Tuesday, April 28, 2020
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE PARTY
During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Republican Party of New Mexico encourages everyone to take precautions, practice safe health measures and do what's required to protect oneself and families. The Party stresses that the health and safety of all New Mexicans are paramount. Therefore, the Party is currently conducting operations and communications remotely. The Party continues its mission and engagement, but will utilize virtual/remote practices for outreach, projects, campaign events and other initiatives.
GOVERNOR EXTENDS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER
The health and safety of all New Mexicans are the top priority, but Gov. Lujan Grisham's decision to extend her stay-at-home order to at least May 15 reveals she has no solid plan to get New Mexico moving again.
The governor continues to allow national chains to remain open, sending millions of New Mexico dollars out of state, while devastating our locally-owned mom and pop businesses. The Republican Party of New Mexico continues to ask the governor to use common sense and to help all New Mexicans to get back to work. Social distancing can work at small establishments, and reopening them will kick-start New Mexico. Social distancing is not working at big box stores, where people are rubbing elbows in the aisles.
"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."
Here's the Albuquerque Journal story
GRANTS, NM MAYOR DEFIES GOVERNOR'S ORDER
Grants Mayor Martin "Modey" Hicks yesterday encouraged businesses in his town to reopen, going against Gov. Lujan Grisham's lockdown order for non-essential businesses. The move came as more and more communities face economic ruin. Hicks faced some protestors, telling them it's time to reopen the state and that a small number of people in New Mexico had been infected by COVID-19.
"The governor is killing the state over a little bug," Hicks said at the rally.
COUNTIES TAKING ACTION TO FIGHT FOR BUSINESS REOPENINGS
New Mexico counties, faced with crippled local economies, are starting to take action. Some have taken up resolutions to ask the governor to reopen businesses in local communities. Chaves, Sierra, Union, Lea and Eddy Counties are among those that have approved such resolutions, asking the governor to reopen non-essential businesses so owners, employees and others can get the economy moving ahead. Main Street shutdowns, along with skyrocketing unemployment, are killing the state.
Here's the story from the Roswell Daily Record
TWO ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCILORS WANTS MAYOR TO RECONSIDER CLOSING ORDER
Two Republican Albuquerque city councilors plan to introduce a resolution to modify public health orders pertaining to non-essential businesses. Councilors Don Harris and Brooke Bassan want Mayor Keller to reconsider what's shut down, noting social distancing can be practiced in the city. Both councilors point to dying businesses. The public health order in Albuquerque is in place until May 15. The resolution also asks Mayor Keller to look at whether a distinction between essential and nonessential businesses is still necessary to keep the public safe.
STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE DROPS OUT OF RACE
Stella Padilla, one of the two candidates in the House District 11 race, has decided to withdraw. Due to the COVID-19 situation, Stella was unable to remove her name from the ballot, but she is encouraging everyone to vote for Adrian Trujillo, whose name will appear beside hers.