In late May, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office sent out a press release announcing an executive order that declared a drought emergency and state of emergency in New Mexico. The order itself was missing two things: It didn’t actually include an emergency declaration, and it didn’t say why the state was in the midst of the worst drought conditions in recorded history.
Lujan Grisham’s order did urge local governments to consider “appropriate” firework bans. It also told the New Mexico Drought Task Force to meet and make “near-term action recommendations no later than July 31” — more than two months after the executive order was signed, and deep into fire season.
