Mayor Keller

Could ABQ residents again hear "paper or plastic" at the grocery checkout? They will if a bill sponsored by ABQ City Councilor Brook Bassan makes it through the council with at least six votes. 

She needs six to bring back the plastic because Mayor Keller is sure to veto the measure if it reaches his desk. It takes six votes to override a mayoral veto. If there is a veto and an override it would be the first one by the new council that took office in January and would represent a tick toward the center by the panel. 

The ban on the plastic bags is a fave of progressive enviros. Dem Councilors Pat Davis and Ike Benton are big Fans. But Republican Bassan says she's received numerous complaints from constituents over the issue which is on again off again. Keller temporarily allowed the popular bags during Covid but the ban took effect again last August. From her City Hall office Bassan tells us:

Okay. But what about going to all paper bags? She told TV news:

Councilor Bassan

In the post-Covid era Bassan, who often tacks to the middle, says shoppers have grown skeptical of "dirty, germ carrying" bags they tote to the market and have to wash regularly but often don't. She also says the city should be more concerned with its subpar recycling effort of plastics, not the single use plastic bags. 

There appears to be a weariness toward some aspects of progressive politics as the city continues to be bedeviled by the ongoing crime wave. Bassan may have caught the vibe and Keller may have to play catch up as he has tried to do with a more tough on crime stance during the recent legislative session.

The Council is 5 to 4 with Dems in the majority. But Dem westside Councilor Louis Sanchez is a conservative and his could be the fifth vote for lifting the bag ban. The sixth? That could be Dem Councilor Klarissa Pena. 

Keller has been urging neighborhood groups to call their councilors in support of keeping the ban. The council meets Monday. It is uncertain whether there will be a final vote on the bill which has passed one council committee. 

State Dems head to Roswell this weekend for their preprimary convention. The GOP preprimary last weekend went off the rails because of vote counting snafus. That should be avoided by the Dems. Delegates will vote remotely and the results of the balloting to place candidates on the June 7 primary ballot won't be announced until March 13.  The event will be headlined by MLG and Senator Heinrich. 

Former Corrales Mayor Phil Gasteyer writes of this week's village election results:

Thanks, Phil. We didn't know Gary Kanin was running again. We remember him well from years ago. By then he was done with news anchoring and was in advertising at KOAT-TV but he still had the "voice of God."

A Senior Alligator of the Republican variety reports:

Chase ran and lost against Yvette Herrell in 2020 for the GOP nomination for the southern GOP congressional district. She is the mother of young twins and is married to Chance Chase of the wealthy Artesia NM oil family. Claire Chase is a former chair of the NM Oil and Gas Association. 

Labor leader Darrell Deaguero has joined former ABQ City Councilor Cynthia Borrego in the race for the Dem nomination in ABQ westside District 17. This is a swing seat and the R's are expected to make a go of it there. Filing day for all 70 state House seats is next Tuesday.