By Robert Nott and Daniel J. Chacón, Santa Fe New Mexican |
January 17, 2021
Luis Sánchez Saturno/The New Mexican
Helena van Heiningen, backup journal clerk in the house, gets tested for Covid19 by John Mayer, volunteer fire fighter and assistant chief in the Tesuque district of Santa Fe county fire, prior to the beginning of the legislative session on Friday, January 15, 2021.
The 2021 legislative session opens this week amid the most unusual circumstances imaginable: fences and barriers around a vulnerable Capitol building, plans for extensive online participation from lawmakers and even a suggested five-bill introduction limit in the state House of Representatives.
By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce says democracy has been tarnished by unanswered questions about the 2020 vote count, which state officials called a false narrative.
His statement Thursday stops just short of repeating President Donald Trump s baseless claims of election fraud. Pearce says the state Republican Party recognizes Congress certification of the victory by President-elect Joe Biden.
But he says he has unanswered questions about the vote count, voting machines and drop boxes for absentee ballots.
A spokesman for the secretary of state s office says New Mexico s election was independently audited and that Pearce and the Republican Party should be ashamed of themselves for continuing false narratives.