill will be heard no earlier than 10:00 a.m., as it is last on the agenda.
Meeting Access Details 3/3/2024 at 8:00 a.m.: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86178202695 Phone one-tap: +16694449171,,86178202695# US Webinar ID: 861 7820 2695
Another piece of legislation I am sponsoring, H.B. 44, relating to protecting minors from harmful materials, will likely be heard in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m. (or 15 minutes following the House floor session), so please also show up then to testify in support. The meeting information is below:
Meeting Access Details 3/5/2024 at 1:30 p.m.: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84498420158 Phone one-tap: +16699009128,,84498420158# US (San Jose) +17193594580,,84498420158# US Webinar ID: 844 9842 0158
Also, on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., a memorial I am carrying, H.M. 42, to bring awareness to the only native marsupial to North America, the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), will likely be heard in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee. Other states are declaring this important species as their state marsupial (North Carolina has already enacted it while New Hampshire is in the process), and this legislative step is the first in beginning the process for similar legislation in New Mexico. Read more about the species and its history in New Mexico via this peer-reviewed study (https://www.jstor.org/stable/30055181) and join to support this memorial by testifying via this information:
Meeting Access Details 3/5/2024 at 8:30 a.m.: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89282948977 Phone one-tap: +17193594580,,89282948977# US +12532050468,,89282948977# US Webinar ID: 892 8294 8977
In Summary
All my sponsored legislation for the session is filed and can be accessed here.
The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week.
To see all committee schedules for all committees, click here.
It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.
God bless you, John
Rep. John Block NM House District 51 Republican, Otero County
A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.
This was one of the busiest weeks I’ve ever seen at the Roundhouse so far, and here’s what happened:
Committees
In the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIC) this week, we heard many bills and resolutions, such as H.J.R. 11 (to remove the anti-donation clause), which I voted against because it had absolutely no guardrails and would directly fund with our tax dollars “nonprofits” that could funnel cash into all sorts of nefarious places.
We also heard in HGEIC a bill, H.B. 228, that would mandate that municipalities do not change the rules on businesses mid-way through the project when constructing electric fences for security reasons, which I voted for. We also passed H.B. 208, of which I am a cosponsor, to allow voter registrations for hunting and fishing licenses.
In HGEIC on Friday, I voted against a bill that would push a so-called “circular economy” in the state, which had unknown benchmarks and mandates for such policies that would run through the New Mexico Environment Department. Also, that day, we passed a very good bill, which I am cosponsoring, H.B. 293, to eliminate state taxes on seniors’ social security payments.
On Tuesday in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC), I advocated and voted against H.B. 9, which would ban the county from helping detain criminal aliens in our Otero County Processing Center, which would kill over 250 jobs and make our county lose millions. That day, we also passed a good bill, which I am cosponsoring, H.B. 287, adding text message and social media message threats to existing statutes that only allow using a telephone to make threats as prosecutable.
On Thursday, in that same committee, surprisingly, we were able to kill a horrible bill, H.B. 247, on a tied 3-3 vote that would have bureaucratized health care and confused patients with insane disclosure laws for doctors who are not osteopathic doctors or medical doctors. I also voted against H.B. 339, which would have expanded the state’s “Human Rights Act” to include “discriminating” against renters who use Section 8 vouchers and other government handouts.
On Saturday in HCPAC, we had a slew of terrible bills that I voted against, including H.B. 442, which would create “rent stabilization,” also known as rent control, to socialize the housing market, as has happened in New York City and San Francisco. Another bad bill I voted against was H.B. 418, which is shoddily written and attacks landlords by forcing 24-month time frames on mobile home renters’ leases while also punishing landlords with hefty fines if they could be found in non-compliance with the narrow and restrictive language of the bill.
Floor Sessions
On the floor Monday, I debated for nearly three hours a terrible bill, H.B. 6, which forces “prevailing wages” on all industrial revenue bond-assisted projects — crushing economic development across our state, resulting in fewer jobs and fewer projects. I offered two amendments to the bill to 1) exempt small businesses and 2) exempt projects that can prove other states with the same incentives but no “prevailing wage” mandates would be better climates for such projects. Both of these amendments were tabled on party-line votes.
Busy afternoon/evening on the NM House floor where I debated the horrible HB6 (forces “prevailing wage” on industrial revenue bond—IRB—projects and harms economic development) I offered amendments to 1) exempt small businesses and 2) exempt those businesses looking at locating in… pic.twitter.com/oGsPdIi5RX
During Tuesday’s floor session, I heavily debated horrible bills, including one (H.B. 26) that would allow just about anyone to be arrested for “ticket scalping” — even if just selling one ticket for just $1 more than one paid for it — which would end up with countless people thrown in jail under the bill’s changes to state statute.
On Wednesday, during the floor session, I voted against legislation that would penalize businesses, including H.B. 49, forcing all establishments everywhere to mandate televisions have closed captions on at all times.
On Thursday, I heavily debated a horrible bill, S.B. 3, to give an unknown amount of money to “behavioral health” programs, which is part of a terrible package of other bills to spend around $1 billion on such programs, which could include transgender surgeries, “gun violence prevention,” “climate change,” and “free” (government-funded) houses for drug addicts.
Thanks to @Lord4NM for working so hard on the House floor today with me and a few other GOP members to debate a horrible bill, SB 3, which would create a bloated executive board to oversee $200M to $1B in unnamed, unspecified funds going to “behavioral health.” THE SWAMP IS DEEP… pic.twitter.com/0x2hV0ElZl
Friday’s floor session included the companion bill to the horrible S.B. 3, S.B. 1, which myself, Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park), and a couple of others debated. Rep. Lord has been a steadfast patriot and a champion for the people who actually does the work of reading bills and debating them heavily to ensure the public knows what is in them, as I do.
We also heard H.B. 56, relating to Medicaid reimbursements for “birthing centers,” which didn’t mention the word “woman” once, instead foregoing it for the term “pregnant people.” I voted against it.
During the floor session on Saturday, we had a concurrence vote on H.B. 8, the Democrats’ weak “crime package” that will not fight crime.
We also passed a bill I am so honored to cosponsor, H.B. 36, to improve access to care by allowing optometrists to perform minor outpatient procedures in their offices, which was a huge step toward de-bureaucratizing health care in the state.
Woohoo! A GREAT bill I’m incredibly proud to be a primary sponsor of to create access and equality among optometrists to perform important minor procedures passes the House! pic.twitter.com/Eo8Fx0a0uM
This was the last week to file legislation, so all my legislation for the session is filed and can be accessed here.
The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week.
To see all committee schedules for all committees, click here.
It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.
God bless you, John
Rep. John Block NM House District 51 Republican, Otero County
A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.
What a week it has been at the Roundhouse! Here’s what happened in my committees, as well as other events of note.
On Monday, in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIC), I moved to table a bad piece of legislation (H.C.R. 1), which would limit the number of bills each member could present to just five — silencing the voices of New Mexicans who want their voices heard in the legislative process. The committee tabled the bad legislation.
On Tuesday, in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC), we had multiple bad bills (and some good bills) being heard, but Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and I were repeatedly silenced by the chairwoman, Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces), who tried to cut off Rep. Lord’s debate, continuously interrupted our lines of questioning and pushed all Republican bills to the bottom of the agenda. She then stymied debate on Rep. Jimmy Mason’s (R-Artesia) bill (H.B. 162), of which I am a cosponsor, and rolled all the other GOP bills we were supposed to have heard. After the meeting, I told the chairwoman that I would go to the speaker with these concerns, and she told me, “Yeah, good luck with that.”
‼️ Yesterday, in the NM House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, @Lord4NM and I were disrespected, silenced, and Rep. Jimmy Mason was treated terribly by the committee chair Joanne Ferrary. She:
1️⃣ Complained and scolded us that the House GOP had a caucus, which delayed the… pic.twitter.com/UmB3VX5YdN
On Wednesday, Rep. Lord and I addressed the full House of Representatives and told the speaker of this grievous abuse, asking him to talk with the HCPAC chairwoman.
In HGEIC on Wednesday, we heard H.B. 85, which is a really bad bill banning all so-called “non-functional” turf (like grass) from public medians and government buildings, forcing them to be replaced with “zeroscape.” This would apply to ALL state-funded projects, including in our cities and counties. These changes would cost our localities millions of dollars and would ban grass medians (such as on Juniper Drive in Alamogordo, where people use the medians to walk their dogs), and create inconveniences for all people — not to mention the budgetary process. It would also extend to projects, such as domestic violence shelters, that get state funding, making it even more detrimental to the state and to our district. Unfortunately, the terrible bill was advanced through the committee along party lines.
On Thursday, HCPAC met again, with many controversial bills on the agenda, including a good bill (H.B. 185) that would protect women’s sports from biological men being able to take titles away from women. It would have also protected these female athletes, who, in many cases, have been injured competing against biological men. During the discussion, Ferrary cut us off repeatedly while we asked questions, demanding we only ask questions and not make statements. However, when a Democrat representative read a 5-6 minute-long written statement, the chairwoman allowed it — blatant political discrimination against Rep. Lord and I because we are Republicans.
On Friday, I was forced to once again give another floor speech to the speaker asking for us to be treated equally and showed him the specific passages in the rules where we were not being given our equal voice in the committee — a disservice to the great people of our districts.
This is the second time I have addressed the full body of the House this week about the blatant disregard for the rules and complete unfairness of the NM House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee Chair Joanne Ferrary — and the Health and Human Services Committee Chair Liz… pic.twitter.com/Ewkce7ZXuF
That morning in HGEIC, I voted against H.B. 252, which aimed to try to skirt around the anti-donation clause to give large checks to guardians of children (handouts) by working with foundations that would help match the grant. Although this might be worth doing in the private sector with fully private funding, I don’t believe it is the government’s role to intervene to administer the program. Also, the pilot program, which the bill references, only serves a handful of counties (none in southeast New Mexico), so that further cemented my opposition to the legislation.
On Saturday, I jumped between HGEIC and HCPAC, which both met that day, and we heard multiple bills, including H.B. 76, which would take away doctors’ authority to use their best judgment — forcing every newborn infant to have tests that would result in cardiac tests requiring airlifting to Albuquerque. Many physicians, including pediatric cardiologists in our district, opposed the bill, so I voted against it along with Rep. Lord.
We also heard in that committee H.B. 253, which aimed to seal eviction records after three years of the eviction, giving landlords less information when renting to new tenants who may have had evictions, even in the most grievous cases of past tenants using rentals for meth labs, causing damage (such as holes in the walls, ripping copper out of the pipes), or domestic violence situations, etc. Both Rep. Lord and I voted against it.
Another bill that was heard in the committee, H.B. 250, was to give free menstrual products to inmates, but the bill did not have important definitions and was very vague, so I voted against it. The chair rolled all the rest of the bills on the agenda (which so happened to all be Republican bills).
That afternoon and evening on the House floor, we debated the Democrats’ weak and ineffective “public safety” bill (H.B. 8), which will have little to no tangible effect on crime. We put forward our own substitute bill on the floor to give real solutions (such as addressing juvenile crime and increasing penalties for felons), but the Democrats rejected these ideas on mostly partisan votes. The House ultimately voted for the bill, with only 20 of us rejecting it (myself included), and the legislation now makes its way over to the Senate.
The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week. We are also set to debate legislation on the House floor, so watch for those agendas below.
Here are the legislative items that will come to the committees I am a member of:
To see all schedules for all committees and the House and Senate floors, click here.
To see the latest House committee calendar, which includes Zoom links to testify, click here.
To access all of my proposed legislation and the status of each bill, please click here.
It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.
God bless you, John
Rep. John Block NM House District 51 Republican, Otero County
A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.
This week has been another wild one at the Roundhouse. Here’s what happened:
To watch my summary of what happened this week, please click here or on the thumbnail below, and you can follow along in the video with the below information:
On Monday, in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIAC), I voted against an extremist resolution (H.J.R. 3), also known as the “Gren Amendment. ” The bill would make cities and counties liable and open to lawsuits if anyone perceives air or water as not being “clean. ” According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, the state and localities could be exposed to up to $1.6 billion in frivolous litigation.
On Tuesday, in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC), the committee voted unanimously to pass H.B. 73, which removes statutes of limitations on child sexual abuse civil cases, and H.B. 83, which increases penalties for sex trafficking (and increases ages in the statutes from 16 to 18 to ensure kids up to 18 are protected). I voted against H.B. 89, which lets illegal immigrants get graduate-level scholarships at UNM. A bill sponsored by myself and Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) to institute Constitutional Carry was tabled on a 4-2 vote without discussion from the Democrats on the committee.
On Wednesday, Democrats passed through HGEIAC H.B. 98, which automatically expunges eviction records after five years (which will give landlords less information, especially if the eviction was due to violence, damage, or other grave circumstances), and H.B. 108, establishing “the Statewide Public Health and Climate Program within the Department of Health,” both of which I opposed.
On Thursday, Rep. Lord and I helped pass bills through HCPAC to give police officers equal rights as civilians (H.B. 103) and allow law enforcement to carry firearms at polling places (H.B. 101).
On Friday, in HGEIAC, H.B. 16, to implement “increased sentencing for individuals convicted of trafficking controlled substances under Section 30-31-20 NMSA 1978 when the offense involves fentanyl,” passed the committee despite three Democrats opposing the measure.
On Saturday, I bounced between my two committees (which were inconveniently meeting at the same time). Democrats killed bills in HCPAC to increase penalties for drug traffickers (H.B. 107), including resulting in death from trafficked drugs and adding “fentanyl to methamphetamine, where now knowing or intentional exposure to either of these two drugs [to children] would represent prima facie evidence of child abuse” (H.B. 136).
In HGEIAC on that day, Democrats passed H.J.R. 5, which changes the Children, Youth, and Families Department to a commission under the governor and legislative branches, but it does not equally distribute representation, so I voted against it. Another bill I voted against in that committee was H.B. 6, which forces a “prevailing wage” on projects done through industrial revenue bonds (IRBs), which would skyrocket the cost of these projects (which are funded by private dollars anyway).
The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week. And nightly floor sessions are also scheduled to begin hearing legislation on the floor, so please be on the alert for those as well.
Here are the legislative items that will come to the committees I am a member of:
To see all committee schedules for all committees and the House/Senate floors, click here.
Click here to see the latest committee calendar, which includes Zoom links to testify.
To access all of my proposed legislation and the status of each bill, please click here.
It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature. I will fight to protect our constitutional rights with every fiber of my being. You can always count on me to support our shared conservative American values.
God bless you, John
Rep. John Block NM House District 51 Republican, Otero County
A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.
This week has probably been one of the busiest I’ve ever had at the Legislature. The far-left Democrats are attempting to ram through as many bad bills as possible, and they have gone to the committees I sit on. Here’s what has been happening around the Roundhouse.
To watch my summary of what happened this week, please click here or on the thumbnail below, and you can follow along in the video with the below information:
Monday — On Monday, we had a floor session, read legislation into the record, and then followed up on constituent requests. I also got prepped for the bills we were to hear in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC).
Tuesday — In the morning, I presented my bill to the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee to have renewables (such as solar and wind) pay their fair share in excise taxes, where we had a very good debate on the merits of the legislation and disproved Big Rewewables’ talking points that these industries were “baby industries” and that taxation would crush them, despite them being well-established in the state for nearly 30 years. The bill, unfortunately, died on a 6-4 party-line vote.
On the House floor, we celebrated oil and gas with a memorial that affirmed the industry’s contribution to the state coffers and to the economy, especially in terms of over 31,000 direct jobs and a total of 100,000 direct and indirect jobs to the state’s economy.
That afternoon, in HCPAC, Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and I debated bills that would expand the anti-gun “red flag” laws (H.B. 12), a bill to criminalize the second-hand sale of tickets at non-profit events (even if the money was being given back to the nonprofit) as a felony (H.B. 26), a bill that would ban librarians from removing pornographic books targeting children or else face revocation of state funding (H.B. 27), and H.B. 4, which revamps the state’s criminal competency law to help hold defendants who are not fit to stand trial (to somewhat alleviate the catch and release issue that plagues our state). All bills passed on 4-2 votes, with Rep. Lord and I voting against all but H.B. 4, which passed unanimously. The committee lasted for seven hours.
Rep. @Lord4NM and I fought for seven hours today in NM House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee to protect your rights and fight the woke agenda, which passed anyway, but our job is to thoroughly vet legislation and make sure that nothing in these bills will harm YOU! We did…
Unconstitutional gun grab (red flag expansion) passes through the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee on a party-line 4-2 vote with myself and @Lord4NM voting NO!!!
Wednesday — On Wednesday, we heard multiple bills in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIAC), where we heard a proposed constitutional amendment (H.J.R. 1) that would require the legislature to meet in two 45-day sessions each legislature instead of the current 60-day session on odd-numbered years and a 30-day session on even-numbered years, which would give the ability to resurrect legislation that was not acted upon in the previous statement at its current place — giving bad legislation even more time to ram through horrific leftist bills. I voted against it.
The second proposed constitutional amendment, H.J.R. 2, would make the governor give a reason for each veto (eliminating the pocket veto), but without clear guidelines as to why such a veto was made. The resolution passed the committee with me as the only objection due to the lack of clarity; thus, it is not ready for passage. I only vote for ready legislation that will make a difference. Another bill that we voted on was H.B. 47, the enabling legislation to constitutional amendments to increase veteran and disabled veteran property tax exemptions passed in the last election. I am working with other legislators on legislation to reimburse counties for the revenue shortfall.
Thursday — On Thursday, Rep. Lord and I again battled for your rights in HCPAC, where we debated a slew of terrible bills, including bans that did not meet federal regulations on conversion devices that allow you to shoot rounds in a semi-automatic firearm faster (H.B. 38), a bill to not allow adults who had juvenile records relating to firearms from accessing their Second Amendment rights despite rehabilitation (H.B. 39), and a convoluted, confusing, and anti-business bill that would effectively put “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) into all predictive artificial intelligence in the state, making the AI industry mandatorily woke (H.B. 60). All of these we voted against, but the Democrats passed them on party-line votes. The only good bill presented was H.B. 50, which penalizes carjackers, which is needed because the state is at the top of the rankings for carjackings. A similar bill from last year died on a party-line vote despite Democrats sponsoring the legislation.
Friday — On Friday, in HGEIAC, we heard H.B. 69, a bill to comply with federal law regarding teacher student loan forgiveness, which passed the committee without opposition. We also heard H.B. 75, a bill that purports to increase funding of county and tribal health councils, but the increase in funding is by over 1,500% and also integrates “the intersection between health and climate change,” which I did not support because I don’t believe politics should be tied with health care. The expert on the bill also bashed the Trump administration and claimed “everyone is a DEI hire,” which further cemented my opposition to the bill, which now appears to be a way to push climate change and DEI propaganda into our healthcare industry. Politics has no business interfering with New Mexicans’ health care, period.
Later in the day, I presented a bill (H.B. 44) to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee to protect children from harmful material (pornography) by reasonable verification methods for sites that have this graphic content. The bill had much support and input from opponents, and so I am working with other legislators and stakeholders on tightening the language so it will get a do-pass vote from the committee later this session.
The Week Ahead — Watch out for the week ahead, as many bad bills are coming to the committees that will encroach on your rights, harm our state’s economy, and keep New Mexicans vulnerable. Those include the evil H.B. 35, dubbed the “children’s health protection zones” bill that will annihilate all oil and gas production in the state, being heard in the Energy committee on Tuesday, a horrible resolution to open the state up to lawsuits galore over “climate” with passage of the “Green Amendment,” being heard in HGEIAC on Monday, and the horrible red flag expansion to further erode your Second Amendment rights being heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, to name a few. Rep. Lord and I will also be presenting our Constitutional Carry bill (H.B. 83) in HCPAC on Tuesday. Please show up to testify in support. To access the latest calendar of House bills (which includes Zoom login information and committee times), please click here.
All schedules for the House and Senate can be accessed by clicking here.
To access all of my proposed legislation and the status of each bill, please click here.
It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.
God bless you, John
Representative John Block NM House District 51 Republican, Otero County
Piñon Post publisher and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) joins the Rio Grande Foundation’s Paul Gessing for an episode of “Tipping Point New Mexico” to discuss what to expect during this upcoming 2025 Legislative Session and what is expected to come up the pipeline.
Block has overseen the Piñon Post since its inception as “John For New Mexico” in 2016 and its official launch as the Post in 2020 — marking five years of constant reporting in the state.
In a stunning reversal, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver has admitted she will not pursue criminal charges for alleged online harassment she previously attributed to state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo), Piñon Post’s editor. This comes after weeks of public accusations linking Block to threats against her, which Toulouse Oliver claimed were spurred by his criticism of her opposition to voter ID laws.
In an email to media, Toulouse Oliver’s spokesperson Alex Curtas stated, “We have not filed a report on this matter and are unlikely to as the most incendiary of the online messages were deleted before we could compile them for review and potential referral.” The sudden change in course has left critics questioning the credibility of her claims.
Rep. Block responded to the development with strong words: “Wow, after slandering my name for weeks, now SOS Maggie admits it’s all a hoax and supposed fake ‘harassment’ comments she used to attack me and others were conveniently ‘deleted.’ No, it’s because she was put in a corner after I threatened legal action. Shame on her!” he posted on social media.
Wow, after slandering my name for weeks, now SOS Maggie admits it’s all a hoax and supposed fake “harassment” comments she used to attack me and others were conveniently “deleted.” No, it’s because she was put in a corner after I threatened legal action. Shame on her!… pic.twitter.com/Q8IXeZQQ05
The controversy began after X users and Block publicly challenged Toulouse Oliver on her resistance to implementing voter ID laws in New Mexico. The secretary laughed at constituents and clapped back at them via social media for asking basic questions.
During a legislative committee meeting, Toulouse Oliver alleged that Block had “egged on” a toxic online environment, indirectly contributing to threats against her. She singled out Block and his platform, the Piñon Post, labeling them as purveyors of “false and misleading information.”
“If she thinks that asking questions about why she doesn’t support voter ID is a threat, then she’s got the thinnest skin I’ve ever seen in my life,” Block previously told local media.
Tensions escalated when Toulouse Oliver announced plans to file a police report under a 2023 law criminalizing threats against election officials. Yet, with no evidence forthcoming, her office backtracked, claiming key posts had been deleted before documentation.
This incident has amplified the ongoing debate over voter ID laws in New Mexico. Polls consistently show widespread support for voter ID, with Gallup reporting that 84% of Americans favor such measures. Block and his supporters argue that Toulouse Oliver’s opposition undermines election security, while she maintains that voter ID could lead to voter suppression.
“This isn’t about harassment; it’s about silencing dissent,” Block said. “She’s weaponizing baseless accusations to deflect from real questions about election integrity.”
As the dust settles, many New Mexicans are left questioning Toulouse Oliver’s false allegations and the broader implications for free speech and accountability in public office.
In a strange turn of events, far-left Democrat New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver accused state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo), the editor and founder of the Piñon Post, of making threats and harassing her via X, formerly Twitter, cooking up a conspiracy after he asked her about implementing voter ID in the state. She later declared she was going dark on the platform following backlash after she laughed at constituents about voter ID, changing her account “@NMSOSMaggie” to private, although the use of her title makes the page public — a violation of law, according to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Toulouse Oliver’s departure from the platform came shortly after the general election, during which she sought to share insights into election results and processes. However, she claimed that some of the backlash, including alleged threats and harassment, originated from Block, who did not make such threats.
During a legislative committee meeting, Toulouse Oliver accused unnamed members of the committee of contributing to the toxic environment online. Later, her office singled out Rep. Block, labeling him and Piñon Post a “frequent purveyor of false and misleading information” about elections. Block has been vocal in his push for voter ID laws in New Mexico and has criticized Toulouse Oliver’s stance against such measures.
“I wouldn’t say that he was like, the ring leader, but he was certainly getting in on the pile-on and, I think, helping to foment the anger and some of the nasty comments,” she said to one outlet.
In response, Block told the Santa Fe New Mexican, “If she thinks that asking questions about why she doesn’t support voter ID is a threat, then she’s got the thinnest skin I’ve ever seen in my life,” emphasizing that political debate should not be conflated with harassment. He further argued that Toulouse Oliver’s characterization of criticism as harassment reflects an attempt to silence dissent and control the narrative around New Mexico’s elections.
Toulouse Oliver, who has historically opposed voter ID measures, reiterated her belief that such laws are unnecessary. “That is a solution in search of a problem,” she said during the committee meeting, dismissing Block’s proposals as lacking evidence of widespread voter fraud.
The tension escalated after Toulouse Oliver shared that she would file a report with law enforcement regarding the threats she faced, which she said were “egged on” by Block’s rhetoric. Block countered by highlighting the lack of evidence directly tying him to any threatening behavior and called her allegations politically motivated. “The secretary of state is probably the biggest purveyor of propaganda, fake news, lies, and clearly orchestrated headlines to get attention,” he charged, framing her accusations as a tactic to deflect from genuine questions about election security.
Block’s criticism of Toulouse Oliver’s opposition to voter ID laws has resonated with many New Mexicans, particularly given polling that shows broad support for such measures, with Gallup finding 84% of Americans support the commonsense measure that upholds election security.
While Toulouse Oliver maintains that her resistance stems from concerns about voter suppression, Block and his supporters see it as dismissing legitimate concerns about election integrity.
This clash highlights a broader debate on voter security in New Mexico. For Block, questioning election policies and advocating for voter ID is about protecting democracy.
For Toulouse Oliver, such benign questions represent a dangerous incitement that threatens election officials, and it appears she is not open to the will of the people of New Mexico.
