Albuquerque, April 23--While the health and safety of New Mexicans are the top priority, Gov. Lujan Grisham's decision to extend her stay-at-home order to at least May 15 demonstrates she has no solid plan to get New Mexico moving again.

A third of our counties have fewer than 10 COVID-19 cases, some none at all, yet the governor has offered no real statewide strategy, while putting a stranglehold on New Mexico's economy: it's business or bust for hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans, as local economies drown, unemployment soars and Main Streets become ghost towns.

The governor continues to permit national chains to remain open, sending millions of New Mexico dollars out of state, while crippling our locally-owned mom and pop businesses. The Republican Party of New Mexico implores the governor to use common sense and to help all New Mexicans to get back to work. Now. Social distancing can work at small establishments, and reopening them will kickstart New Mexico. Social distancing is not working at big box stores, where people are rubbing elbows in the aisles.

Let's be fair, governor. We're all in this together, remember?

"The governor cannot pick and choose winners and losers in this dire situation. She fails to understand that we can responsibly social distance at small businesses and do what's right to protect our citizens while saving our economy," said Steve Pearce, Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman. "Our state is going under, and peoples' livelihoods are being lost. We may never recover from this unless the governor reopens New Mexico for the little guy. They make this state run. And it's all about fairness."

The governor's establishment of an "economic council" to decide how to phase in business activity is a poor excuse to "resolve" the problem. How will decisions be made? Which businesses will get priority? Why should they get priority? Where in the state?

No answers. The governor seems to be passing the buck to a group that will now advise her.

Again, no solid plan.