New Mexico Legislature

Gov. Lujan Grisham announces special session after 2021 Legislature closes

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Saturday, the 2021 Legislative Session finally came to a close as many pieces of radical bills were fast-tracked through. But despite the Democrats’ best efforts, many bills that they were counting on passing, such as anti-gun measures, recreational pot legalization, “clean fuel standards” better known as the gas tax on the poor, overhaul of the New Mexico Game, and Fish Department, institution of racism in state agencies, gender identity harvesting by state agencies, and others died. 

But there were many bills that did make it through, including H.B. 4, which will line Democrat Speaker Brian Egolf’s pockets with frivolous civil litigation lawsuits against local communities, crippling local budgets. Other proposals that made it through including abortion up-to-birth and infanticide S.B. 10, assisted suicide via lethal drugs H.B. 47, forcing small businesses to give all employees–no matter if they are contractors or not–paid sick leave, among other proposals.

The bloodbath of a session is unlike any that New Mexico has ever experienced, as there has been a wall erected outside of the Capitol with chainlink fence, barricades, and officers with the public barred from stepping foot near the People’s House.

“I think we have burdened the middle class with some taxes and regulatory burdens in a time that many of them are stressed,” Republican Leader Jim Townsend (R-Artesia) said in his closing speech on the House floor.

Any legislation pending died immediately after 12:00 noon, per the New Mexico Constitution.

After the session ended, groups that fought against radical bills rejoiced in the end of the session.

The New Mexico Shooting Sports Association wrote, “With the end of the 2021 NM Legislative Session, every anti-gun bill proposed this year has died. Thank you to everyone who spoke out against the terrible bills introduced this year.” 

“Sine die 2021 Legislative session. We hear @GovMLG is planning to call a special because @NMHouseDems & @NMSenateDems would not carry her political agenda. We shall see if they will return at taxpayer expense to work for #ThePeople or their special interest groups,” wrote the New Mexico House Republicans. 

Now, New Mexicans will stand on-notice for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s special session and what bills, other than recreational pot, she plans to ram through during the costly $50,000+ per day proceedings. 

A new video released by the Sandoval County Democrats on Saturday shows Lujan Grisham yelling, “I AM NOT GOING TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR” for marijuana legalization. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham has announced a news conference:

During the press conference, Gov. Lujan Grisham announced her intention to focus on recreational weed in a special session beginning approximately on March 31.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) said, “We are close” on marijuana, blaming the Republicans for stopping the bill. He said a GOP senator had “a shopping cart full of amendments.”

Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) claimed H.B. 4, which will enrich him was a step in the right direction and that the $7.4 billion budget “expresses true New Mexican values.”

“We’re close and I’m confident” in the cannabis bill’s passage, said Lieutenant Gov. Howie Morales. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham announces special session after 2021 Legislature closes Read More »

TODAY: Legislators scramble to ram through gas tax on the poor, recreational pot bills

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On Thursday, legislators stayed up late to duke it out over bills regarding a ballot initiative to raid New Mexico’s permanent fund and pass through a trapping ban on public lands. The question of whether to raid the permanent fund will go to the voters in the next election and the trapping ban bill goes to the Governor’s desk. The body also debated H.B. 20, the “Healthy Workplaces Act,” where Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) and Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart continued their feud. The bill passed by 25-16.

However, there are many hotly contested bills that Democrats still hope to ram through in their dead-of-night, closed-door legislative process, including initiatives to harvest gender and sexual identity information from citizens, legalize recreational marijuana, and pass a radical gas tax on the poor.

Recreational Marijuana Bill

The extreme pot bill, H.B. 12, finally was pushed through its final committee this week after Chairman Joseph Cervantes was “pushed” by Democrat leadership to hear the bill and fast-track it so it could reach the full Senate before the session closes at noon on Saturday. 

This marijuana legalization bill according to the bill sponsor, Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Bernalillo) “makes for the perfect conditions if you will. I don’t think the opportunity has ever been better than it is now to pass a legalization bill.” He says New Mexico needs the bill to cover for gaps in the budget, despite revenue projections being astronomically lower with recreational legalization of pot in states that have legalized it like the state of Colorado.

The revenue projections from the fiscal impact report claim in 2022 the law will increase state revenues by $15,186,000. Mind you, the state’s projected budget is over $7 billion, meaning pot legalization would only make up 0.2% of revenues. Even with the bill’s higher projections of $35,128,400 in revenues by 2024, that would only be approximately 0.5% of the needed revenues for a state budget projected at $7 billion. 

Pro-family groups such as the Family Policy Alliance are organizing against the legalized pot bills, making the case that, “Since Colorado legalized recreational weed, our neighboring state has seen a dramatic increase in violent crime, traffic fatalities, and marijuana hospitalizations. And usage by minors – sometimes fatal, from eating poorly regulated marijuana “candies” – has soared.” 

The Senate will likely vote on the proposal Friday after a long debate. The bill, if passed through the chamber, would need to make its way back over to the House of Representatives for the lower chamber to approve the amendments made in the Senate before hitting the Governor’s desk. It is unclear if all of this can be achieved in a single day. 

Find and contact your legislator to oppose the bill by clicking here.

Read more about New Mexico legislators bankrolled by the big marijuana lobby. 

Gas Tax on the Poor

The extreme gas tax on the poor, S.B. 11, passed the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee on a party-line vote, despite concerns of New Mexicans’ gas prices being hiked by 20+ cents — harming poor and middle-class New Mexicans the most. 

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo) callously dismissed these concerns, claiming that in other states who have implemented these extreme policies, “Gas is cheaper now than when they started.”

That was a lie.

“When everybody talks about, ‘Oh the poor are gonna be hurt,’ I do believe the poor care about the climate,” said Stewart.

Despite the concerns from poor New Mexicans, the committee advanced her bill, which is scheduled to be heard today on the House floor. 

Find and contact your legislator to oppose the bill by clicking here.

Harvesting Gender and Sexual Identity Info

This extreme bill, S.B. 316, brought forth by Sen. Carrie Hamblen (D-Doña Ana) harvests gender and sexual identity information from New Mexicans, putting more information into the hands of the state government, for them to use for whatever they want. The bill is mostly copy/pasted from a California bill, Assembly Bill 677 from 2017, and would put this private information in the hands of government bad actors who could weaponize this data against New Mexicans.

The House of Representatives will likely consider this bill today

Find and contact your legislator to oppose the bill by clicking here.

TODAY: Legislators scramble to ram through gas tax on the poor, recreational pot bills Read More »

GOP senators escape fortressed Roundhouse to honor National Guardsmen stationed outside

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While the Legislature is wrapping up, Senators Gregg Schmedes, M.D. (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe & Torrance) and David Gallegos (R-Eddy and Lea) ventured outside of the shuttered New Mexico state Capitol into the “dangerous” outdoors. 

The pair trekked outside the safe space created by Democrat politicians, complete with over $700,000 worth of metal chain-link fencing, concrete blocks, surveillance, National Guardsmen, and police fortressing the Capitol, where legislators are busy at work sneaking through bills in the least transparent legislative session in New Mexico history.

But the circumstances didn’t stop Senators Schmedes and Gallegos, two freshmen to the Senate after winning upset victories in their districts following their service in the House of Representatives. Despite claims from Democrats that the Capitol needed to be protected from the public, the two senators escaped the fortified building to honor the men and women protecting the Capitol.

“Today, Dr. Schmedes and I went out the secured fence and fought our way through no protestors the give pins to two of our NM National Guardsmen. Even though we have not had a single protester, we wanted to let them know that we supported them,” wrote Sen. Gallegos.

They presented the Guardsmen with silver and turquoise inlaid pins reading “Legislative Detail”: 

The legislative session is wrapping up to a close at noon on Saturday, March 20th, and there is still a lot of work left for Republican legislators to stop the extreme bills being rammed through by Democrats in both chambers. More info on the bills that are being passed through can be found here.

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Clovis library mass shooting survivor: State of New Mexico has turned its back on victims

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My name is Jessica Thron, and I am a survivor of the mass shooting that took place at Clovis-Carver Public Library. On August 28, 2017, a 16-year-old came into my workplace with a backpack containing two handguns and multiple magazines. He was angry with the world for being suspended from school and decided people needed to pay — with their lives. He overslept that day, so he didn’t get to exact his revenge at the high school like he originally intended. He settled on the local public library.

I suppose we were all soft targets: women, children, elderly, etc. He gave us no warning. Within six seconds, he unloaded 14 gunshots killing two people (very close friends of mine, Wanda and Krissie), injuring four (myself and a 10-year-old boy included), and traumatized countless others. He was eventually sentenced as an adult to two life sentences plus 40 years served concurrently with good time. Meaning, at the time of sentencing, he will be eligible for parole in 2051.

I remember thinking how shameful it was that a murderer of two wonderful women would only be required to give a little over 30 years of his life in exchange for the beautiful lives he callously took. Little did I know of the legislators in this state who would like to see juvenile murderers and rapists serve even less time.

New Mexico Senate Bill 247 (S.B. 247) will soon be heard before the House. If this bill is passed and made law, it will greatly impact victims who have suffered horrendous crimes as well as family members who have lost loved ones at the hands of juvenile offenders. SB247 mandates that criminals who committed crimes as juveniles and were sentenced as adults will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years. If denied parole, they will be allowed to go before the parole board every 5 years until they are released.

The nature of this proposed bill will take no account whatsoever of the severity of the offender’s crime. The parole board can consider it, but the law will require the murderer to be given a parole hearing. If passed, Nathaniel Jouett who shot and injured me along with three others and killed two women will possibly be released in a mere 11 ½ years. How is that justice? I remember when Nathaniel was sentenced thinking how I would be in my 60s when he would be eligible for parole. As much as I disagreed with the length of his sentence, I would have around 33 years to heal before facing him again. But, no… for some reason, certain legislators think it’s more important that these criminals who committed heinous acts deserve a life outside of prison as soon as possible.

They tout that these sentences are considered excessively long for children, even 15 years. Senator Sedillo Lopez (D-Bernalillo), the bill’s sponsor, argues that if a 15-year-old “child” has to serve 15 years until released, that sentence is over half of the individual’s life. She needs to understand that the average lifespan in the United States is 78.54 years. If a juvenile murderer lives to be that age, he/she will have only spent 19% of their life in prison, not half of their life… not even a quarter. Are the two lives of my murdered friends, who had many more years to live, that invaluable?

Moreover, S.B. 247 has flown through the committees with little discussion surrounding it regardless of its significant impact on society. I have been silenced and told that I can just put my head in the sand concerning the aftereffects of this bill if passed, thanks to Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo). Victims have not even been consulted in reference to this bill, although the sponsor is saying the opposite. I have witnessed the sponsor of this bill not have her documentation submitted in a timely manner and given allowances. Senator Ortiz y Pino told us we would have an opportunity to speak on the House floor, which was untrue. Elected legislators are put in place by the people to represent the people, but we are not being represented. In fact, I am being made to feel that I am the one who has done something wrong.  

I have lived and survived a trauma that no person should ever have to endure. I braved dark days after the shooting which included surgery, the funerals of my murdered friends, PTSD, and other obstacles. Finally, I was at a manageable place with my trauma. But now I feel as if the State of New Mexico, a place I have called home my whole life, has turned its back on me and other victims. My thoughts and concerns have been completely discarded by the legislature these past few weeks. This is not about vengeance. We are asking for time. We are asking to be heard. Please help us make New Mexico communities aware of what certain legislators are trying to do behind their backs. We deserve more from our elected officials.

Clovis library mass shooting survivor: State of New Mexico has turned its back on victims Read More »

TODAY: GOP-led independent redistricting commission bill to be heard in House committee

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On Friday at 11:30 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hear a Republican-led effort by Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) for New Mexico to form an independent redistricting commission.

H.B. 211, which has previously earned unanimous support in House committees, would create a seven-member redistricting body comprised of two Democrats, two Republicans, and two members belonging to neither major party. 

The commission would fairly redraw district maps without partisans from either side getting to redraw districts to their benefit. It prohibits the use of partisan data, voting history, party registration and prohibits favoring a particular party or incumbent. 

H.B. 211 also discourages litigation over new district maps, requires compliance with the Voter Rights Act, and compels citizen input, which before has not happened. 

A competing Democrat-backed bill by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) in the New Mexico Senate is cloaked as an independent commission, but would allow partisans to draw district lines, let lawmakers draw their own districts, and would welcome costly litigation. 

Citizens are asked to testify in favor of the bill by Republican representatives. Please join in to testify at 11:30 a.m. in the House Judiciary Committee. 

Here’s an easy sheet to compare the two proposals:

Meeting information can be found here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89543370073

Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,89543370073# or +12532158782,,89543370073# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 – Webinar ID: 895 4337 0073

You can reach out to members of the House Judiciary Committee by calling thier offices or emailing their inboxes here:

Gail Chasey (Chair) | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4411 | Email: gail@gailchasey.com

Micaela Lara Cadena (Vice-Chair) | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4210 | Email: micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov

Eliseo Lee Alcon | Capitol: ( 505) 986 – 4416 | Email: eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov

Deborah A. Armstrong | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4344 | Email: deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov

Zachary J. Cook | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4221 | Email: zachary .cook @ nmlegis.gov

Brian Egolf | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4782 | Email: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov

Daymon Ely | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4243 | Email:daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov

Georgene Louis | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4329 | Email: georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov

Matthew McQueen | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4423 | Email: matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov

Greg Nibert | Capitol: ( 505) 986 – 4211 | Email: greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov

William “Bill” R. Rehm | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4214 | Email: bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov

James G. Townsend | Capitol: (505) 986 – 4758 | Email: townsend@pvtn.net

TODAY: GOP-led independent redistricting commission bill to be heard in House committee Read More »

Legislative Update: Recreational pot, gas tax hike bills to be heard in committee Tuesday

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With less than two weeks left in the 2021 Legislative Session, there are many bills being rammed through committees by Democrats in both chambers, and here are some key pieces of legislation that will be heard in committee on Tuesday:

SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
SENATOR GEORGE MUÑOZ, CHAIRMAN – Tuesday, March 9, 2021, 9:30 a.m.

S.B. 11 CLEAN FUEL STANDARD ACT (also known as the 20-cent gas tax on the poor act) by Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo). 

The bill puts extreme clean fuel standards on businesses that produce or import transportation fuels and fuels used in motor vehicles. The restrictions on these companies would force them to invest in costly upgrades to their fuel standards, meaning these costs would transfer to the consumers. The bill also adds vague and sweeping “enviro-justice” provisions to state law.

In California and Oregon, where clean fuel standards are already in place, there are already increased costs of up to 24 cents per gallon on gas, which directly hurts poor consumers. 

Call these Senators and ask them to oppose S.B. 11–the gas tax on the poor and the middle classes. 

  • George Munoz (D), Chair, 505-397-8836, senatormunoz@gmail.com
  • Nancy Rodriguez (D), Vice Chair, 505-397-8844, nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov
  • William E. Sharer (R), Ranking Member, 505-986-4381, bill@williamsharer.com
  • William F. Burt (R), 505-986-4366, bill.burt@nmlegis.gov
  • Pete Campos (D), 505-397-8818, pete.campos@nmlegis.gov
  • Jacob Candelaria (D), 505-397-8819, jacob.candelaria@nmlegis.gov
  • Crystal R. Diamond (R), 505-986-4703, crystal.diamond@nmlegis.gov
  • Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales (D), 505-397-8825, Roberto.gonzales@nmlegis.gov
  • Siah Correa Hemphill (D), 505-397-8821, siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov
  • Jeff Steinborn (D), 505-397-8852, jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov
  • Pat Woods (R), 986-4393, pat.woods@nmlegis.gov

On Monday, the committee took public comment on S.B. 11, but committee debate and the final committee vote was rolled over to Tuesday. There is still time to email senators to oppose the bill.

TAX, BUSINESS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Senator Benny Shendo Jr., Chair – Tuesday, March 9, 2021 – 1:30 p.m. or 15 minutes after floor session – Virtual Zoom Meeting

H.B. 12 CANNABIS REGULATION ACT by Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe). This marijuana legalization bill according to the bill sponsor, “makes for the perfect conditions if you will. I don’t think the opportunity has ever been better than it is now to pass a legalization bill.” He says New Mexico needs the bill to cover for gaps in the budget, despite revenue projections being astronomically lower with recreational legalization of pot in states that have legalized it like the state of Colorado.

The revenue projections from the fiscal impact report claim in 2022 the law will increase state revenues by $15,186,000. Mind you, the state’s projected budget is over $7 billion, meaning pot legalization would only make up 0.2% of revenues. Even with the bill’s higher projections of $35,128,400 in revenues by 2024, that would only be approximately 0.5% of the needed revenues for a state budget projected at $7 billion. 

Pro-family groups such as the Family Policy Alliance are organizing against the legalized pot bills, making the case that, “Since Colorado legalized recreational weed, our neighboring state has seen a dramatic increase in violent crime, traffic fatalities, and marijuana hospitalizations. And usage by minors – sometimes fatal, from eating poorly regulated marijuana “candies” – has soared.” 

S.B. 288 CANNABIS REGULATION ACT by Sen. Cliff Pirtle (R-Chaves, Eddy and Otero) does much of the same that Rep. Martinez’s bill would, however, it would bring in even less revenue, operating at a net loss of over $2 million from the state’s General Fund in fiscal year 2022 and the most it would bring in for the state would be $8,078,400 in fiscal year 2024, as projected in the fiscal impact report. Local governments’ tax revenue would be higher than the state’s.

Read more about New Mexico legislators bankrolled by the big marijuana lobby. 

For public participation send an email to SCORC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. The deadline to respond is Tuesday, March 9 at 10:00 a.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions. 

Legislative Update: Recreational pot, gas tax hike bills to be heard in committee Tuesday Read More »

Legislative Update: Anti-police, flavored tobacco ban bills scheduled for Wednesday committees

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Some controversial bills are scheduled to be heard in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, including the fast-tracked Democrat bill, H.B. 156, which would demonize peace officers by adding redundant law regarding sexual contact with someone in custody. This provision is already state statute, which makes this bill needless. 

An anti-freedom flavored tobacco ban bill will be heard in committees as well. Here is the information you need to know:

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE 
PATRICIA A. LUNDSTROM, CHAIR – Wednesday, March 3, 2021 – 1:30 p.m. 

H.B. 156 SEX CRIMES BY PEACE OFFICERS by Rep. Brittney Barreras (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Roger Montoya (-Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba & San Miguel) is a repetitive bill that seeks to duplicate laws that are already on the books barring law enforcers from sexual crimes. The bill maligns police as “rapists” and tries to erode public confidence in law enforcement – BAD 

Read an in-depth summary of what the anti-police does here. 

You can testify via Zoom with the below call information:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81432164016 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +12532158782,,81432164016# or +13462487799,,81432164016# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 

Webinar ID: 814 3216 4016

HOUSE COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
ANTONIO “MOE” MAESTAS, CHAIR – Wednesday, March 3, 2021 – 1:30 p.m. 

H.B. 205 – PROHIBIT SALE OF FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS sponsored by Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Doña Ana) and Rep. Liz Thomson (D-Bernalillo) – BAD 

This bill would make it a crime “to knowingly sell, offer to sell, barter or give a flavored tobacco product to a person,” and or “purchase, possess or attempt to purchase or possess any flavored tobacco product,” which infringes on personal liberty. 

You can testify via Zoom with the below call information:

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83846715600 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +12532158782,,83846715600# or +13462487799,,83846715600# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 838 4671 5600

Legislative Update: Anti-police, flavored tobacco ban bills scheduled for Wednesday committees Read More »

Zoom committee hearings are a prime opportunity for leftist censorship: speak truth at your own risk

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This legislative session is one like no other. The supposed public servants who were elected to “represent” us hide away from us and have erected a giant fence to keep the public out of the People’s House. 

New Mexicans were told the Legislature would be “more accessible” to the public or that the process has been “opened” in a way “that has never happened before,” according to Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe). 

But the opposite has happened. Before, when members of the public were allowed in the physical committee hearings, they actually could speak face-to-face with legislators and make their case. 

Previously, there were long lines of people allowed to give testimony in front of the committee if they so chose. Elected leaders had to face their constituents face-to-face and explain to them exactly why they are voting for or against a specific bill.

Now, if one of these so-called “public servants” doesn’t like what you have to say or doesn’t want to hear the multitude of “virtual” attendees testify, they can just press the mute button on you and silence your voice—or cut off debate at “fifteen minutes for each side” while giving leftists more time to testify.

Yesterday, while I attempted to testify in the House Judiciary Committee, I was silenced for merely trying to testify against a duplicative bill, H.B. 156, that already is on the books barring law enforcers from sexual contact with a person in custody—consensual or not. This anti-police bill does nothing to change state law and is clearly just another jab at law enforcement officials.

But in a previous hearing, one of the bill’s “expert witnesses,” Alexandria Taylor, dubbed any law enforcer who opposes the useless bill as a “rapist.” 

In the testimony I attempted to give to the committee, I did not mention Taylor by name, only saying, “this is nothing but a smear bill aiming to build public opinion against law enforcement by maligning them as ‘predators’ and ‘rapists’ These are some of the words proponents of this bill have used about law enforcers in prior hearings.” 

However, the radical left chair of the committee, Rep. Gail Chasey (D-Bernalillo), couldn’t stand anyone actually opposing this anti-police smear bill, and so she cut me off, claiming I was going after the bill sponsor’s “motives,” which is nothing of the sort. Then when I respectfully unmuted to finish my testimony, I was cut off again. 

This same occurrence happened earlier in this committee when I testified against S.B. 10, a radical abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill. At that time, I merely wondered why the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Linda Lopez, refused to debate her bill on the Senate floor. This benign comment also apparently triggered Chasey, and she clapped back at me in that committee.

In a condescending response to another New Mexican concerned with Chasey’s censorship, she wrote back, “I do not allow anyone to attack the motives of the sponsors of bills or members of the committee, just as I would not allow any members of the committee or of the public to attack another individual, regardless of that person’s position. You have been misinformed.” Her supposed rule has never before been instituted.

Some argue that the “virtual” legislature has made the process. But I argue that it has made it even more opaque. Frivolously cutting off members of the public was not possible before when the public had a chance to testify in-person. But now, with the click of a mouse, power-hungry chairmen and chairwomen can mute the public and shut them up if they disagree with their viewpoints. Speak the truth, no matter how respectful it is, at your own peril.

This legislative session has been a complete disgrace, with Democrats ramming through extreme bills no matter what the public thinks, the rules be damned. We must strive for open government and refuse to back down or let them silence our voices. This is the opposite of transparency. Freedom of speech is a critical tenet of our republic, and if we do not fight for it now, we will lose it forever. 

Zoom committee hearings are a prime opportunity for leftist censorship: speak truth at your own risk Read More »

NM House committee rolls over vote on MLG’s Green New Deal 2.0 to Wednesday

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On Monday, the House of Representatives Committee on Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee rolled over the corrosive anti-energy bill, H.B. 9, to Wednesday morning after much testimony from the public and many questions from the committee. The bill would force extreme carbon emission requirements on all sectors, the second phase of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “Energy Transition Act,” which set harsh “net-zero” standards by 2050 for the electricity sector. 

The bill’s sponsors, Reps. Melanie Stansbury (D-Bernalillo) and Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana) introduced the legislation as a desperate measure required to stop “climate change,” which they claimed created “drought, extreme fire, and impacts to agriculture and water supplies,” which are untrue statements not backed up by science.

Here is the Piñon Post assessment of the bill:

According to the fiscal impact report (FIR) on the bill, it “establishes a climate leadership council, deadlines for the state to achieve specific reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), requirements for state agencies to achieve GHGE reductions, and a number of definitions related to climate, economic development, and socioeconomic equity.” 

The FIR also states that the bill “[r]equires New Mexico to reduce statewide GHGE by least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050” and “[m]andates a 60 percent reduction, relative to 2005 levels, in emissions of methane, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds from the oil and gas sector by 2030.”  Note, the “net-zero” emission standard mirrors U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal,” the most radical and costly proposal in U.S. history to decimate the energy industry.

Opponents of the bill included workers in the energy and agriculture industries who keep the lights on and feed communities. Supporters of the bill mostly from the dark money groups CAFé, OLÉ, the Sierra Club, among others who self-identified as “community organizers.” One individual from extremist group OLÉ claimed “climate change” was a “racial justice issue,” saying “Black, indigenous, and people of color” somehow are disproportionately affected by the fictitious issue. The dark money groups also exploited children named “Alex” and “Adrian,” who were given scripts in the supposed attempt to pull heartstrings, claiming pine trees in the state would disappear. “Will there still be pine trees when I grow up?” asked one. 

Although the committee chair, Rep. Georgene Louis (D-Bernalillo), claimed to give both sides equal time, proponents of the bill were given more time to testify. 

Rep. Greg Nibert (Chaves & Lincoln) asked multiple questions regarding Native American tribes complying with these strict standards, asking if they were required to comply with these mandates. The condescending witness, Noah Long of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said that the Navajo Nation was not subject to it.

When asked about how the bill would bring opportunity to the state, Rep. Rubio went on the defensive, saying, “The fact that it’s still being questioned of whether or not it is something that we need to continue, it minimizes the work being done in communities around the state.” 

Nibert said, “You said it’s a roadmap to diversify the economy….In case you changed it drastically, I don’t see a roadmap there. I see a statement that says “the state shall create economic inclusion opportunity,” which I believe is high-road employment — and so I don’t see a roadmap, and I don’t see how the state is going to create those jobs.”  

“The economy doesn’t create jobs. The people that decide to take risks — They create jobs. The people who decide to produce something — they take a risk…. It’s people who create jobs. It’s not the state. The economy is simply an indication of how well things are going from a standpoint of job-creation and… compensation to employees and standard of living. That’s the economy. I see a lot of words here, but at the end of the day, it’s not your attempt that the state shall create those economic including opportunities. It’s basically you want to set up a framework for which these things are studied, and you hope that people will take risks and see opportunities to use their capital to start a business, expand a business and create additional employment,” Nibert added.

Regarding a question from Nibert about litigation costs of the legislation, Rep. Stansbury claimed that “if consideration of climate change had been included [in Texas], perhaps we may have avoided the shutdown of electricity and water for millions of people” in the state to New Mexico’s east. When Nibert pressed her on her assertion about Texas’ recent crisis with a snowstorm, however, Stansbury retreated, claiming she wanted to comment on “the scope” of her bill. 

Nibert commented that during the harsh storm that affected New Mexico with multiple inches of snow. “The lights in Santa Fe were on because the San Juan Generating Plant had not been shut down yet.” 

The bill’s final vote in the committee has been rolled over to Wednesday morning’s committee hearing.

NM House committee rolls over vote on MLG’s Green New Deal 2.0 to Wednesday Read More »

ACTION ALERT: Your testimony requested in NM Legislative committees Monday, Tuesday

Leave a Comment / Action Alert, New Mexico, Politics / By

The New Mexico Legislature is in full swing, and countless pieces of radical legislation are being rammed through committee hearings, many times without significant public input. Some good bills put forth by some legislators need public support. 

At the Piñon Post, we look to change that. New Mexicans must be more involved in politics in our state, which is why we are working around the clock to monitor committee hearings and bills and give you the information you need to have so you can do your part. On Monday and Tuesday, the House of Representatives and the Senate will consider many extreme bills regarding the environment, law enforcement, taxes, and business. Please participate and make your voices heard.

Committee hearings happening Monday-Tuesday:

HEALTH AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino, Chair, convenes Monday, February 22 at 1:30 p.m.* 

*Times are subject to change depending on the Senate floor schedule. Join the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89738905182 

For public participation, complete the registration form by clicking the following link https://ggle.io/3pe5 .The deadline to respond is Sunday., Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m. 

S.B. 232  – EXEMPTION FROM IMMUNIZATION by Sen. Gregg Schmedes (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance) – GOOD

According to the fiscal impact report, “Senate Bill 232 would amend Section 24-5-3 NMSA 1978 to add a fourth reason why a child should be granted an exemption from state-required immunizations for school or dare. The fourth type of exemption, “for reasons of conscience,” would be added to the three existing reasons: medical exemptions; group religious objections to vaccine(s) and individual religious objections to vaccine(s).” This bill is friendly to New Mexicans who have conscience objections to vaccinations. 

S.B. 238 – ELIMINATE SEC. OF HEALTH POWERS by Sen. Gregg Schmedes (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance) – GOOD

According to the fiscal impact report, “Senate Bill 238 eliminates the authority of the secretary of the Department of Health under the Public Health Emergency Response Act (PHERA) to isolate or quarantine a person who is unwilling or unable to undergo vaccination for reasons of health, religion or conscience. This bill contains an emergency clause and would become effective immediately upon signature by the governor.” This bill is friendly to those who have objections to being forcibly vaccinated by the Department of Health. 

SENATE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
SENATOR ELIZABETH STEFANICS, CHAIR Convenes Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 9:00 a.m. via Zoom

Please click here to register for public comment on a bill being heard by this committee: https://forms.gle/5pgx2bgxGyHEDeCS8

S.B. 312 GAME & FISH & WILDLIFE CHANGES by Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Doña Ana) and Rep. Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana). – BAD

S.B. 312 is a costly bill that takes power away from the people and gives it to the government, according to liberals, giving “wildlife conservation” a “modern approach to wildlife management. It directs the state to manage and conserve the public’s wildlife.” This power-grab would mean higher permit prices for many out-of-state permits, harsher restrictions on what wildlife one could hunt, and it would rename the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to the “Department of Wildlife Conservation.” 

While the Piñon Post supports conservation efforts in our state, this 241-page overhaul bill further bureaucratizes the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and according to the bill itself, “[narrows] conditions for landowners on taking or killing animals on private land.” That means, in part, that it usurps the right for landowners to kill a wild animal on their land, for reasons of immediate threats to human life and for damage of property, including crops, it would now only allow killing the animal for the threat to human life. This would be required to be reported to the Department within 24 hours of disposal of the carcass. 

These burdensome restrictions, among countless other flaws in the bill, such as a large appropriation necessary for its passage, are a detriment to taxpayers, landowners, and hunters in the state. Read the fiscal impact report on the bill for more information.

SENATE TAX, BUSINESS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
SENATOR BENNY SHENDO JR., CHAIRMAN Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 1:30 pm 

*For Public Participation send an email to SCORC@nmlegis.gov with: Name, Entity Representing, Bill #, For or Against, and email address by Feb. 23, at 10 am. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with virtual meeting instructions.

S.B. 11 (as amended) CLEAN FUEL STANDARD ACT by Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo) and Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana) – BAD (This is one of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s legislative priorities).

This anti-business bill put forth by two anti-energy extremist legislators, would in the bill sponsors’ own words, “[require] fuel providers that refine, blend, make or import fuel used in New Mexico to gradually reduce the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel itself, we can reduce emissions by 4.7 million metric tons in carbon dioxide equivalent by 2040. That’s like taking 44,000 cars off the road every year for 15 years.” 

This bill would harm critical industries in New Mexico with expensive and punitive new regulations on the transportation of the fuels New Mexicans rely on to keep them driving and doing business. This bill has an appropriation of $1,210,000 for the 2022 fiscal year alone, with it gradually increasing annually. 

House of Representatives

HOUSE COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
ANTONIO “MOE” MAESTAS, CHAIR Convenes Monday, February 22, 2021 – 1:30 p.m. – Zoom

H.B. 110 – PHASED MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE by Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Bernalillo) – She is running for Congress in CD-1.  – BAD

“Starting January 1, 2022, the minimum wage would rise to $12.00 per hour Starting January 1, 2024, the minimum wage would rise to $15.00 per hour,” according to the fiscal impact report.

This bill hurts small businesses and causes fewer people employed because of the mandates from this anti-business, anti-worker bill. 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar. Feb 22, 2021, 01:30 PM When: Feb 22, 2021, 01:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Topic: HOUSE COMMERCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83846715600

HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT, ELECTIONS AND INDIAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
GEORGENE LOUIS, CHAIR, Convenes Monday, February 22, 2021 – 8:00 a.m. – Zoom

H.B. 9 CLIMATE SOLUTIONS ACT by Reps. Melanie A. Stansbury (D-Bernalillo), Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe), Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana, Nathan P. Small (D-Doña Ana), and Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo).  – BAD (This is one of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s legislative priorities).

H.B. 9 is a costly and corrosive piece of legislation that not only would cost millions to the state annually, but it would also create even harsher standards than those that were passed in the “Energy Transition Act” to completely and totally annihilate the oil and gas industry. 

According to the fiscal impact report (FIR) on the bill, it “establishes a climate leadership council, deadlines for the state to achieve specific reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), requirements for state agencies to achieve GHGE reductions, and a number of definitions related to climate, economic development, and socioeconomic equity.” 

The FIR also states that the bill “[r]equires New Mexico to reduce statewide GHGE by least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050” and “[m]andates a 60 percent reduction, relative to 2005 levels, in emissions of methane, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds from the oil and gas sector by 2030.”  Note, the “net-zero” emission standard mirrors U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal,” the most radical and costly proposal in U.S. history to decimate the energy industry.

The FIR further states how the bill is likely to significantly impact “New Mexico’s oil and gas sector and, consequently, state revenues.” Extremist anti-energy dark money groups including “OLÉ,” “Power4NM,” and “NM Voices” have been lobbying on behalf of this destructive legislation, and your voices are needed to cancel out their radical cries for socialism and supposed “environmental justice.”

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89283197941
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16699009128,,89283197941# or +12532158782,,89283197941#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or
+1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 892 8319 7941

HOUSE CONSUMER AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
ELIZABETH “LIZ” THOMSON, CHAIR, Convenes Tuesday, February 23, 2021 – 1:30 p.m. – Zoom

H.B. 254 – USE OF DEADLY FORCE REPORTING by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Bernalillo) – BAD

Note: both of these women are running for Congress in CD-1. This is the House version of the Senate’s S.B. 274. 

According to the bill, “Within twenty-four hours of a person suffering great bodily harm or death as a result of a peace officer’s actions, the sheriff or the chief of police of the jurisdiction in which the great bodily harm or death occurred shall report the great bodily harm or death in writing to the district attorney of the judicial district in which the great bodily harm or death occurred. The sheriff or chief of police shall report all instances of suspected great bodily harm to the appropriate district attorney, even if a more thorough assessment of great bodily harm will be undertaken at a later date,” 

The bill would put undue suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of the law enforcement officer, overburdening local sheriffs and district attorneys, while not trusting police officers to carry forth their duties. 

Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89243737297 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,89243737297# or +12532158782,,89243737297# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 892 4373 7297

ACTION ALERT: Your testimony requested in NM Legislative committees Monday, Tuesday Read More »

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