New Mexico Senate

Democrat NM lawmaker to resign for job in another state

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In a shocking Monday announcement, University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano revealed that New Mexico state Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr. (D-Jemez Pueblo) was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Native American Affairs at CU Boulder. He will relinquish the state Senate seat by the spring of 2024.

A graduate of the University, Shendo brings his experience as a New Mexico state senator and his former high positions, such as tribal administrator and lieutenant governor for the Pueblo of Jemez.

Portrait of New Mexico state Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr.

A commitment to Native American affairs has marked Shendo’s professional journey, evident in his past roles at the University of New Mexico and as part of the dean of students office at Stanford University. His multifaceted background positions him uniquely for his new role, which will see him contributing to the Office of Government and Community Engagement.

In his capacity as Associate Vice Chancellor, Shendo will play a key role in fostering connections with tribal governments and communities across Colorado. His duties extend beyond the campus, involving collaboration with state and federal entities on matters pertaining to tribal affairs and higher education.

Shendo stated in a news release, “I cannot wait to get started in this new role at CU Boulder to strengthen our relationships with the tribes of Colorado and those historically connected to Colorado and to build a strong, supportive Native American community on campus for our students, faculty, and staff.”

Shendo is poised to assume his full-time position at CU Boulder on March 1, a move that necessitates his departure from the state senate. His decision to transition into this role underlines his dedication to advancing Native American initiatives within the realm of higher education.

Chancellor DiStefano highlighted Shendo’s appointment, saying in a news release, “We are delighted to welcome Benny Shendo back to the CU Boulder community,” adding, “His wealth of experience and commitment to Native American affairs will undoubtedly contribute to the university’s ongoing efforts to create an inclusive and culturally rich environment.”

Shendo was first elected in 2012 and currently chairs the powerful Senate Tax, Business & Transportation Committee.

New Mexico InDepth reported, “‘We’re trying to work out the details’ of the University of Colorado job, Shendo said, mentioning there was a possibility he could work from his home in New Mexico.”

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Longtime GOP state senator shockingly resigns

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On Wednesday, Republican state Sen. Gay Kernan of Hobbs, who has served for 21 years, announced her retirement in a statement.

“After much prayerful consideration, and with the help of my family, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my seat as New Mexico State Senator for District 42, effective August 1, 2023. I have not taken for granted the trust and confidence the voters have placed in me,” she wrote.

Portrait of Sen. Gay Kernan.

“Serving the constituents of Lea, Eddy, and Chaves Counties in the New Mexico Legislature has been a privilege and a tremendous honor. While I will miss my constituents and colleagues, and while transitions can be challenging, I am confident the Lea, Eddy, and Chaves County Commissions will recommend a qualified nominee from which my replacement will be selected.”

KRQE News 13 reported, “Kernan has been serving in the legislature since 2002 when she was appointed by then-Governor Gary Johnson. With a lengthy record of service, Kernan is among the longest-serving senators in New Mexico.”

State Rep. Larry Scott (R-Hobbs) will apply to serve out the remainder of Kernan’s term, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

“I think I have ably represented the interests of my constituents in Southeast New Mexico, particularly when it comes to energy issues,” said Scott, president of Lynx Petroleum Consultants Inc.

“When I decided to run [for another term] three years ago, it was something that I struggled with, trying to figure out whether to run or not run, and I felt like I still had some things that I wanted to accomplish,” Kernan said to the New Mexican. “I’m glad I did, but four years is a long time … and I just really need to kind of reassess and be there for my family.”

On Wednesday, 21-year Republican state Sen. Gay Kernan of Hobbs announced her retirement in a statement.

“After much prayerful consideration, and with the help of my family, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my seat as New Mexico State Senator for District 42, effective August 1, 2023. I have not taken for granted the trust and confidence the voters have placed in me,” she wrote.

“Serving the constituents of Lea, Eddy, and Chaves Counties in the New Mexico Legislature has been a privilege and a tremendous honor. While I will miss my constituents and colleagues, and while transitions can be challenging, I am confident the Lea, Eddy, and Chaves County Commissions will recommend a qualified nominee from which my replacement will be selected.”

KRQE News 13 reported, “Kernan has been serving in the legislature since 2002 when she was appointed by then-Governor Gary Johnson. With a lengthy record of service, Kernan is among the longest-serving senators in New Mexico.”

State Rep. Larry Scott (R-Hobbs) will apply to serve out the remainder of Kernan’s term, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. 

“I think I have ably represented the interests of my constituents in Southeast New Mexico, particularly when it comes to energy issues,” said Scott, president of Lynx Petroleum Consultants Inc. 

“When I decided to run [for another term] three years ago, it was something that I struggled with, trying to figure out whether to run or not run, and I felt like I still had some things that I wanted to accomplish,” Kernan said to the New Mexican. “I’m glad I did, but four years is a long time … and I just really need to kind of reassess and be there for my family.”

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Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block announces state Senate run

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On Tuesday, Republican Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block announced his candidacy for New Mexico state Senate in District 12, currently represented by state Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, a Democrat, who is retiring after his current term.

Ortiz y Pino has served in the seat since 2005, and this will be the first time the seat is up for election since the redistricting process. According to the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, the seat is composed of a 51.4 percent Democrat and 48.6 percent Republican vote share — a winnable seat for the GOP.

Block, a former 2022 gubernatorial candidate, wrote in a press release, “Since the end of the 2022 election, many of you have asked what my future would look like in our fight to save New Mexico. The answer to this question wasn’t immediately clear, but after many months of prayer, discussions with my family, and encouragement from you, I have some news to share.” 

“I will be launching my campaign as the Republican candidate to represent the incredible people of New Mexico’s Senate District 12. This decision was solidified after it became clear during the 2023 legislative session that the woke left would rather pass policies that help them virtue signal to their small base rather than help hard working New Mexicans.”

He continued, “New Mexicans want and need a fighter in Santa Fe that will stand up for our values of God, family, and freedom. If you know anything about me, then you know I’m not here to make friends—I’ll go head-to-head with the woke left and spineless politicians in the Roundhouse.”

“I will address the fentanyl crisis and drug addiction by using state resources to secure our southern border. I will protect New Mexico’s Second Amendment Rights. I will work to reform our failing education system, INSTEAD of teaching our children taboo gender ideology. I will cut wasteful spending, fight inflation, fight for bail reform to keep criminals off the streets, back our law enforcement by fighting to get their qualified immunity back, support pro jobs and business policies to stop the bleeding of jobs and businesses from New Mexico, introduce voter ID and other election security protocols to ensure election integrity, and reduce taxes to put more money back in your pocket.”

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Senate committees advance anti-gun, gender bills, delay vote on anti-police bill

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On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a committee vote on S.B. 252, an anti-police bill that is disguised as a “use of force standard” sponsored by state Sen. Harold Pope (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana). The move to delay the vote came after the committee lost its quorum and was not able to take action on the measure.

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report (FIR), “The bill establishes a process for law enforcement agencies to report officer-involved injuries or deaths to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and for DPS to report annually on all incidents to the governor, Legislature, and the public.” 

Furthermore, “Law enforcement agencies that fail to comply with these reporting requirements are ineligible to apply for any state-agency-administered grants. The bill also requires law enforcement agencies to adopt and publish use of force policies that include a range of requirements” (emphasis added). 

DPS noted major concerns about the constitutionality of the bill. The FIR stated, “DPS asserts that SB252’s definitions of police homicide are unconstitutionally vague because they establish subjective criteria to determine whether an officer failed to evaluate the totality of the circumstances provided in the bill.”

Regarding police dogs, DPS noted that a provision of the bill “to disallow law enforcement officers from bringing police dogs to a protest or demonstration is that it may prevent officers from bringing [bomb sniffing] dogs to protests or demonstrations, a safety measure.”

Many law enforcers showed up at the state Capitol on Wednesday to oppose the bill, including even leftist sheriffs who stood opposed. 

Also in the Senate Judiciary Committee, S.B. 116 by Sen. Carrie Hamblen (D-Doña Ana) to ban firearm purchase and possession for those under 21 stalled on a 4-4 tie vote.

Another extreme bill, H.B. 9, which would make New Mexicans felons if they do not lock up their guns and a third party accesses them, passed the Senate Finance Committee and now heads to the Senate floor, where it will face intense debate. 

The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee advanced H.B. 7, which would force public bodies to facilitate abortions and “gender-affirming care” after intense debate in that committee. It will next be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

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Senate committee shoots down extreme anti-gun bill

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On Monday, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee tabled 6-3 an extreme anti-gun bill, S.B. 171, by Sen. William Soules (D-Doña Ana). 

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, it would have prohibited “the manufacture, sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer or acquisition of… Assault pistols; Automatic firearms; Rifles with barrel lengths less than 16 inches; Shotguns with barrel lengths less than 18 inches; Mufflers, silencers, or devices for deadening or muffling the sound of discharged firearms; Any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof coated with Teflon or any other similar coating designed primarily to enhance its capabilities to penetrate metal or pierce protective armor; and Any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof designed or intended to explode or segment upon impact with its target.” 

The panel’s chairman Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana), joined all Republicans and Sens. Bill O’Neill and Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque) in tabling the bill.

After the bill was defeated, Senate Republican Leader Sen. Greg Baca wrote in a press release, “Like most of the gun bills being considered this Session, Senate Bill 171 needlessly targets law-abiding citizens and threatens them with a felony for exercising their Second Amendment right.”

The committee’s overwhelming rejection of the extreme ant-gun bill could be a sign that another extreme attack on the Second Amendment, H.B. 101 by Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), could die. The bill would make most New Mexican gun owners felons by banning nearly all firearms over ten rounds.

H.B. 101 previously passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee on a party-line vote and awaits a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. If it survives that committee, it would then need to pass the entire House and the Senate, where it is likely to die in Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Also on Monday, the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee advanced a bill along party lines to ban firearms within 100 feet of polling places. This would include ballot drop boxes and ban concealed carry at the polls.

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NM Senate panel narrowly passes paid family leave bill

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The New Mexico Senate Finance Committee narrowly passed S.B. 11 by Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo), which would create “ a 12-week Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) benefit for nearly all workers in the state,” according to the bill’s fiscal impact report.

“The bill would require employee contributions of 0.5 percent and employer contributions of 0.4 percent of wages into the newly established PFML fund.” However, businesses with five employees or fewer would be exempt.

Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup) joined the four Republicans on the panel to reject the bill, although it squeaked by on a 6-5 vote.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington) said, “We want to be compassionate. We just don’t want to have our hands tied about how compassionate we have to be.”

Terri Cole, the president and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said during testimony, “If you pass this bill, New Mexico will become more corporate and less unique.”

The Journal noted, “Specifically, the bill analysis projected the fund could face a $516 million deficit by the 2028 budget year — a figure that could cause the state Workforce Solutions Department to order an increase in the premium amount that businesses and employees would have to pay into the fund.”

Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has not yet endorsed the bill, although it is likely she would if it came to her desk.

Leftists have been ramming extreme bills through this session, including proposals to force public bodies to facilitate abortions and transgender surgeries (H.B. 7), new gun bans (H.B. 9), bills to weaken New Mexico elections (H.B. 4), and eco-left bills (H.B. 95), which have already passed the House.

S.B. 11 now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote, and if it is successful, it will need to pass the House in the fewer than four weeks left in the 2023 Legislative Session.

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Legislative update: Bipartisan senators successfully stall pro-election fraud bill in Senate

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On Saturday, both chambers of the Legislature met to consider radical Democrat legislation. The Senate was about to hear S.B. 8, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s pro-election fraud bill to cement election fraud into New Mexico state statute. 

But Republicans used a procedural move, the “Call of the Senate,” which mandates all senators be physically in the chamber to vote. Sens. Gregg Schmedes (R-Tijeras) and Jacob Candelaria (DTS-Bernalillo) were both unaccounted for, so the Senate could not ram through the extremist pro-election fraud bill.

Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo), the president pro-tem of the chamber, claimed, “We still have two senators that are not accounted for, not returning our calls and not contacting [the sergeant-at-arms] when she leaves them a message,” she said.

But Candelaria claims Stewart was lying. “Lie. No one called me or my office. Just saying,” the state senator wrote. 

Instead, the Senate adjourned and met to ram through Democrat bills in the chamber’s Judiciary Committee.

On the House side, far-left Democrats rammed through extremist H.B. 68, a radical anti-gun bill, through the chamber, with the support of multiple Republicans. The House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee passed 6-3 H.B. 6, erroneously dubbed the “Clean Future Act,” which would mandate extreme regulations on multiple New Mexico industries — a piece of legislation devastating to the economy. 

The Senate reconvenes at 1:00 p.m. Sunday to ram through Democrat bills, with S.B. 8 being the third item on the agenda. It is unclear if there will be another call of the Senate, stalling the extreme pro-fraud bill. 

 Contact key senators to stop S.B. 8 before the vote:

  • Senator George Munoz: george.munoz@nmlegis.gov (505) 986-4371
  • Senator Pete Campos: pete.campos@nmlegis.gov (505) 986-4311
  • Senator Cervantes joseph.cervantes@nmlegis.gov , (505) 986-4861
  • Senator Duhigg: katy.duhigg@nmlegis.gov, (505) 986-4726
  • Senator McKenna: brenda.mckenna@nmlegis.gov (505) 986-4301
  • Senator Candelaria: (505) 986-4380, jacob.candelaria@nmlegis.gov
  • Senator Pope: harold.popejr@nmlegis.gov, (505) 986-4365
  • Senator Tallman: bill.tallman@nmlegis.gov, (505) 986-4373
  • Senator Shendo: benny.shendo@nmlegis.gov, (505) 986-4310
  • Senator Hickey: martin.hickey@nmlegis.gov, (505) 986-4513

Still on high alert over S.B. 144:

Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe)and the radical House Democrats, desperate to push scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s agenda cross the finish line, will be attempting to amend S.B. 144, a previously two-page bill that passed the senate regarding the intimidation of election workers.

The amendments would install radical pro-election fraud language contained in S.B. 8 to S.B. 144 despite the purpose and title of the bill being different than the proposed amendments — a violation of House rules. The amendments would be worse than the provisions in S.B. 8. 

S.B. 144 was originally scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee, but since the floor session went well past 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, the revised House schedule shows the Judiciary Committee is no longer meeting, although the Piñon Post remains on high alert for any movement on this bill. 

In the meantime, New Mexicans are urged to call and email legislators who sit on the House Judiciary Committee and demand they reject any amendment to S.B. 144 that would change the purpose of the bill.

  • Chair: Gail Chasey (D). District 18 (Bernalillo). Room 308, (505) 986-4411. Email: gail@gailchasey.com
  • Vice Chair: Micaela Lara Cadena (D). District 33 (Dona Ana). Room 204B, (505) 986-4210. Email: micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Eliseo Lee Alcon (D). District 6 (Cibola & McKinley). Room 314A, (505) 986-4416. Email: eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Deborah A. Armstrong (D). District 17 (Bernalillo). Room 205B, (505) 986-4242. Email: deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Christine Chandler (D). District 43 (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval and Santa Fe). Room 316B, (505) 986-4420. Email: christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Zachary J. Cook (R). District 56 (Lincoln and Otero). Room 203B, (505) 986-4226. Email: zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Brian Egolf (D). District 47 (Santa Fe). Room 104, (505) 986-4782. Email: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Daymon Ely (D). District 23 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 205A, (505) 986-4243. Email: daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Georgene Louis (D). District 26 (Bernalillo). Room 306, (505) 986-4329. Email: georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Matthew McQueen (D). District 50 (Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Torrance and Valencia). Room 316A, (505) 986-4423. Email: matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: Greg Nibert (R). District 59 (Chaves & Lincoln). Room 203EN, (505) 986-4467. Email: greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: William “Bill” R. Rehm (R). District 31 (Bernalillo). Room 201B, (505) 986-4214. Email: bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov
  • Member: James G. Townsend (R). District 54 (Chaves, Eddy and Otero). Room 125, (505) 986-4758. Email: townsend@pvtn.net

Or BCC them all in an email: micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov, eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov, deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov, christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov, zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov, brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov, daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov, georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov, matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov, greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov, bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov, townsend@pvtn.net

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Legislative Update: Key bills to be considered in committee Monday

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Although many of the hot-button Democrat bills have not yet been assigned a date in committee, one radical leftist bill will make its first appearance in committee on Monday, January 24. One positive bill regarding law enforcers will have its first hearing on Monday also.

Here are the bills you need to know about and how you can join these Monday committees:

S.B. 15 KN95 MASKS AND EDUCATION by Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Doña Ana)

This radical bill will waste more taxpayer money by shelling out $10 million state dollars to buy “KN95” masks to disseminate across all New Mexico schools, as well as a fund “a robust statewide public education campaign about the importance and proper usage of masks.” 

The wasteful bill will appear in the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee on Monday, January 24, 2022, at 1:30 or a half-hour after the floor session that day. The hearing will be held in Room 311.

The meeting details are below: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87967039414 or via telephone 1 669 900 9128.  The Webinar ID for SHPAC is 879 6703 9414.

Contact the committee members to advocate against this bill by clicking here. 

S.B. 3 ENHANCING DEATH BENEFITS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT by Sen. George Muñoz (D-Cibola, McKinley, and San Juan)

This commonsense bill would enhance the death benefits for peace officers, mounted patrol officers, and reserve police officers in New Mexico.

After an officer has been determined to be killed in the line of duty, “[i]n addition to any other death benefits provided by law, the surviving spouse, children or parents shall be paid… one million dollars ($1,000,000) as supplemental death benefits.” 

It appears Muñoz’s bill will also create a new fund called the “peace officers’, New Mexico mounted patrol members’ and reserve police officers’ survivors fund” that will reserve ten percent of “all money received for fees, licenses and penalties from life, general casualty and title insurance business pursuant to the New Mexico Insurance Code” to be paid monthly to the state treasurer and credited to the fund. It is to never have less than $1 million in the fund at all times. 

It will also be heard in the Senate Health and Public Affairs on Monday at 1:30 p.m. or following the floor session that day.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87967039414 or via telephone 1 669 900 9128.  The Webinar ID for SHPAC is 879 6703 9414. 

NOTE: These committee schedules are subject to change. To find the most up-to-date committee schedules, visit the NMLegis.gov Calendars page.

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Senate rams through gerrymandered legislative maps, House passes spending bill

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Thursday was an eventful day at the Roundhouse, with Democrats in both chambers working hard to ram through legislative maps and a billion-dollar spending bill. 

After 10:00 p.m., the state Senate rammed through an updated gerrymandered state Senate map that implements extreme partisanship to winnow away Republicans’ hopes of holding onto critical seats in the chamber. The move came the same day the Senate Rules Committee speedily passed the maps on a vote of 6-4. 

After Republicans stalled the vote, Democrats got their wish and passed the extreme partisan bill on a vote of 25-13. The maps implement strange shapes and extreme deviations in population in the name of supposed “representation” for sovereign Tribal nations that exist within New Mexico. 

Sen. Jacob Candelaria (DTS-Bernalillo), claimed he’s considering a legal challenge to the allegedly racist new state Senate maps that are “about the dilution of Hispanic voices.”

“Everyone here should expect litigation over these maps and others, because at the end of the day, while these maps may pass and these maps may have been a product of a lot of backroom dealing, it doesn’t mean they’re right,” Candelaria said during the floor debate, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. “It doesn’t mean they’re legal. It doesn’t mean they’re fair.”

During his debate on the Senate floor, he made strong points about who is truly behind the Democrats’ gerrymandered bill — dark money political organizations:

Between Central and Paseo Del Norte, the Hispanic community is broken up into eight different districts. Why? To give other predominantly Anglo districts more population of ‘safe Democratic votes.’ Mr. President, again, I will not accept this debate tonight that says that this map or whatever version of the map we had is the ‘people’s map.’ That’s a great quote for a dark money political organization to use. It’s a great one. But until you tell me who the people are that funded you, you’re not my people. – Sen. Jacob Candelaria (DTS-Bernalillo)

The new maps now move over to the state House, where they are expected to be pushed through committee and a final floor vote on Friday. There is not a committee time set up for its hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, but it is subject to the “call of the chair,” per the committee schedule. 

On the House side, lawmakers held a concurrence vote on a billion-dollar spending bill, using federal pandemic funds to fund leftist initiatives such as $3.5 million to plug oil wells, $10 million for electric vehicle charging stations, $10 million for highway “beautification” efforts, among some moderately positive things like a hospital in Valencia County, although most expenditures in the mammoth bill had nothing to do with the pandemic or the subsequent recovery.

It passed by a voice vote after little debate despite its extreme expenditures and the latest draft cutting $26 million for broadband access across the state. It now goes to scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk for a signature.

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Leftists furious after Senate GOP stalls late-night vote on gerrymandered maps

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On Wednesday, leftists complained on social media after New Mexico Senate Republicans requested a “Call of the Senate,” which requires all senators to be present to vote on a measure. The call was regarding a substitute for S.B. 2, an extremely gerrymandered state Senate map plan that’s creation was cloaked in supposed “representation” for Native American communities, sponsored by Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo). However, these changes just skewed Democrats’ partisan map even further to the left.

Republicans in the Senate claimed the Democrats wanted to push through the far-left map “while the people of New Mexico slept.” 

“They did so in an effort to hide their lies and their assault against Hispanic voices and representation. We would not stand for this. If Senate Democrats are successful in pushing their closed door, gerrymandered map to a vote, they will have to do it when the public is watching,” they wrote. 

While two Democrat senators were excused from the floor session, state Sen. Crystal Runyan Diamond (R-Deming) was absent from the floor.

The fringe far-left group “Progress Now New Mexico” whined on Twitter, claiming the move for the full Senate to vote on the measure was a “cowards move.”

The leftist group also shared tweets from the Democrat-linked group “NM Native Vote,” which has cloaked itself as a supposed voice for Native American interests on redistricting, however, it is supportive of socialism and has endorsed candidates like socialist Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.

At the beginning of the New Mexico Citizens Redistricting Committee meetings over the summer, the Committee shared a tweet from NM Native Vote, writing, “Thanks NM Native Vote — There will also be public comment near the beginning of the meeting on the online public mapping tool, dates and locations for CRC meetings, and rules of procedure. See you there!” 

The tweet has since been deleted, but the Piñon Post reported on it at the time. 

The full vote on S.B. 2 is likely to take place on Thursday in the Senate, while it still needs to pass the state House maps previously approved by the House in H.B.8, which could take longer. The House still needs to take a concurrence vote on a Democrat billion-dollar bill to spend federal funds. Many of those funds earmarked by the Legislature are going to tenets of New Mexico’s “Green New Deal.”

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