New Mexico Legislature

Legislative Update: Extreme Dem bills assigned to committees

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On Wednesday, hundreds of mostly Democrat-sponsored bills were read in on the House and Senate floors, moving far-left legislation to committees to be considered. 

H.B. 6, the “Clean Future Act” by Rep. Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana)

This radical bill that would further cripple energy producers in New Mexico by mandating the Environmental Improvement Board adopt rules that would force the reduction of “greenhouse gas emissions” by 2030 and completely by 2050 was referred to the House House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, to be then considered in the Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee. It has not yet gotten a date on the committee calendar.

H.B. 33, the “Cigarette and Tabacco Products Tax” by Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Doña Ana)

The extreme bill that would increase the tax rate on all tobacco products regardless of source, including an excise tax of 20 cents per cigarette sold was referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee to then be considered by the House Taxation and Revenue Committee. It has not yet been assigned a hearing date.

S.B. 21, “CREATING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INCOME TAX CREDIT,” by Sen. Bill Tallman (D-Bernalillo)

The bill that create a tax credit for people to purchase unsustainable electric vehicles was referred to the Senate Tax, Business, and Transportation Committee to be heard in the Senate Finance Committee. It has not yet been assigned a hearing date.

S.B. 43,“PROHIBITING LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR A CHILD,” by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo)

This bill would allow youths who are sentenced for violent crimes, including murder, to be released in 15 years despite being given life sentences. The bill was referred to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee and then the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Governor’s extreme election reform bill that would make New Mexico elections less secure has not dropped yet, but once it will, Republican legislators must focus on killing it as soon as possible. Also, anti-gun bills are rumored to drop, and the Piñon Post will keep readers informed of all these updates.

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Only the thrice-jabbed may enter the Roundhouse for legislative session

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It was reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican that only those who have been vaccinated three times, which includes the “booster” shot may enter the Roundhouse during the 2022 Legislative Session — leaving a vast swath of the population out of the lawmaking process. Only 37.8% of New Mexicans have a booster shot, according to New Mexico Department of Health statistics.

Chris Nordstrum, a spokesman for the Senate Democrat caucus, “said the health care guidelines in place during a two-week special session on redistricting in December will apply in the upcoming 30-day session. That means visitors will need to provide proof of vaccination, including a third booster shot, to get inside the Capitol. And face masks will be required,” according to the report.

“We are continuing to require that everyone in the Roundhouse wear masks and social distance and that all visitors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a valid medical or religious exemption and test negative for COVID,” Democrat Speaker Brian Egolf’s spokeswoman Camille Ward told the New Mexican. “We will also continue to allow virtual public comment in committees during the session. We are monitoring the current surge closely and will update these policies as necessary.”

Although the 2022 30-day session is meant to be strictly budgetary in nature, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has demanded legislators ram through extreme proposals to weaken New Mexico’s elections, including letting absentee ballots be delivered seven days after an election, automatic absentee ballots, electronic nominating petition signatures, among other measures that will let fraud seep through. 

Multiple other bills have been proposed, including extremist joint resolutions attempting to enshrine “environmental rights” into the New Mexico Constitution, among others. Anyone without the jab will be forced to attend and testify via Zoom, as in the last three legislative sessions where the public was denied access to the Roundhouse.

During those sessions, Democrats rammed through some of the most extreme bills, including abortion up-to-birth legislation, the stripping of Law Enforcers’ qualified immunity, and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Only the thrice-jabbed may enter the Roundhouse for legislative session Read More »

New Mexicans: Brace yourselves for another bloody legislative session

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As if you thought the Radical Democrats in Santa Fe hadn’t already gotten every single thing they wished for in New Mexico, think again.

The Democrats have rammed through their “Green New Deal,” loosened crime laws, legalized abortion up-to-birth and infanticide in New Mexico, legalized assisted suicide, instituted sweeping gun bans, raided the Permanent Fund for “free” daycare, legalized recreational marijuana, and so many other left-wing initiatives.

But now, they are coming for more during the regular legislative session slated for mid-January. And scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wants to focus on “crime” after the deadliest year on record in the leftist-run city of Albuquerque and across the board in New Mexico.

“Crime” is a convenient Democrat euphemism for “social justice” and “gun control” measures. Democrats are likely to push a bunch of different crime initiatives into a bill, such as funding for good programs while also lumping the bill with gun control and social justice policies. So, if the bill includes funding for police officers while also including initiatives conservatives don’t believe in, then Democrats can say Republicans “voted against police funding” if they reject the bill on the premise of its leftist pork. 

But the Democrats insist the 2022 Legislative Session will only be about crime, the budget, and a handful of other issues, dependent on the Governor’s whims.

Regarding crime across the state, the Albuquerque Journal reported that Santa Fe saw a violence hike with 11 homicides in 2021, Albuquerque had 81 slayings, and New Mexico’s violent crime rate skyrocketed by percent. 

In January, with the public still banned from the premises if they do not get the virus shot and a ban on carrying firearms, conservatives are likely not to be allowed inside the building that taxpayers once were supposed to believe was the “People’s House.” 

If 2021’s second legislative session was any predictor of what is to come in the 2022 session, New Mexicans will largely be left out of the process with usually only 10 minutes or fewer to speak in “virtual” committee rooms while Democrats ram through bills. Monday is the first day for legislators to file bills for the 2021 session.

Then, on the House or Senate floor, the debate will be dictated by the iron-fisted Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) or the vindictive Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo) per usual, Democrats have control of the process. Egolf especially has torn up rules of debate and decorum and instead opted to do whatever he wants.

But New Mexicans must not be discouraged. New Mexico is worth saving, and we must stick together to attend committee hearings, as we have in the past, because Radical Democrats can’t stop us all. We must attend committee hearings, track legislation, and continue fighting for our values. The Piñon Post, as we have in the past, will keep you up to date with action alerts on what you can do to stop bad legislation. We can fix our state — but we must show up and work together to do it.

New Mexicans: Brace yourselves for another bloody legislative session Read More »

NM Senate passes billion-dollar spending bill despite bipartisan opposition

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On Tuesday, the New Mexico Senate voted to pass a Democrat-sponsored bill, H.B. 2, to spend billions in federal funds on projects, many of them helping Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham continue funding her Green New Deal.

The final bill included $10 million for electric vehicle charging stations, $15 million to the Department of Tourism for “marketing advertising,” $10 million to house homeless people, $15 million to the Department of Finance and Administration for “energy-efficient affordable housing” administrative costs, $10 million to the Environment Department to “plan, design and construct projects to improve surface water quality and river habitats statewide,” $3.5 million to plug drilling wells, among other expenditures. The bill included a few more palatable items, such as funding for a hospital in Valencia County.

In the House, the bill was nearly unanimously approved, with Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) the lone vote against it. On the Senate side, it was approved by a vote of 34-4, with Sens. David Gallegos (R-Eunice), Gregg Schmedes (R-Albuquerque), Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque), and Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana) voting against it.

Cervantes wanted to wait to consider the bill at the 2022 regular session instead of the rushed special session, which was supposed to be for redistricting. 

The passage of the bill came after state senators won a lawsuit over the scandal-ridden alleged serial groper, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who attempted to unilaterally spend the federal cash without consultation of the legislature.

The Senate’s version of the bill will now head back to the House for a concurrence vote, as a few tweaks were made in the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding funding. It is expected to be sent to the alleged serial groper’s desk this week.

NM Senate passes billion-dollar spending bill despite bipartisan opposition Read More »

Legislator who left the Democrat Party declares: ‘Let’s go Brandon’

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On Monday, far-left legislator and former Democrat, state Sen. Jacob Candelaria (DTS-Bernalillo) wrote a surprising message on Twitter, invoking a popular chant used by Republicans to buck Joe Biden’s tyranny.

Candelaria wrote, “Let’s go Brandon,” which is code for “F**k Joe Biden,” adopted following a NASCAR interview where an NBC News reporter erroneously claimed the crowd was chanting “Let’s go Brandon” instead of the anti-Biden chant.

Candelaria’s tweet was in reply to another tweet that wrote, “When they try to blame #DefundThePolice for their pending losses at the ballot boxes – MAKE SURE YOU SAY: in reality, it’s because the Dems can’t make good on these CRUCIAL CAMPAIGN PROMISES:

– Protect Voting Rights – Tax The Rich – Cancel Student Loans But yea “we” did it Joe!” 

Candelaria has had enough of scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Democrats who have tried to blackmail him into compliance with threats of taking away his committee assignments. Democrat Senate floor leader Peter Wirth even told Candelaria to “f**k off” during a heated spat in the 2021 Legislative Session.

“I don’t think that the decisions we make should be based on partisan ambitions, and it broke my heart to see already that the Senate maps deliberately dilute and gerrymander the west side of Albuquerque to preserve perceived partisan advantage for some members of the Democratic Party,” he said, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, when announcing his departure from the Democrat Party. “You would strip representation from people that I represent, many of whom are Hispanic, simply because it benefits you at the ballot box.”

Candelaria said he’s “done playing this game” and has submitted forms to change his party registration to “Decline to State.”

Will Reinert of the Republican Governors Association said, “Senator Candelaria saw the same thing New Mexicans are beginning to recognize — that Michelle Lujan Grisham always thinks she is above the law,” He added, “Senator Candelaria’s wise decision is just the beginning of what is going to be a long campaign season for Governor Lujan Grisham as voters begin to examine her failed record.”

The toxic Governor, who many believe is a lame-duck one with her reelection around the corner, has done nothing to benefit her image, including dining on $200 per pound Wagyu beef steaks on the taxpayers’ dime, allegedly grabbing multiple men’s crotches which led to a $150,000 settlement to one accuser, paying her own daughter over $8,000 in campaign funds for hair and makeup, locking down the state which caused over 40% of small businesses to close their doors and her radical far-left policies that have plunged New Mexico into further decline. 

Now, with Lujan Grisham forcing members of her own party to jump ship, she might not think she’s as comfortable in her reelection chances amid the turmoil.

Legislator who left the Democrat Party declares: ‘Let’s go Brandon’ Read More »

Legislators advance Dem gerrymandered congressional, state House maps

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On Friday, the New Mexico Senate passed a revised map from what was originally proposed by state Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana). The originally proposed map by Cervantes made two D+4 districts in the Third and Second Districts, while one D+11 performing district in the First District. The plan looped the First District with parts of Santa Fe County while it extended all the way down from Albuquerque to Lincoln County.

It put the Third District in a snake-like figure, which went all the way from northeast New Mexico, including Taos and Santa Fe, to Lovington and Hobbs. The Second District would include Albuquerque’s South Valley and parts of Valencia County it once had would be plunged into the First District.

However, the Senate voted on an update from Cervants’ original map he presented, which kept Santa Fe County intact in the Third District and swung it one more point Democrat, leaving it at D+5. The Second District would remain a D+4 district and the First would be a D+11. The First District, in this new map, would snake all the way over to Roswell and include Fort Sumner.

Despite backlash from Republican and independent members, the Democrats rammed it through on a vote of 25-14, with Sen. Jacob Candelaria (DTS) voting with all Republicans against it. 

Candelaria dubbed the map “inherently racist.” “I don’t use those words lightly, but when you are drawing the line in this map, I’ll tell you exactly how it’s drawn: It’s drawn along the wealthy homes along the bosque — million-dollar estates, $500,000 homes. That’s who this map says gets to be part of the Albuquerque ‘community of interest.’ But poor, working-class Hispanic folks in the southeast part of Albuquerque and the South Valley are no longer part,” Candelaria said, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. 

The vote came after a tumultuous Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where most New Mexicans in attendance were against the newly proposed map and virtual attendees via Zoom were not allowed to speak until public backlash forced the committee to allow virtual testimomy. Even Rep. Teresa Leger de Fernandez’s (D-NM-03) brother, Martín Leger, testified against the bill.

In the House, Speaker Brian Egolf and Democrats rammed through the heavily gerrymandered state House redistricting map based on a George Soros-funded group’s proposal, the Center for Civic Policy (CCP). It passed by 43-23. 

The CCP map would create extreme-looking shapes that are traits of heavy partisan gerrymandering. 

“We can’t always get what we want,” Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque) said. “Sometimes we have hard races in front of us, but we shouldn’t be looking at maps in a protectionistic manner.”

Now, the House’s state House map moves to the Senate, while the Senate’s heavily gerrymandered congressional map moves to the House for consideration.

Also on Saturday, all Republicans excluding Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) helped Democrats pass their $1.06 billion spending spree with federal funds, further assisting the leftist agenda in New Mexico.

See the partisan analysis of the congressional maps via FiveThirtyEight here.

Legislators advance Dem gerrymandered congressional, state House maps Read More »

NM Dems advance extreme partisan gerrymandered legislative, U.S. House maps

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It is only the third day of the special legislative session focused on redistricting and Democrat legislators have already rammed through nearly all their favorite state House and congressional maps through their first committees.

On the House side, the Government and Indian Affairs Committee advanced the far-left H.B. 8, which is a model of the Center for Civic Policy dark money George Soros-funded group’s map. The proposal passed on a party-line vote of 6-3 after Republicans fumed at the partisan nature of the map, which deviated more than 10% from district to district, a clear violation of best practices in implementing the Voting Rights Act.

Rep. Daymon Ely (D-Corrales) claimed of the CCP-created map, that “House Bill 8 is a composite of the tribal interest as we heard about them yesterday. The consensus that was reached between the all pueblo council.” The partisan map now moves forward to be considered in the House Judiciary Committee before a final floor vote. That committee is expected for Thursday morning.

This is what the House Democrats’ state House map looks like:

In the Senate, the Rules Committee rammed through another leftist map, S.B. 1, that would plunge the South Valley of Albuquerque into the Second District to weaken the Republican voting share of the conservative district represented by GOP Congresswoman Yvette Herrell. The map would not take into consideration communities of interest, including forcing northern Hobbs into a district with northern New Mexico. Heavy partisan gerrymandering is detected on the map. 

It passed the Senate Rules Committee on a party-line vote of 7-4.

This is what the Senate Democrats’ congressional map looks like:

The House is expected to reconvene on the floor at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, while it is unclear when the Senate will meet again.

The Piñon Post has been working throughout the redistricting process, from the very first committee hearing on the independent redistricting bill, throughout the committee process, to now to advocate for fair maps in New Mexico. Once committee information gets published for tomorrow’s committee hearings, the Piñon Post will update this information on our website in the fight for a redistricting process that values all New Mexicans.

NM Dems advance extreme partisan gerrymandered legislative, U.S. House maps Read More »

Bipartisan legislators introduce bill to limit governor’s emergency powers

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Although the second 2021 Special Session of the Legislature is preliminary regarding redrawing congressional, legislative, and Public Education Commission districts, other topics are being brought before the body, including one proposal, H.B. 10, aimed at limiting the Governor’s emergency powers. 

“A declaration of a state of emergency issued pursuant to the All Hazard Emergency Management Act shall cease to be in effect after ninety days unless the governor calls the legislature into special session to address the circumstances of the state of emergency,” reads the bill sponsored by Reps. Greg Nibert (R-Roswell) and Daymon Ely (D-Corrales). 

“The special session called pursuant to Subsection A of this section shall convene no later than the ninetieth day after the initial declaration of the state of emergency,” the bill adds. 

If the Legislature does not act to restrict the Governor’s powers, then they will automatically be ended 60 days following its extension.

The bill would implement a specific framework a state of emergency must abide by, including information regarding the following:

(1) the nature of the public health emergency;

(2) the political subdivisions or geographic areas affected by the public health emergency;

(3) the conditions that caused the public health emergency;

(4) the expected duration of the public health emergency, if less than thirty days;

(5) the public health officials needed to assist in the coordination of a public health emergency response; and

(6) any other provisions necessary to implement the executive order.

Although co-sponsors other than Ely and Nibert are not mentioned, state Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park), said, “I just signed onto HB 10.” She wrote, “In simple terms, the Governor would no longer be all-powerful and instead be required to ask for permission from the legislation to extend the mandates.”

The proposal comes after Gov. Lujan Grisham, a far-left Democrat and alleged sexual predator, has extended the public health emergency for nearly two years, leading to devastation in New Mexico, including the shuddering of 40% of small businesses in the state.

Bipartisan legislators introduce bill to limit governor’s emergency powers Read More »

Legislature begins special session for redistricting Monday

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On Monday, the New Mexico Legislature, including both the House and the Senate, will convene at 12:00 noon to begin deliberating over the redistricting process, where Democrats are expected to attempt to ram through the most extreme, far-left maps available. Every ten years following the U.S. Census, redistricting is required.

The proposed maps that would give Democrats the most advantage include highly partisan plans from the dark money George Soros-funded group, the Center for Civic Policy (CCP), which is blatant in its partisan leanings. For instance, according to data analytics of its maps, it would skew the Second Congressional District blue, flipping all of New Mexico’s districts to Democrat control.

During testimony for the maps in front of the Citizens Redistricting Committee (CRC), which was in charge of overseeing the preliminary process, the CCP bribed people to testify on its behalf in front of the committee, a shady tactic that was meant to artificially prop up far-left support of its maps. 

Despite members of the CRC claiming not to want to “radically change” district maps, they voted on maps that would implement extreme changes, such as the CCP’s congressional map that would pair northern Hobbs in southern New Mexico with communities in the far northeast corner of the state. It would lump Albuquerque with Roswell and plunge the South Valley of Albuquerque into the Second Congressional District. The legislative maps approved by the committee all spell bad news for Republicans in the House, while only one map approved for the Senate appears to remain fairer. 

However, even if the Legislature does not approve the CCP maps, it is expected for far-left legislators to propose a new map of their own that would further benefit Democrats. This wildcard would leave Republicans scrambling to analyze the new map. 

As we previously reported:

New Mexico House Speaker Brian Egolf has already stated that he wants to partisanly gerrymander the Second District to take out the current Republican incumbent, saying, “So this is the last election for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District with a map that looks like it looks now.” He added, “So next time it’ll be a different district and we’ll have to see what that means for Republican chances to hold it.”

Egolf was against a citizen redistricting committee, saying to the far-left group “Retake Our Democracy” that the independent committee would weaken Democrats’ advantage in the Legislature, “and the [Democratic] agenda goes out the window.”

He said he could not comprehend why “Democrats want to unilaterally disarm and give advantage to the people who are trying to make the world a dirtier place, take rights away from people, make it harder to vote — all the things that we oppose. I don’t want to make it easier for them to do it.”

New Mexicans will not be able to access the Roundhouse if they are not fully jabbed, if they won’t wear a mask, or if they wish to carry a firearm on the premesis.

During the redistricting process, Piñon Post has kept New Mexicans informed about how they can put their voices out there to demand fair maps for our state. Please contact your legislator in your area and ask them to oppose any maps that radically change our state’s district lines. Citizens can find their legislators by clicking here. 

The Piñon Post will keep citizens up-to-date on the redistricting process and post action alerts about how citizens can pitch in and help ensure fair districts.

Legislature begins special session for redistricting Monday Read More »

Totalitarian rule at the Roundhouse: Jabs, masks required for the public

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In a move to further keep the public away from the Roundhouse during the Special Session of the Legislature rumored for December 6, “proof of full vaccination will be required for any member of the public to enter the Capitol building in Santa Fe during the upcoming special session and regular session,” according to KOB 4.  The reconvening of the Legislature is meant for redistricting, which is done every ten years following the Census.

Despite scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham claiming “fully vaccinated” is “three shots” — two regular shots and a booster — the Piñon Post has learned from the Legislative Council Service (LCS) that they are going by CDC guidelines. CDC guidelines define“fully vaccinated” as two weeks following the second Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 shot. It will not require a COVID booster shot.

Raúl Burciaga, director of the New Mexico Legislative Council Service said, “Given the high number of COVID-19 cases across the state and the strain this continues to put on state resources, it is incumbent on us to protect everyone in the Capitol complex while conducting the state’s business,” He added, “I believe the measures being taken for the special and regular sessions will allow for the work to get done while greatly minimizing the risk for COVID spread.”

The new rules according to KOB:

  • The Roundhouse will remain open to members of the public for the special and regular sessions.
  • Proof of full vaccination will be required for any member of the public to enter the Capitol.
  • The Rotunda will not be used for displays, booths, presentations, special days, etc.
  • Pages will not be used by the House or Senate. 
  • No tours will be conducted or allowed in the Capitol. 
  • Masks will continue to be required throughout the Capitol Complex. 

As well as the extreme “COVID” mandates at the Roundhouse, leftist legislators rammed through a gun ban on most firearms at the Capitol, which can be read more about here.

According to the LCS, the special session will be held both in-person and virtually.

Totalitarian rule at the Roundhouse: Jabs, masks required for the public Read More »

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