Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
An anti-abortion ordinance tabled by Clovis city commission Nov. 3 continued to be a topic of public comment at Thursday’s commission meeting.
Mayor Mike Morris brought the matter up during the “Reports of Boards, Officers and Committees” portion of the meeting.
“I’m working to effect legislation,” Morris said of working on the abortion issue at the state level..
Morris described the tabling of the proposed ordinance as “keeping it alive.”
He said he is in “daily communication” with lawmakers about “our ideas” referring to the desires of anti-abortion supporters in the area and possible abortion allowance changes in the 60-day legislative session starting Jan. 17.
Morris said he is working on the long-term issues in relation to abortion in New Mexico.
During the public comment portion of the commission meeting, five men spoke in support of untabling and passing the anti-abortion ordinance.
“We’re calling on you to represent us,” Logan Brown of Portales said, “Untable this ordinance. Pass it.”
Erick Welsh of Clovis echoed a matter that Brown mentioned in saying there is no negotiation on the matter of abortion.
“Santa Fe won’t negotiate,” he said. “Neither will we.”
Farril Defoor of Clovis in his comments alleged Morris and all the commissioners are “locked and loaded and ready to approve the ordinance.”
“I ask that you untable this ordinance immediately,” Defoor said. “Waiting around the Roundhouse [in Santa Fe] to get anything done is a waste of time.”
“It’s time to pass this and quit playing politics,” Defoor said. “It’s time to fight for the unborn.”
Morris and the commissioners had no comment to the men’s comments as that typically doesn’t happen during the public comment portion of the commission meeting.
In other business United Way of Eastern New Mexico Executive Director Erinn Burch along with Rick Masters of Cannon Air Force Base gave an update on the works of the United Way in the area.
Commissioners voted unanimously to pass a resolution supporting the Strategic Highway Network and adding Curry Road Q, State Route 467 and U. S. Highway 60 to that network.
The network is one that links the nation’s military installations and could mean more federal highway dollars for the area.
Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Agreement between Clovis, Portales, Fort Sumner and Curry, Roosevelt, DeBaca and Quay counties for an Inpatient/Outpatient Psychiatric Hospital to be located in Clovis.
Clovis Police Chief Roy Rice and other members of the Clovis Police Department appeared before commissioners to honor retiring Police Sergeant Antonio Bosque for 28 years of service in Clovis from 1994 to 2022.
Morris announce the closure of City Hall on Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Dec. 26 and on Monday, Jan. 2.
With the end of the meeting Morris and the commissioners said, “Merry Christmas.”
