Two House Republicans file to impeach governor

Jan. 17—Two House Republicans have filed articles of impeachment against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Rep. John Block of Alamogordo and Rep. Stefani Lord of Sandia Park filed for impeachment Tuesday. The same representatives attempted to call an extraordinary session to impeach the governor in September but failed to collect enough signatures.

Their push for an extraordinary session came after Lujan Grisham issued a public health order that prohibited open and concealed carry of guns in Bernalillo County, with a few exceptions, after a child was shot and killed leaving an Isotopes baseball game on Sept. 6.

The health order was almost immediately challenged in court and pared down to parks and playgrounds.

But, Block said, "you can't unbake the cake."

The articles filed Tuesday allege that Lujan Grisham, who was first elected in 2018, violated her oath of office, the U.S. and New Mexico constitutions and misused public funding in enforcing the order.

"It warrants impeachment," Block said. "There is no other remedy."

Maddy Hayden, a spokesperson for the Governor, called the filings a "political stunt."

"It's embarrassing that these legislators, elected to represent the people of their districts, are not pursuing a single piece of meaningful legislation to address the issues that New Mexicans are literally begging them to address," Hayden said in an email to the Journal, citing public safety, education, housing and homelessness.

"There's not much to say in direct response to this inane effort, but I will point out that this is coming from two legislators whose other priorities include banning necrophilia, building a border wall between Mexico and New Mexico, castrating sex offenders, reinstating the death penalty — and raising quail without a permit."

Both chambers of the Legislature have to vote to impeach — the House with a simple majority vote, and the Senate with a two-thirds vote. Democrats retain a majority in both chambers.