Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
CLOVIS — A sense of optimism and a spirit of cooperation marked a Thursday morning look at the upcoming New Mexico legislative session, with state and federal elected officials joining the Eastern Plains Council of Government’s virtual forum.
The one-hour forum featured a pair of legislators and both Congressional representatives for the multi-county area EPCOG serves, and started with representatives-elect Yvette Herrell from the Second District and Teresa Leger Fernandez from the Third. Both signaled they looked forward to working with each other, and ostensibly whoever represents the First District — either Rep. Deb Haaland or whoever replaces her in a special election should she be confirmed as Interior Secretary.
“We’ve gotten so used to this line in the sand,” said Herrell, who said she is waiting on committee assignments and hopes to land a spot on the Natural Resources Committee.
“I anticipate we’ll be working on many issues together,” Fernandez said, noting she would rely on the people in the forum as her “experts on the ground” when she is in Washington.
Sandy Chancey, executive director for EPCOG, told the representatives they were always welcome to use the council’s office in Clovis for constituent outreach.
Also attending were Rep. Martin Zamora and Sen. Pat Woods.
Zamora, recently re-elected for his second term, said plenty about the upcoming session was still up in the air, particularly regarding where the session will be and what an anticipated hybrid of in-person and online attendance.
“You look back in hindsight, you’ve learned so much,” Zamora said of the pandemic. “It’s unreal what we’ve been through. Something good will come out of it.”
Zamora said he is working on what he calls the “weather expansion bill,” which would improve state and federal communication regarding the U.S. Drought Monitor and provide New Mexico farmers with greater eligibiilty for federal funds. Zamora said he was sidelined after a recent surgery, and credited Woods with picking up a great deal of the work on the legislation.
Woods told the forum that now that elections are over, it’s time to get over the animosity of the campaign season and govern for the good of New Mexicans.
“We’re going to get through this COVID deal,” Woods said. “It is a time of great stress for many people, and I’m very concerned about our behavioral health problems and our distanced schooling. Our kids are losing a lot of time. I’ve got a son who’s a teacher, and he tells me constantly (about) the challenges that are there for the teachers and the kids.”
Woods said the state budget wasn’t looking so bad; “I have a hard time getting that in my head, with the state economy shut down like it is.” He credited federal stimulus money, increased oil prices and savings from running state offices virtually.
Zamora said while the state’s economic outlook is brighter than anticipated, citizens are still bearing the brunt of the pandemic.
“We’re still sitting on a ledge,” Zamora said. “We need to pay attention to that, and try to make things work for the people of the state. The state’s going to be OK; there are a lot of individual budgets and households we need to be concerned about.”
Zamora noted he is working with Sen. Pete Campos on a letter asking Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to allow extensions on unencumbered capital outlay spending, as getting contractors and supplies lined up has proven difficult.
“I know this problem goes back further than what I’m talking about,” Zamora said, “but 2020 put a bump in the road that we need to look at.”
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who also joined in on the forum, said he was looking forward to working with the southeastern New Mexico legislators and that “we’re all New Mexicans” when the chips are down.
“Before COVID, during COVID and after COVID,” Morales said, “the most important thing and the biggest qualities each of us New Mexicans always have and always show are kindness, compassion and love for each other. That doesn’t change.”
Constance Williams, a field representative for Senator-Elect Ben Ray Lujan, encouraged people to use whatever government resources were available and to avoid reducing things to party politics; “in the end, that doesn’t do anything for any of us.”
Clovis Mayor Mike Morris said he was encouraged by the spirit of cooperation, and asked legislators to consider allowing communities of any size to use local economic development dollars towards recruiting and retaining retail business. That use is currently not allowed for communities of 35,000 or more.
