Twenty counties in New Mexico have had less than a dozen total confirmed coronavirus cases each, many of those counties in southeastern New Mexico. Meanwhile, four counties have had more than 300 cases each.
Local legislators deem the state’s administration unfairly paints the whole state with the same brush when shutting down all “non-essential” businesses.
Elected legislators representing southeastern New Mexico firmly and respectfully urged Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to relax coronavirus restrictions apparently designed to protect northern and northwestern New Mexico citizens.
“Fairness and common sense are the two things I would like to emphasize,” said Rep. Larry Scott, R-Hobbs, the author of a letter signed by the nine southeastern New Mexico legislators, including all six legislators representing Lea County, seeking the governor’s attention.
While more than 80% of coronavirus cases are in four counties, so-called “non-essential” businesses in all 33 New Mexico counties are shut down by gubernatorial and state health department orders since last month. Five counties have had no cases. Lea has had a reported 10 cases, calculated as 1.2 cases per 10,000 population, based on the 2010 census.
The letter to the governor, sent at the same time municipal and county officials in southeastern New Mexico are sending their own letters and resolutions, urges a relaxation of rules established more than a month ago.
“We are writing in support of our county and city administrators to encourage your reconsideration of the current shutdown of ‘non-essential’ economic activity in southeast New Mexico,” the letter begins. “We believe that an effective public policy should balance the economic hardship being imposed upon our citizens against the mitigation of consequences imposed by the pandemic.”
The legislators continued, “While we recognize that there are parts of the state where more drastic measures are still required, the disease has largely been absent in the east and southeast portions of the state. In effect, the only consequences of the pandemic in our area have been self-inflicted.”
Scott told the News-Sun Friday, “I think the letter speaks for itself. I would emphasize fairness, which is a mom-and-pop store selling the same article or goods as a big box store should be allowed to do business. The second one would be common sense. Common sense would tell me that closing a state park or recreational facility or golf course, for example, where people are spread far and wide would be at least as safe from a virus activity as these places where people are congregating.”
Referring to a separate similar letter sent to the Democrat governor by the caucus of Republican senators, Rep. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, said, “I know we, the southeast legislators and also all the Republican senators sent her letters asking her to look at overall and start listening to rural New Mexico, and not just those in the corridor.”
The City of Eunice also has sent a letter asking the governor to relax business closures with safety rules in place, as has the Lea County administration and other nearby communities.
Rep. Phelps Anderson, R-Roswell, told the News-Sun, “As this public health crisis draws to an end, we must get New Mexicans back to work at the earliest possible date. New Mexico’s dramatic response has been working and now New Mexicans must turn and get back to building their businesses and New Mexico’s growth. Let’s hope for an end sooner, rather than later.”
The legislators’ letter to the governor addresses problems with hospitals anticipating large numbers of coronavirus cases.
“Hospitals in particular have been hard hit. These facilities have been forced to turn away patients in anticipation of an influx of COVID-19 cases, and medical personnel now face the prospect of reduced hours or furloughs because there are none of these cases in our area of the state,” the letter said.
Sen. Gay Kernan, R-Hobbs, also mentioned hospital issues.
“I feel, based on the last press conference, her intention is to wait until every area is in a position to (open for business), which is concerning for us. We feel small businesses everywhere in New Mexico could do it just as safely as some of the larger stores that are allowed to continue,” Kernan said. “(The letter is) mostly about small businesses and the hospitals.”
She explained the legislators’ effort is “to support our county commission and our cities that are reaching out to the governor. We want them to know we stand behind them on that request.”
Sen. Gregg Fulfer, R-Jal, noted the variance between coronavirus cases in the state.
“We’ve had a total different experience down here in Lea and Eddy counties, compared to Bernalillo County and some of the other counties up there,” Fulfer said. “With the temperature coming up now, I think it’s a good time to start getting some of these businesses open right away. Waiting until May 15 (the governor’s declared intended extension date) may be too late for some of our businesses. They’re getting in bad shape. The oilfield is down and everybody is hurting. If we (don’t) get some of these businesses open and get people employed, it will be detrimental to our economy. If we keep putting it off, I’m afraid we’re not going to have any economy to come back. Time is getting to be a critical matter. I think the governor needs to take that into perspective. … I think we can do it safely and I think it’s time.”
Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, who represents parts of Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Lea and Roosevelt counties, said, “I’ve had calls from the medical community and businesses. Everybody is concerned about getting this state into some kind of operational mode because it’s really devastating to the economy of the state if we can’t do business.”
Looking specifically at the local political subdivisions’ normal income from gross receipts taxes, Ingle added, “Our cities and counties are going to have a hell of a hole in their gross receipts revenue. We can do it slowly and take our time, but we need to offer at least curbside if we can.”
Ingle said social distancing can be achieved at least as well as now accomplished in large stores, such as Walmart, where “everybody is breathing same air.”
“We have a low, low number of cases in lots of regions in this state and we need to have some things where we can get some economy and purchasing back into our counties and cities,” Ingle concluded.
The legislators’ letter calls for a “staged reopening of hospitals, businesses and recreational facilities with necessary safeguards…”
Noting that “Texas counties that border southeast New Mexico have a number of businesses that are open, and many of our residents are going to those establishments to the detriment of our businesses and economy,” the letter points to the hazards already in place, both economic and health-related.
“New Mexico is a large, diverse and heterogeneous state. Please do not paint the entire state with a common policy brush when less harsh measures surely seem appropriate in many areas,” the legislators said. “One can make a strong case that ALL businesses are essential. They certainly are to the folks who own and run them. We urge you again to reconsider.”
Other legislators signing the letter to the governor included Rep. James Townsend, R-Artesia, Sen. Ron Griggs, R-Alamogordo, and Rep. Cathrynn Brown, R-Carlsbad.
Curtis C. Wynne may be contacted at reporter3@hobbsnews.com.
