Gov. Lujan Grisham on COVID Crisis, Health Order Enforcement & Covering COVID in Southeast New Mexico

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been shepherding New Mexico through the COVID-19 crisis since the first case hit the state in March. NMiF senior producer Matt Grubs talks to her about trying to balance life and livelihood as she deals with the devastating effects of the pandemic on New Mexicans.

Correspondent Laura Paskus is back with a new installment in her ongoing series of conversations with journalists covering COVID-19 in their communities. This week she welcomes Jessica Onsurez, editor of the Carlsbad Current Argus, to talk about covering the virus in a part of New Mexico where case prevalence continues to rise amid resistance to the governor’s public health orders.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel give their insights and opinions on how the governor has been handling the COVID crisis so far and look at what the future might hold concerning education and the economy. The Line panel also analyzes the recent New Mexico Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the governor’s power to issue sizable fines to enforce public health orders. For the final topic, The Line looks at efforts to do away with qualified immunity. That’s the legal doctrine designed to protect public employees from crippling lawsuits, but some say it comes at a too-high cost of civil rights.

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