Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Quay County Commission’s approval during its last meeting of a nonbinding resolution declaring itself a “Second Amendment sanctuary county” apparently was not met with universal approval from constituents.
Daniel Garcia, a rural Tucumcari resident, told commissioners during the public-comment portion of Monday’s meeting “I strongly oppose this” resolution.
Such sanctuary-county resolutions similar to Quay County’s have been approved in at least 19 counties in the wake of the New Mexico Legislature considering several gun-control bills.
Garcia prefaced his remarks by saying he was a veteran of the National Guard and Marines, and his father died during the Battle of Anzio in World War II and is buried in Italy.
Waving a Feb. 13 edition of the Quay County Sun that contained a front-page report about the sanctuary-county vote, Garcia said: “What does the county commission have to do with gun rights?”
Garcia also said he was troubled by Quay County Sheriff Russell Shafer’s vow to not enforce new gun-control laws he deemed unconstitutional.
“He is obligated to enforce the law,” Garcia said. He added he feared such a stance would put the county “in legal jeopardy.”
Shafer did not attend Monday’s meeting. County commissioners did not respond to Garcia’s comments.
The county commission sets aside time on its agenda for public comment, but residents often don’t avail themselves of it.
Commissioners also heard a report from county lobbyist Clinton Harden, a former state senator, about the ongoing New Mexico legislative session.
“What’s different about this session is the amount of money,” Harden said, referring to an estimated $1.2 billion surplus in the state’s coffers. “It’s a huge, huge pot.”
Harden said rural legislative districts such as state Sen. Pat Woods’ and state Rep. Jack Chatfield’s will have to spread out state money across a wider territory than urban lawmakers.
“I’m hoping Quay County will get its fair share,” Harden said.
One proposal being considered is to appoint Public Regulation Commission members instead of elect them. Harden said he opposes such a bill because “there’s a good possibility our interests will be diminished.” County commissioner Mike Cherry agreed and said he also opposed the plan.
Harden also noted Democrats hold a supermajority in legislative committees, and there’s “very little rural representation” on such panels, especially in the House.
Harden said he hopes he can persuade state lawmakers to pass a law that would reimburse counties for holding state inmates.
Harden said the New Mexico Association of Counties is watching several bills. He noted Woods vigorously opposed Senate Bill 8, which would require background checks during all gun sales, because it’s “impossible to enforce.”
In other business, commissioners:
• Approved a $97,540 Local DWI grant request from Andrea Shafer, Quay County DWI coordinator, for fiscal year 2019-2020 for a preventionist. Shafer said the county’s current preventionist is leaving her position, which may require changes in the application.
• Approved a third- and fourth-quarter mill levy and gross-receipts tax payment for Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari. Troy Clark, who represented the hospital, thanked the commission and Quay County voters for supporting the renewal of the hospital tax during the November election.
• Road Superintendent Larry Moore reported work on Quay Road 65 was finished. He said he is requesting $355,485 from the state for work on 1.45 miles of Quay Road AF east of Tucumcari.