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Against the governor's order, Grants mayor will open city next week
T.J. Wilham
Investigative Producer
Against the governor's order, Grants mayor will open city next week
5:00 P.M. THE NAVAJO NATION’S ORDER WAS SET TO EXPIRE THIS SUNDAY. THE GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER FORCING ALL NON ESSENTIAL SHOPS TO CLOSE HAS HIT SMALL BUSINESSES PARTICULARLY HARD. AND NOW THE MAYOR OF ONE NEW MEXICO TOWN THAT THRIVES ON SMALL MOM AND POP SHOPS IS NOW TELLING THEM, TO OPEN THEIR DOORS DESPITE WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAYS. DOUG: GRANTS MAYOR MARTIN HICKS SAYS DOZENS OF LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES THERE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE WHILE LARGER CORPORATELY OWNED STORES ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL AND ALLOWED TO STAY OPEN. NOW, HE’S WILLING TO GO AGAINST THE GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER, NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS HIM. >> I AM PREPARED TO TAKE WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO GIVE ME BECAUSE SHE IS ALREADY KILLING US ANYWAY. WHAT SHE GOING TO DO SHE HASN’T ALREADY DONE TO US? SHE HAS TAKEN ALL OF OUR JOBS. WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO, COME PUT ME IN JAIL? DOUG: MAYOR MARTIN HICKS SAYS THE GOVERNOR’S ORDER IS KILLING HIS TOWN. SO MONDAY, HE IS CALLING ALL OF GRANTS 100 CITY EMPLOYEES TO COME BACK TO WORK, AND IS ASKING ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES TO OPEN. BUT THOSE WHO DO WOULD BE VIOLATING THE GOVERNOR’S ORDERS, AND COULD GET CITED. >> WE ARE REOPENING GRANTS. WE WILL FOLLOW CDC GUIDELINES AND DO SOCIAL DISTANCING, BUT WE WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS -- EVEN THOUGH IT IS AGAINST THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER. DOUG: 80 BUSINESSES SIGNED THIS PETITION, ASKING THE GOVERNOR TO ALLOW THEM TO REOPEN WITH THE SAME SOCIAL DISTANCING RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON LARGER SHOPS. RONNY PYNES, WHO IS PART OWNER OF THE HANDBAG LADY, SIGNED THE PETITION BUT DOESN’T KNOW IF HE WILL OPEN MONDAY. >> IT’S A TOUGH DECISION. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LAW-ABIDING BUSINESS OWNERS AND PEOPLE. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WILL PERMIT US TO OPEN. DOUG: PYNES HAS ALREADY TAPED LINES TO HIS FLOOR, SIX FEET APART. >> WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN GOVERN OUR OWN BUSINESSES SAFELY. SAFER HERE THAN IF I WAS GOING TO A BIG BOX. DOUG: HE ALSO WANTS TO OPEN AND STILL FOLLOW THE LAW. >> WE ARE GOING TO DO SOME REAL SOUL SEARCHING TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO OPEN UP MONDAY. I DON’T WANT THE STATE POLICE TO CITE ME FOR ANYTHING. I TRY NOT TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN EVER. [LAUGHTER] DOUG: THE MAYOR SAYS GRANTS POLICE WILL NOT ENFORCE THE GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER, AND THE COUNTY SHERIFF WON’T EITH
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Against the governor's order, Grants mayor will open city next week
T.J. Wilham
Investigative Producer
The mayor of Grants is calling all of the city’s 100 employees back to work and is telling local businesses that they should open their doors.“On Monday… we are reopening Grants,” Mayor Martin Hicks said. “Yes we are, we are going to follow the CDC guidelines. We are going to do the social distancing, but we will be open for business even though that is against the governor’s executive order.”Hicks says that his city is dying, and more than 80 locally-owned businesses have been forced to close its doors due to the public health order. Meanwhile, larger corporately owned retailers have been allowed to stay open because they have been deemed essential.”Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham extended the public health order Wednesday to May 15 which limits gatherings to five people and forces all nonessential businesses to close.“I am prepared to take whatever she wants to give me because she is already killing us anyway,” Hicks said. “What she going to do she hasn’t already done to us? She has taken all of our jobs. What she going to do come put me in jail?”The governor responded to the mayor’s action on Wednesday when asked.“It’s still a violation of those orders and I very much respect the mayor’s intent, which is helping to promote economic resiliency, supporting workers and families.” Lujan Grisham said. “But, I need everyone to help us use this platform… Mayor’s Council… Economic Recovery Council. Let us help you make the best public health and economic recovery.”The majority of Grants' small businesses have signed a petition asking the governor to allow them to open under the same social distancing restrictions as the larger business.Despite the mayor’s statements, those businesses that open would still be violating the governor’s orders and could get cited. But it won’t be from Grants police or the Cibola County Sheriff. Hicks said neither of those agencies will be enforcing the governor’s public health order. But the state police can still enforce the order in Grants.Ronny Pynes, who is part owner of Handbag Lady, signed the petition. He doesn’t know if he is going to open come Monday. “It’s a tough decision,” Pynes said. “We have always been law-abiding business owners. I would like to think our constitutional rights will permit us to open.”Pynes has already taped lines to his floor 6-feet apart so customers can stand safely away.“We can govern ourselves. I feel like we can govern our own businesses safely,” Pynes said. “Your safe in here...safer than if I was going to a big box store. We are going to do some real soul searching to decide whether to open up Monday. I don’t want the state police to cite me for anything.”
GRANTS, N.M. —

The mayor of Grants is calling all of the city’s 100 employees back to work and is telling local businesses that they should open their doors.

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“On Monday… we are reopening Grants,” Mayor Martin Hicks said. “Yes we are, we are going to follow the CDC guidelines. We are going to do the social distancing, but we will be open for business even though that is against the governor’s executive order.”

Hicks says that his city is dying, and more than 80 locally-owned businesses have been forced to close its doors due to the public health order. Meanwhile, larger corporately owned retailers have been allowed to stay open because they have been deemed essential.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham extended the public health order Wednesday to May 15 which limits gatherings to five people and forces all nonessential businesses to close.

“I am prepared to take whatever she wants to give me because she is already killing us anyway,” Hicks said. “What she going to do she hasn’t already done to us? She has taken all of our jobs. What she going to do come put me in jail?”

The governor responded to the mayor’s action on Wednesday when asked.

“It’s still a violation of those orders and I very much respect the mayor’s intent, which is helping to promote economic resiliency, supporting workers and families.” Lujan Grisham said. “But, I need everyone to help us use this platform… Mayor’s Council… Economic Recovery Council. Let us help you make the best public health and economic recovery.”

The majority of Grants' small businesses have signed a petition asking the governor to allow them to open under the same social distancing restrictions as the larger business.

Despite the mayor’s statements, those businesses that open would still be violating the governor’s orders and could get cited. But it won’t be from Grants police or the Cibola County Sheriff. Hicks said neither of those agencies will be enforcing the governor’s public health order. But the state police can still enforce the order in Grants.

Ronny Pynes, who is part owner of Handbag Lady, signed the petition. He doesn’t know if he is going to open come Monday.

“It’s a tough decision,” Pynes said. “We have always been law-abiding business owners. I would like to think our constitutional rights will permit us to open.”

Pynes has already taped lines to his floor 6-feet apart so customers can stand safely away.

“We can govern ourselves. I feel like we can govern our own businesses safely,” Pynes said. “Your safe in here...safer than if I was going to a big box store. We are going to do some real soul searching to decide whether to open up Monday. I don’t want the state police to cite me for anything.”