Senate Minority Whip Craig Brandt- 505-503-5001
Eliminate lengthy Quarantine & Allow Overnight Camping
“It is time Dr. Scrase answer legislators’ questions”
Santa Fe- To revive the critical tourism industry in New Mexico, the state needs to stop destroying it. Those were some of the comments made by legislators today at a committee meeting about rebuilding the tourism industry in seven years. Legislators said restrictive health orders need to be loosened, including allowing overnight camping at state parks and eliminating the lengthy the 14-day quarantine, especially now that the CDC is no longer recommending a quarantine.
These were some of the points the New Mexico Tourism Secretary was told as she presented the Economic and Rural Development Committee today a report on how New Mexico’s tourism economy can recover in seven years. Some legislators are hopeful for recovery in three years.
Senate Minority Whip Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho) told the Tourism Secretary that he has to travel out- of- state to camp overnight because New Mexico’s camp sites are still closed for overnight camping. “Having to travel out- of- state to camp does not help our New Mexico tourism economy recover when we have to spend our tourism dollars elsewhere,” Senator Brandt said. “It makes no sense that overnight camping in the fresh air continues to be banned in our state. Seven years is a long time to wait for recovery of one of our most important industries.”
When the Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer was asked why the state continues to have such a lengthy quarantine and continues to ban overnight camping she stated the health orders are best answered by the state’s health officials.
That is when Senator Brandt said the committee should invite Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase and Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel to the committee meetings so the legislators can get the answers they need about the restrictive health orders. Despite legislators writing letters and requesting the data that the health orders are based on, their questions remain unanswered.
“It is time Dr. Scrase answer legislators’ questions,” Senator Brandt said.
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New Mexico State Senator Craig Brandt of Rio Rancho is the acting Senate Minority Whip and he has served in the New Mexico Senate since 2013. He represents District 40 which includes the following cities, town and counties: Rio Rancho and the town of Bernalillo – Sandoval County. Senator Brandt, a Republican serves on the following committees when the legislature is in session: Senate Education and Senate Public Affairs. His Community Service has also included being Vice-President of the Rio Rancho School Board and he is a veteran who served in the United States Air Force as a Security Policeman. You can follow Senator Brandt on: Facebook at Craig Brandt for New Mexico, Twitter@Craig4NM
