Yesterday was another heart breaking day for the owners, employees and customers of restaurants in New Mexico. After a Judge issued a temporary restraining order allowing restaurants to open for indoor dining at 50% the Supreme Court shot it down. Makes my head swim. Can you even imagine the hurt and pain??? Then I read this quote by the Governor in the ABQ Journal this morning and it made my head hurt.
“I am grateful for the court’s quick action,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “Businesses all across New Mexico have been battered by the effects of this pandemic; they are owed consistency and fairness, which my administration has endeavored to provide at every opportunity.”
What? Really Governor? Consistency and fairness??? This type of action wears the nerves very thin not to mention it forces the closer of restaurants for good. Over 200 restaurants in our state have shut their doors forever according to the NM Restaurant Association. On again, off again for indoor dining in New Mexico
The Governor’s administration is in a mess in more ways the one, how many have quit her administration over the last year? Even the Health Secretary is retiring. Now we learn from KOB TV the head of Education is living in Philadelphia!!! Come on Governor this is not acceptable! Hire someone from New Mexico to run our Education! 4 Investigates: PED Secretary managing NM education COVID crisis from Philadelphia
With spikes in COVID-19 leading some states to pause their reopening processes and some local areas to close down, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released updated rankings for the States with the Fewest Coronavirus Restrictions, as well as accompanying videos and audio files.
To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key metrics. Our data set ranges from whether the state has any penalties for non-compliance with COVID-19 legislation to whether the state has required face masks in public and health checks at restaurants. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.
| States with the Fewest Restrictions | States with the Most Restrictions |
| 1. South Dakota | 42. New Mexico |
| 2. Wisconsin | 43. Vermont |
| 3. Oklahoma | 44. Arizona |
| 4. Utah | 45. North Carolina |
| 5. Iowa | 46. Texas |
| T-6. Idaho | 47. Colorado |
| T-6. Wyoming | 48. Massachusetts |
| 8. South Carolina | 49. Pennsylvania |
| 9. Arkansas | 50. New Jersey |
| 10. North Dakota | 51. California |
Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, July 20 2020.
Biggest Changes in Rank from the Previous Report
- New York moved from 45 to 29, up 16 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state only advises high-risk groups quarantine and has expanded large gatherings to a new limit above 25.
- Maine moved from 45 to 32, up 13 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has lifted all stay-at-home mandatory restrictions.
- Pennsylvania moved from 28 to 49, down 21 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has a new limit on large gatherings of 25 or below, has limited dine-in service and has newly closed bars.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-coronavirus-restrictions/73818/
Q&A with WalletHub
Should states strictly enforce their COVID-19 restrictions?
“States should strictly enforce their COVID-19 restrictions because otherwise there is no incentive for people to follow the rules. If there are no consequences for disobeying a state’s mask mandate, for example, people will be more likely to try to enter crowded areas without masks, which in turn will contribute to the spread of the virus,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Fines are a good deterrent to make sure Americans follow COVID-19 restrictions, and enforcement will also minimize the need for citizens to play the police.”
Should states that see spikes in COVID-19 deaths just pause their reopening or reinstitute lockdowns?
“States with spikes in COVID-19 deaths should pause their reopening as well as make sure extra preventative measures are in place, like mandatory mask wearing and temperature checks at workplaces and busy transit hubs. Some states, such as Texas and Arizona, have already paused their reopening yet don’t require masks in public,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “It may be necessary to reinstitute lockdowns in some places at a micro level, in small communities that are experiencing especially high death and hospitalization rates.”
How have the recent protests across the U.S. affected states’ reopening plans?
“The recent protests throughout the U.S. could both help and hurt states’ reopening efforts. On the positive side, the protests may prove to people that it’s safer to be outside than they thought, leading to more economic activity sooner. On the negative side, the protests could lead to spikes in COVID-19 cases that might force reopening delays due to public health concerns,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Even if reopening proceeds without delay in a given area, some business owners will face setbacks unrelated to the coronavirus. The rioting that accompanied protests in some cities caused damage to businesses just as they were starting to reopen. Hopefully, damaged businesses can get back on track through insurance or government assistance.”
What should states be most mindful of when reopening?
“States should be most mindful of limiting close contact between residents even as businesses reopen, which means that state legislatures should transition from guidelines on social distancing to laws, such as requiring mask wearing in public places and limiting the number of people per square footage. States can show extra care to vulnerable populations by making sure they are accommodated with free deliveries of essential goods and exclusive hours at all businesses,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Most importantly, state governments need to closely monitor the number of coronavirus cases, prepare for a second wave, and adjust further reopening plans if needed to avoid too much of a strain on hospitals.”
Why does South Dakota rank as the state with the fewest coronavirus restrictions?
“South Dakota ranks as the state with the fewest coronavirus restrictions in part because it does not require or recommend working from home and it does not currently have penalties or enforcement for non-compliance with COVID-19 legislation,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “South Dakota does not currently have any restrictions on large gatherings, and it is the only state that didn’t require restaurants to close during the pandemic.”
New York has experienced the most coronavirus cases overall in the U.S. but has had a big decline in new cases. How has that impacted the state’s restrictions?
“New York ranks as No. 22 for the most coronavirus restrictions in the U.S.,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Recently, New York expanded its limit on large gatherings after keeping the number at 25 people or fewer for months. While New York is one of only five states that still have some form of quarantine active, only high-risk groups are advised to quarantine. Restaurants in New York can offer limited dine-in service with restrictions on capacity, while 18 states don’t have any limitations on dining.”
From Yesterday:
I have no words……I had to correct my headline because I typed it wrong! I am so disgusted I cannot see straight!
NM Supreme Court overrides judge, forces indoor dining to close again
This is so very ugly!
From earlier today:
How about this!
Judge reverts to June 30 PHO where restaurants can open for indoor dining at 50% capacity. KRQE has the story NM judge issues temporary restraining order; restaurants can open for 10 days
From the NM GOP HOUSE:
Santa Fe, NM – Today a District Court Judge issued a temporary restraining order against Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Secretary of Health in response to the administration’s extreme tactics for compliance in the state’s economic shutdown.
Lujan Grisham has been under tremendous pressure over the past several weeks following months long restrictions in economic activity, including recent updates to her orders which inflicted further restrictions to the restaurant and brewery industries directly. The singling out of one specific industry led to virtual and in-person protests across the state, demanding that the administration adjust it’s antagonistic re-closure of New Mexico businesses.
“One person cannot make all the decisions for New Mexico, the Governor was elected to work for the people and unfortunately some of her decisions have really hurt New Mexicans,” House Republican Leader Jim Townsend (Artesia). “If the Governor and her staff had not made this political, I believe that our state would have continued to slow the spread as we were just a few weeks ago.”
UPDATE Monday Morning July 20th: Ruidoso: Trying to avoid falling ‘off the cliff’
Las Cruces mayor joins restaurateurs in calling for reopenings
Belen restaurant defying health orders to stop indoor dining
4 more NM restaurants have permits suspended after violating public health order
American Family Association Supports Pastor’s Religious Liberty Lawsuit Against Virginia’s COVID-19 Church Invasion
‘To Preserve Religious Liberty in America, Prepare To Defend Yourselves’
TUPELO, Miss. — A Virginia pastor who until last week was facing jail time and a $2,500 fine for holding services during the coronavirus pandemic is suing the state for violating his religious liberty, drawing support from the American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net).
Kevin Wilson, pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship Church, defied Gov. Ralph Northam’s order to limit religious gatherings to 10 people by allowing 16 worshippers into his 293-seat sanctuary on April 5. Officers interrupted the worship service to issue a summons that threatened a fine and incarceration.
AFA — along with the U.S. Justice Department and Vice President Mike Pence — has expressed support for Wilson’s religious liberty suit against Virginia. AFA Executive Vice President Ed Vitagliano says the abuse of power suffered by Wilson and his congregation reflects a deep-seated prejudice against Christianity in American culture.
“While the vast majority of Americans have been struggling to cope with the challenges presented by Covid-19, something else has become very clear: the latent hostility of the secularist left,” Vitagliano said. “The virulent anti-Christian bigotry in our nation has been eye-opening. For police in Virginia to rush into a church and charge a pastor with a crime for holding a worship service makes it stunningly clear that the God-haters were merely waiting for their chance to pounce. Those with a mind to preserve religious liberty in America, prepare to defend yourselves.”
During the period in which Wilson was served the summons, Northam was encouraging mass protests and holding press conferences that did not abide by a 10-person limit, according to Mat Staver, Wilson’s lawyer and the founder of Liberty Counsel.
The Department of Justice submitted a statement of interest in support of Lighthouse Fellowship Church on May 3.
“This case raises issues of national public importance regarding the interplay between the government’s compelling interest in protecting public health and safety from COVID-19 and citizens’ fundamental right to the free exercise of religion,” the DOJ statement asserted. “There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.”
The charges against Wilson were dropped on July 10.
View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.
What do you think of this?
Kentucky couple under house arrest after refusing to sign self-quarantine agreement
The husband and wife said they can’t travel more than 200 feet.
Read in ABC News: https://apple.news/AKq-DR0LsS3-KrVuCwC6uCw
Shared from Apple News
Dobson: Spiritual Awakening or Else? America Needs Revival at ‘The Return’
Mass Movement Gains Momentum as Household Names Endorse Christian Resurgence Marching to Washington, D.C.
NEW YORK — The ancient city of Nineveh narrowly escaped judgment because its citizens heeded God’s call to repent of its worship of men and manmade things — and the United States is similarly poised for either rebellious destruction or religious revival, according to the internationally renowned Christian leaders of “The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance.”
“The Return” is a mass movement of individual believers and entire churches devoted to praying for Americans to repent and return to the God of the Bible. On Sept. 26 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Christians will from across the country come together to worship, hear from influential speakers, and pray for a new Great Awakening for the country.
Dr. James Dobson, (Pictured above) founder of Family Talk and the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, serves as a board member and upcoming speaker for “The Return.”
Dobson says America’s suffering, broken homes and decaying social structures are the natural consequences of a half-century of godless violence against the unborn.
“This moral degeneracy has resulted in shattered families, public schools that are corrupting our young, and seething hostility to the institution of marriage,” Dobson wrote in a July newsletter. “God’s holy name has been reduced to a sacrilege. A centerpiece of this evil world is the abortion industry which has murdered 60 million babies whom the Creator was knitting together in their mothers’ wombs. Their blood calls out to the Creator from the ground in which they lie.”
But the God of the Bible — and of millions of Americans — is faithful to preserve a remnant by calling His people to repentance, such as through “The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance.”
“That brings me to the most encouraging news I have to share with you. There is a huge event scheduled to occur on September 26th of this year. It is being called ‘The Return,’ Dobson wrote. “While it often appears that Western Civilization as we have known it is in its closing days, there are millions of Christians in this country who love Jesus and are praying fervently for a spiritual renewal. I am convinced that their plaintive pleas are being heard in heaven.”
The God of the Bible is a God of mercy. Just as in the case of Nineveh, when people humbly cry out in true repentance, He hears them and can bring revival.
Dobson says the future of the United States depends on what the American church does right now.
“Everything that made America great in these 244 years hangs in the balance,” Dobson wrote. “When I am tempted to despair, I remember that God is in control. Let’s continue to ask Him to bring a mighty spiritual reawakening that will restore our beloved nation to its spiritual roots and draw us to Himself.”
“The Return” is for all believers who love the Lord from all denominations and backgrounds. Leaders already on board with “The Return” include Jonathan Cahn and Kevin Jessip (co-chairs), Mike Lindell, Michele Bachmann, Pat Boone, Mark Gonzales, Robert Morris, Marcus Lamb, John Kilpatrick, Pierre Bynum, Gen. William Boykin, Carter Conlon, Bishop Harry Jackson, Alveda King, Anne Graham Lotz, Pat and Gordon Robertson, Kevin and Sam Sorbo, Stephen E. Strang, E.W. Jackson and many more supporters listed at thereturn.org/faith-leaders/.
Co-chairs of “The Return” Jonathan Cahn and Kevin Jessip have recorded a special video about the event, which already has over a million views. Watch here.
“The Return” is set for 40 days before the presidential election, and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, in the days of America’s founding and dedication to God. Surrounding the “The Day of Return” on Sept. 26 at the Washington Mall will be 10 days, known from ancient times as the Days of Awe, to be set as a special time of prayer and repentance from Sept. 18-28.
Coordinated events within “The Return” movement will also take place throughout America’s cities, towns, houses of worship and homes, as well as in multiple countries around the world, as many believe the nation has been given a critical window of opportunity to repent and return to God.
Visit “The Return” at www.TheReturn.org to register and learn more. Follow “The Return” on social media at Facebook: @ReturnEvent2020; Twitter: @2020_Return; and Instagram: @The_Return2020.
