New Mexico Legislature

2020 NM Election: GOP makes slight legislative gains, Herrell ousts Torres Small from Congress

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Record turnout in the 2020 General Election garnered much attention to countless races up and down the ballot, and many wins for Republicans. 912,565 ballots were cast across New Mexico, and voter enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle was high.

In New Mexico’s congressional delegation, Yvette Herrell bested first-term Democrat Rep. Xochitl Torres Small by 20,461 votes, winning by a margin of 53.9% to 46.1%. Torres Small voted with Nancy Pelosi 94% of the time, including to impeach President Donald Trump and to pass sweeping anti-Second Amendment gun bans. 

Herrell had the endorsement of President Donald Trump and many pro-Trump leaders, including Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and others. Torres Small had the support of D.C. establishment figures, Planned Parenthood, and anti-gun groups. 

Democrat Rep. Ben Ray Luján won the open U.S. Senate seat, beating Republican Mark Ronchetti by 4%. Democrat Rep. Deb Haaland won re-election in the 1st Congressional District, while Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez won the open 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Luján.

In the state legislature, Republicans picked off a few seats from Democrat control, including Sen. Clemente Sanchez’s 30th Senate District seat, which he will be vacating after he lost the primary. Republican Joshua A. Sanchez won that race against far-left Democrat Pamela Cordova. 

Republican Crystal Diamond picked up Senate District 35 in the southeast part of the state, being vacated by Sen. John Arthur Smith, who also lost his primary election. Diamond ran against Naomi Martinez-Parra, a favorite of far-left Speaker Brian Egolf and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

Republican Luis Terrazas bested incumbent Democrat Rep. Rudolpho Martinez in House District 39, also in southeast New Mexico, winning 53% to 47%. 

House District 53 is still up in the air, as there is a possible recount between former Democrat Rep. Ricky Little and incumbent Rep. Willie Madrid. Little is leading by a handful of votes with 3,275 to Madrid’s 3,268.

In an open seat in House District 22, being vacated by Senator-elect Gregg Schmedes, Republican Stefani Lord beat out Jessica Velasquez in the Bernalillo-area seat. 

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Democrats picked up a net gain of one seat in the New Mexico Senate, “pushing their advantage to 27-15 — and lose three seats in the House, dropping their edge to 43-26, with one independent.” 

New Mexicans approved Constitutional Amendment 1 to give more power to the New Mexico Governor by abolishing an elected Public Regulation Commission and instead allowing the Governor to appoint a three-member panel to regulate utilities in New Mexico. The measure passed with 55% support.

Another measure, Constitutional Amendment 2 allowing the Legislature to dictate term limits on state, county, and local elected leaders also passed, giving more power to Santa Fe bureaucrats. The measure passed with 67% support. 

Although Republicans did not win the presidential race and many others down the ballots, they did make gains in the Legislature, while flipping the crucial Second Congressional District race. The newly elected legislators across New Mexico will be positioned well to fight hard against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her increasing penchant to hold onto power.

2020 NM Election: GOP makes slight legislative gains, Herrell ousts Torres Small from Congress Read More »

Report: MLG-endorsed NM House candidate and ‘CNN hero’ appears to have past as porn actor

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According to a report done by a prominent investigative firm, Democrat Roger Montoya, running for an open seat in the 40th District of the New Mexico House of Representatives, has apparently appeared in multiple pornographic gay films, something he has made no mention of in any public media or any other place.

In 2019, Montoya was chosen by CNN as a “CNN Hero” for his role in the performing arts, where the network highlighted his longtime battle with AIDS, writing, “by the late 1980s, he was HIV-positive.” 

Montoya is a favorite of many top-level Democrat politicians in New Mexico. He has the endorsements of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, and has received over $2,500 from “MLG PAC,” Lujan Grisham’s political action committee. He has received campaign funds and endorsements from the pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico and the environmental group the Sierra Club. In 2019, Gov. Lujan Grisham appointed Montoya to the Human Rights Commission at the Department of Workforce Solutions following the CNN award.

The investigative report found that Montoya appears to have had unprotected sex in multiple gay films titled “Hot Male Mechanics,” “Spring Training,” “The Lumber Yard,” “Falcon Bareback,” and “Hot Chili Peppers 2” going by the name “Joe Savage” or “Eric Martinez.” One source notes, “Joe Savage has concentrated on working with Distribpix / Video-X-Pix, Falcon Studios, and Midnight Video.” These all appear to be pornographic production companies.

The report by the investigator reads:

I then used open media sources to obtain photographs of Roger Montoya. … All the photographs were then put on the same spreadsheet for comparisons. All the photographs show similar facial features. Although there is a 35-year difference, there are cues noticed in the ears, specifically the ear lobes. The eyebrows and chin structure are also similar.

The report concluded that it was the opinion of two investigators that the “similarities in the photographs are a good match that Roger Montoya and Joe Savage are one in the same.” 

Confirmed picture of Roger Montoya from a family photograph (right). Judging by the clothing style, it is from the late 1970s. Publicity photo for one of Joe Savage’s movies (left) for comparison.

An independent investigation by the Piñon Post of the provided photographs by the investigator matched these photographs to those posted on the website “Gay Santa Fe,” which did a piece on Montoya after the “CNN Heroes” story. 

The story included photographs of Montoya dancing, as well as a headshot from around the time he may have appeared in pornographic movies, which was approximately around the year 1985, according to Joe Savage’s profile on IMDB. 

The body type of the head/body shot from the “Joe Savage” pornography profile on “Hot Movies,” provided by the investigator, appears to be similar to that of the Gay Santa Fe photograph showing Montoya dancing. 

Screenshot of Savage obtained by investigators from one of his pornographic films (left), Montoya from Gay Santa Fe article (right).
The closeup photograph from the Gay Santa Fe piece (right) reveals how similar Joe Savage/Eric Martinez and Roger Montoya appear, even approximately 35 years after the photograph was taken. 

To further validate the similarities between both men, Piñon Post took the photographs from the Joe Savage profile and searched them in the “PimEyes” online search platform, which matches visually similar images up with others on the internet. One of the search results that came up matched the 1980s photograph to a much more recent one of Roger Montoya from a website called “Living Juicy,” as well as other graphic images from Joe Savage’s pornographic films. Note: graphic search results have been blurred out.

The Piñon Post reached out to Mr. Montoya for comment via telephone and email correspondence on multiple occasions, but did not hear back and could not leave a message due to his voicemail inbox being full. If Montoya does care to comment, this report will be updated. Montoya is running against Republican Justin Salazar-Torres for the 40th District New Mexico House seat.

Note: No direct links to Joe Savage’s/Eric Martinez’s pornographic videos are embedded in this article, due to their graphic nature. Photographs and headshots of Joe Savage/Eric Martinez are copyright of “Falcon Studios.”

Report: MLG-endorsed NM House candidate and ‘CNN hero’ appears to have past as porn actor Read More »

For the first time in a decade, NM GOP is running TV ads, looking to spend up to $500k

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, the Republican Party of New Mexico announced that it will be spending $225,000 in television advertisements, with a goal of $500,000 throughout the election. The ads will be featuring many New Mexicans who left the Democrat Party, in an ad titled “Save New Mexico 2020.” 

“What made me want to change from the Democrat Party was I started realizing how far they were from the Catholic JFK Democrats,” one woman says in the ad.

“The Democratic Party has changed. They no longer support our land, our rights, our freedom,” says another.

Isabella Solis of Las Cruces, who is running for state representative against incumbent Democrat Joanne Ferrary, said, “In New Mexico, we have had well over ninety years of Democrats running our state, and we are still last in everything, from our education system to our economy.” 

“I don’t want this country to become a socialist country,” says another woman in the ad.

The ad closes saying “Vote Republican and save New Mexico.” 

Check out the full spot here:

The powerful one-minute ad will be launched “ad digitally on social media and across New Mexico to make sure we reach as many voters as possible,” says the NM GOP.

“Every day, more and more New Mexicans are walking away from the Democrat Party. We need to double down on our efforts to save New Mexico. With your help, we can continue to spread our message and take our state back,” says the Party.

The Republican Party is seeking donations to keep the ad on the airwaves to hit their $500,000 goal, and people can chip in by contributing here. 

For the first time in a decade, NM GOP is running TV ads, looking to spend up to $500k Read More »

Could a ‘predatory’ bill like CA’s SB-145 reducing penalties for sodomizing minors ever come to NM?

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On Friday, California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom, an acquaintance of New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, signed a bill, S.B. 145 lowering penalties for offenders having oral or anal sex with a minor, giving California’s judges to have a say

According to The Hill, “The law previously in place in the state allowed judges to decide whether a man should be placed on California’s sex offender registry if he had voluntary vaginal intercourse with someone 14 to 17 years old and was no more than 10 years older than the person. The bill expands that same discretion in regard to voluntary oral or anal sex. 

The measure won’t apply when a minor is under 14, when the age gap is larger than 10 years or when either party says the sex wasn’t consensual, the AP noted.” 

However, the bill’s official Senate analysis is more clear: 

Exempts a person convicted of non-forcible sodomy with a minor, oral copulation with a minor, or sexual penetration with a minor, as specified, from having to automatically register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registry Act if the person was not more than 10 years older than the minor at the time of the offense, and the conviction is the only one requiring the person to register. 2) Specifies that a person convicted of one of those specified offenses may still be ordered to register in the discretion of the court, if the court finds at the time of conviction or sentencing that the person committed the offense as a result of sexual compulsion or for purposes of sexual gratification

The bill’s analysis also notes an argument going against the bill would be as follows: 

“SB 145 exempts persons convicted of non-forcible voluntary sodomy with a minor, oral copulation with a minor or sexual penetration with a minor from having to automatically register as a sex offender if the person wasn’t more than 10 years older than the minor at the time of the offense. According to the Child Advocacy Center, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Additionally, approximately 20% of victims of sexual abuse are under the age of eight. This is absolutely unacceptable; as Californians, and law enforcement partners who are on the front lines called to sexual assault and domestic violence cases, laws like SB 145 will only enable pedophiles to prey on children closer to their age.”

California Democrat Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzales said, “I cannot in my mind as a mother understand how sex between a 24-year-old and a 14-year-old could ever be consensual, how it could ever not be a registrable offense. We should never give up on this idea that children should be in no way subject to a predator.” 

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) also tweeted after Newsom signed the bill into law, “As a parent I’m appalled that last night our governor signed a law maintaining a 24-year-old can have sex with a 14-year-old and it not be considered predatory.”

“An adult who commits ANY sex act on a minor 10 years younger must be registered a sex offender,” he added. “Law must be changed.”

So, the question remains for people in other states, including New Mexico: could such a bill, which loosens criminal penalties for pedophiles, be passed in my state? 

According to NOLO, the laws governing statutory rape in New Mexico are as follows:

In New Mexico, it is illegal for an adult (someone 18 or older) to have sex with a minor (someone younger than 16), even if the sex is consensual. Those who break the law have committed statutory rape, even if the child agrees to or initiates the activity….

First degree criminal sexual penetration includes oral, anal, or genital sexual intercourse or penetration (however slight, with an object or body part) with a minor who is younger than 13 years old. The offense is a first degree felony, punishable by up to 18 years in prison, a fine of $15,000, or both. (N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 30-9-11, 31-18-15 (2018).)

Fourth degree criminal sexual penetration includes sexual penetration with a child who is 13, 14, or 15, when the defendant is at least 18 years old and at least four years older than the victim. The crime is a fourth degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison, a fine of as much as $5,000, or both. (N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 30-9-11, 31-18-15 (2018).)

Criminal sexual contact with a minor includes sexual touching between a minor who is younger than 13 and a defendant of any age. Criminal sexual contact with a minor is either a second or third degree felony, depending on the type of touching involved. Penalties for second degree criminal sexual contact include at least three years (and up to 15 years) in prison, a fine of up to $12,500, or both. Third degree criminal sexual contact is punishable by up to six years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. (N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 30-9-13, 31-18-15 (2018).)

Although New Mexico’s laws currently appear to protect children, the late notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who owned “Zorro Ranch” in Santa Fe County, never was on the state’s sex offender registry despite a guilty plea in Florida a decade ago. Despite one Democrat Rep. calling for action to ensure there are no loopholes for sex offenders in the future, no measure has passed yet. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham nor any Democrat elected leader has publicly commented on California’s new bill.

The increasing leftward shift in New Mexico, especially with this past primary election, where moderate Democrat members of the House and Senate were ousted by more “progressive” opponents, this could mean more policies like those of California’s Newsom could come to the state if Democrats win in November.

Although no members have spoken of proposing such extreme measures as California’s S.B. 145, a strong conservative majority of pro-family representatives in either chamber of the New Mexico Legislature can stand as a bulwark against any measure putting the state’s children at risk. 

Could a ‘predatory’ bill like CA’s SB-145 reducing penalties for sodomizing minors ever come to NM? Read More »

ABQ City Council rejects measure asking Legislature to strip away gun rights

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On Wednesday, the Albuquerque City Council came to a decision not to pass an anti-gun resolution that would have sent a proposal to the legislature requesting they strip the “firearms pre-emption clause” from Article II, Section 6 of the state constitution. The measure would ask for the revision to the article of the Constitution to be put on the ballot for voters’ approval.

The anti-gun measure, which would have potentially allowed cities like Albuquerque to pass whatever restrictions on guns they would like, would offer citizens no protection, and subject them to extreme restrictions on their constitutively protected right to own a firearm. 

According to the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, “Only five states — CT, HI, MA, NJ & NY, all bastions of gun control — have no preemption law or constitutional protection.  Preemption ensures uniformity in state gun laws wherever you live, work or travel so that law-abiding citizens don’t unknowingly run afoul of confusing and conflicting local restrictions.”

The measure failed on a vote of 4 to 5, with Council Members Klarissa J. Peña, Brook Bassan, Cynthia Borrego, Trudy Jones, and Don Harris all opposing the measure. The resolution’s sponsors, Diane G. Gibson and Isaac Benton, as well as Pat Davis and Lan Sena, supported the failed measure.

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MLG hits a wall—bipartisan panel to investigate her for abusing emergency spending powers

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On Tuesday, a bipartisan panel of state legislators on the Legislative Council unanimously voted in favor of a probe into Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she reportedly spent $40 million in state money on New Mexico’s response to the virus.

The panel included Democrat Speaker of the House Brian Egolf and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, both from Santa Fe, as well as dozens of lawmakers from across the state. 

According to the Albuquerque Journal, “At issue is whether the governor is limited to $750,000 when she authorizes emergency spending in an executive order. Most of her orders are set for that amount, and it’s consistent with what previous executives have done, legislative staff said.” 

By spending 53 times what the state allows, the Governor’s predicament is serious, even in a health crisis, as the panel affirmed on Tuesday. 

Lujan Grisham’s office brushed off the critical issue, saying, “If Legislative Council would prefer a different mechanism for responding to life-and-death emergencies under the laws they write,” the Governor’s Spokeswoman Nora Sackett continued, “they are empowered to make one.”

Democrat Sen. John Arthur Smith, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said, “Quite frankly, we need to be drawing a line in the sand on this.”

According to Democrat Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, the Chairwoman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, “I have a lot of heartburn… that we have to do research to get information as opposed to it being shared with LFC.”

House Republican Leader Jim Townsend said, “This has been a concern — whether the Legislature is going to protect and provide the appropriate checks and balances to appropriations that occur,”

MLG hits a wall—bipartisan panel to investigate her for abusing emergency spending powers Read More »

MLG’s election reform bill passes NM House after initial failure, moves to concurrence

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On Saturday, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed SB-4, which was amended to exclude an emergency clause by a voice vote of 44-26 after the unsuccessful attempt at passage of the bill earlier in the day.

The first House floor vote on the measure failed on a vote of 38-32, with Democrat Reps. Eliseo Alcon, Harry Garcia, Miguel Garcia, Susan Herrera, Matthew McQueen, Marian Matthews, Joseph Sanchez, Debra Sariñana, Patricia Roybal-Caballero, Sheryl Stapleton and Brian Egolf voting against the measure.

Upon an immediate move following the failed vote by Rep. Miguel Garcia, the House voted 44-26 to revive the failed bill that he voted against. After a short recess for Democrats and Republicans to meet in their respective caucuses, members returned to the chamber and voted to reconsider the measure.

Republican Rep. Paul Bandy urged the House to vote to refer SB-4 to the House Appropriations Committee, as stated in the rules of the New Mexico House of Representatives. However, the measure died on party-lines after a roll call vote. According to Bandy’s reading of the fiscal impact report (FIR) for SB-4, the bill would cost the taxpayers $3 million, which is why he moved for Appropriations to consider it.

SB-4 passed by a vote of 44-26, with Reps. Alcon, Henry Garcia, Miguel Garcia, Herrerra, Matthews, Roybal Caballero, Sanchez, Sariñana, Stapleton, and Egolf changing their votes to YES. Representative Matthew McQueen and Candie Sweetser were the only two Democrats to vote against the measure.

SB-4, as amended, will now go to concurrence, where the Senate and the House will work to agree on the amended language by the House before the measure is moved forward. The current bill does not include language that would allow county clerks to automatically mail absentee voters ballots, but it does include language permanently allowing “declined to state” voters to change their party affiliation on the day of a primary election, while Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians would not be allowed to.

MLG’s election reform bill passes NM House after initial failure, moves to concurrence Read More »

ACTION ALERT: Stop Dems’ automatic mail-in ballot amendment that may open door to fraud

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🚨DEMOCRATS MAY BE TRYING TO STEAL OUR ELECTIONS AND YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY REQUESTED🚨

It was announced that the Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s bill (SB-4) to force through an all mail-in ballot election in 2020 would only get one committee assignment and it would be on the fast-track thanks to the Democrats’ dark-room deals and closed-off Legislative Session from the public.

The Senate Rules Committee added a critical amendment to the bill redacting language that would have forced through the dangerous option for county clerks to automatically send absentee ballots to every voter in their county — stopping language that may have opened the door to massive fraud. The bill without the dangerous amendment passed the Senate by a vote of 40-2. But radical groups are urging representatives in the NM House to add a committee and/or floor amendment to sneak the dangerous language back in.

PLEASE EMAIL NEW MEXICO SENATORS AND URGE THEM TO VOTE AGAINST THE ADDITION OF THIS DANGEROUS LANGUAGE INTO SB-4:

EMAIL NM Representatives

NOTE: if the link does not work for you, please copy/paste the below emails into the BCC line of your note to these senators and the below body text into the body of your email: 

Representative emails to copy into your BCC line: abbas.akhil@nmlegis.gov, eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov, anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov, phelps.anderson@nmlegis.gov, deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov, gail@gailfornewmexico.com, alonzo.baldonado@nmlegis.gov, paul@paulbandy.org, daniel.barrone@nmlegis.gov, karen.bash@nmlegis.gov, rachel.black@nmlegis.gov, c.brown.nm55@gmail.com, micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov, christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov, gail@gailchasey.com, jackchd67@gmail.com, zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov, randal.crowder@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, david.rsi@hotmail.com, doreen.gallegos@nmlegis.gov, hgarciad69@gmail.com, miguel.garcia@nmlegis.gov, joy.garratt@nmlegis.gov, JasonHarperNM@gmail.com, susan.herrera@nmlegis.gov, dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov, dwonda.johnson@nmlegis.gov, raymundo.lara@nmlegis.gov, derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov, lewisfornm@gmail.com, georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov, patricia.lundstrom@nmlegis.gov, willie.madrid@nmlegis.gov, antonio.maestas@nmlegis.gov, rodolpho.martinez@nmlegis.gov, javier.martinez@nmlegis.gov, marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov, matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov, roddmontoya@gmail.com, greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov, jpandp@comcast.net, bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov, andrea@andrearomero.com, andres.romero@nmlegis.gov, pat.roybalcaballero@nmlegis.gov, angelica.rubio@nmlegis.gov, patricio.ruiloba@nmlegis.gov, tomas.salazar@nmlegis.gov, joseph.sanchez@nmlegis.gov, debbie.sarinana@nmlegis.gov, gregg.schmedes@nmlegis.gov, larry.scott@nmlegis.gov, nathan.small@nmlegis.gov, melanie.stansbury@nmlegis.gov, sheryl.stapleton@nmlegis.gov, jamesstrickler@msn.com, candie.sweetser@nmlegis.gov, liz.thomson@nmlegis.gov, townsend@pvtn.net, christine.trujillo@nmlegis.gov, jimtrujillo@msn.com, linda.trujillo@nmlegis.gov, martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov

Draft email language to copy into your email:  

Dear Representative,

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am asking you to vote against any proposal to add redacted language back into SB-4, the election reform bill. The redacted language would allow county clerks to automatically send absentee ballots to voters, which opens the door to massive election fraud.

Elections are the foundation of our democracy. Access to polling locations is vital, and ensuring no fraud occurs in our elections is essential to election fairness. Automatically sending out absentee ballots to archaic voter rolls that have not been cleaned in years creates a vast potential for our elections to be hijacked by bad actors.

Thanks to New Mexico’s county clerks, every citizen was allowed to vote safely in-person during the June 2020 primary election despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Democratic Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover reaffirmed this, saying that in-person polling places were “probably one of the safest places to be in town.” In-person voting with the option to request an absentee ballot should be upheld.

Part of good governance is ensuring that our electoral systems remain accessible to all voters. We do NOT need more expense, red tape, and a lack of election integrity. Please VOTE NO to any committee or floor amendment to SB-4 adding automatic mailing of absentee ballots to voters. The OPTION to order an absentee ballot should be that of the voter — not the government. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME] [ADDRESS] [EMAIL] [PHONE NUMBER]

————————————————————— 

Thank you for emailing these senators and for your urgent action to protect our election integrity!

ACTION ALERT: Stop Dems’ automatic mail-in ballot amendment that may open door to fraud Read More »

Egolf says decision for no in-person comment during special session was ‘unanimous’—it wasn’t

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, while responding to a citizen’s questions about the upcoming special session called by Gov. Lujan Grisham, Speaker of the House Brian Egolf was asked about the decision to not have in-person comment, which Egolf claimed in a Zoom call was to slow the spread of COVID-19.

New Mexico resident Todd Hathorn wrote to Egolf, “Closed means no public interaction.  Actions taken by the Speaker belie the words.  This move to close the session requires a suspension of disbelief.”

Egolf responded to Hathorn, writing back, “That is not true.  We explained in yesterday how the public will participate live by video and give comment directly to committees, by video or in writing.  The public does not offer comment on floor debates…never has.  This was a unanimous and bi-partisan decision.” 

But the Speaker’s comment appears to be false, as at least one Republican representative says they never were asked for their input on the matter, and that they disagree with the closed meetings. 

Rep. Greg Nibert (R-Roswell), wrote in an email to the Piñon Post, “The question was never presented to me.  If asked, I would respond that the Capitol is the people’s house and if people want to attend and take the risk, they should be allowed to do so.”

Other members have confirmed they were never asked their opinion including Rep. Martin Zamora (R-Clovis), Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert (R-Corrales), and Sen. Pat Woods (R-Broadview).

According to House Republican Leader Jim Townsend (R-Artesia), the motion to keep the Capitol closed was made during a WebEx virtual meeting, where there was no way for members to comment. He also noted that Republican Whip Rod Montoya also could not comment during the meeting and he texted the Speaker directly, which let him speak on the matter.

New Mexico Senate Republican Whip Stuart Ingle’s staff confirmed that he was not present for that conversation or vote, so no, it was not “unanimous.”

Speaker Egolf’s claim that the decision was both bipartisan and unanimous is false, since not every member of the House was asked their opinion. Piñon Post has reached out to every Republican member of the New Mexico House and the Senate, with none responding in support of closed meetings as of 11:57 P.M. on Thursday.

The closed-door special session will take place on June 18th, with no public allowed in the Capitol. Also, legislators will be paid per-diem before and during the special session if they choose to work from home.

The Republican Party of New Mexico called this decision “an insult and another hard slap in the face to all hard-working New Mexicans,” Chairman and former Congressman Steve Pearce saying, “The funds are tapped out, but they’ll still find a way to squeeze more for themselves and squeeze the public.”

Egolf says decision for no in-person comment during special session was ‘unanimous’—it wasn’t Read More »

New Mexicans must take President Trump’s call to fight mail-in voter fraud seriously

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In recent days, President Trump has been urging the nation to pay attention and “fight very hard” against state-wide mail-in voting, which Democrats are using to sway elections in their favor across the nation.

During President Trump’s Tuesday press conference, he said, “Well, there’s a big difference between somebody that’s out of state and does a ballot and everything’s sealed, certified and everything else. You see what you have to do with the certifications.” He also reaffirmed his call, warning of “thousands of people sitting in somebody’s living room signing ballots.”

New Mexico is ground zero for voter fraud, as our Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver refuses to clean the voter rolls of illegitimate voters, and she has repeatedly claimed falsely that there is no fraudulent voting in the Land of Enchantment. In 2018, she bashed President Trump on his concerns of voter fraud, saying, “There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud anywhere in New Mexico or the United States, and when it does occur it is prosecuted swiftly and vigorously.”

In 2018, despite exit polls showing Republican state Rep. Yvette Herrell won a decisive victory against challenger Democrat Xochitl Torres Small for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District race on election night, in the ninth hour, thousands of mail-in ballots appeared out of nowhere in Doña Ana County, swinging the election for Torres Small.  

According to a thorough audit of ballots, signs of massive voter fraud were found, with over 500 ballots stamped after the 7:00 p.m. deadline, hundreds of ballots with either no address or an address that does not exist, counties that never voted a majority Democrat before with a massive plurality of Democrat absentee ballot votes, a 148% increase in absentee ballot applications since the 2016 election, and countless other red flags. 

Just this year, the wife of a Democrat Española city councilor was convicted on two counts of election fraud by falsifying several absentee ballots in her husband’s favor. There are multiple cases of voter fraud in our state spanning decades The most recent cases can be found here.

In 2019, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law same-day voter registration, which will no doubt favor Democrats with less time for verification of votes. In 2018, Maggie Toulouse Oliver attempted to unlawfully implement straight-party voting, which would make it even easier for fraudulent mail-in ballot voting, allowing criminals to only fill in one bubble on the ballot to cast illegal votes. The Supreme Court struck down Toulouse Oliver’s straight-party voting plan. 

On Tuesday, it was revealed by the Piñon Post that Democrats in the New Mexico legislature could be planning a virtual special session to force through an all mail-in election, opening the door to massive voter fraud. New Mexico Republicans led by GOP House Leader Jim Townsend have come out strong against the plan.

On Wednesday, President Trump wrote on Twitter, “Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to statewide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason,  doesn’t work out well for Republicans.”

In 2020, if New Mexico voters don’t fight voter fraud, beginning with fighting an all mail-in election, it could create a situation much like that in 2018, with signs of fraud in multiple races.

To take action, contact Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Democrat House Speaker Brian Egolf, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, and the New Mexico Supreme Court to voice your concerns.

NM Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham: (505) 476-2200 or via online submission

NM Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver: (505) 827-3600

NM Supreme Court: (505) 827-4860

NM Speaker of the House Brian Egolf: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov

Opinions offered by Piñon Post contributors in no way, shape, or form represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at: news@pinonpost.com.

New Mexicans must take President Trump’s call to fight mail-in voter fraud seriously Read More »

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