By GORBIN LARS
Los Alamos

In 1978 HB25 was introduced on the floor of the New Mexico House of Representatives. The objective of the legislation was to build a moat around New Mexico to “keep them friggen Texans out.” The bill was revenue neutral as funding for the moat construction was to come through confiscation of all Texan ski equipment found in the state.

The bill of course was a joke. It was introduced during the YMCA model legislative session that year. While it was introduced in jest, it illuminated a fascinating and very real difference in perspective depending on where people lived in NM. The high school delegates from the central and northern part of the state thought the bill was terribly funny, while the delegates from the eastern part of the state vigorously defended Texans during the debate on the bill. The discussions were always very friendly, but they did get lively. So lively in fact that the local news provided coverage of the “vote the moat” debate during the evening broadcast.

48 years after HB25 was debated in Santa Fe, a new (and real) piece of legislation has been introduced; this time on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives by House Speaker Dustin Burrows. The objective of this bill is to explore the idea of Texas annexing western NM counties that border Texas. Much as it was 48 years ago, many people in northern and central NM see this as a joke, while many eastern New Mexicans feel more aligned with the Texas leaders than they do with their own state leaders.

New Mexico is a deep Blue state. In the last half century, we have had a Democratic Governor >60% of the time, and have had a Democratic majority in both houses of the State legislature over 95% of the time.

I highly encourage the party that is in charge to not let another half century go by where our fellow New Mexicans in the eastern part of the state feel like they are the butt of jokes and feel more aligned with Texas than New Mexico. Please listen to what those constituents are saying so that they never feel that belonging to Texas would be a better option. I would hate for New Mexico to someday have to consider turning the Pecos River into a moat.

1978 Moat legislation. Courtesy/Gorbin Lars