Lonna Atkeson, professor of political science at UNM, assessed the merits of the ad with the 4 Investigates Fact Check Team and also concluded that Stansbury’s ad was misleading and in some parts completely inaccurate.
The facts
Mark Moores owns a pathology laboratory in Roswell, which was one of the first laboratories in New Mexico to process COVID-19 tests. Like many business owners, Moores requested and received federal stimulus dollars. In every way, Moores obtained the federal aid for his small business legally and ethically, and made the line, ‘Republican Mark Moores carried his own pockets,’ unfair and untrue.
“This is completely unfair because it indicates that he wrote some kind of legislation that gives him a setback, and he did not actually do that,” Professor Atkeson said.
As state legislator, Moores was not part of Congress’ process of authorizing trillions of dollars in pandemic relief.
The ad reads: “Moores opposed any measure to help people in the pandemic.” This is easily proven to be false. According to legislation, Moores voted in favor of a number of legislation aimed at helping businesses and families in New Mexico. Since the pandemic began, the New Mexico Legislature has met in three special sessions and one regular session. From all the sessions, it appears that Moores voted in favor of lowering the gross income tax on struggling businesses, the price of liquor license fees in 2021 for the liquor industry, and a number of other bills that were part of state aid for pandemics.
“It’s inaccurate,” Professor Atkeson said. “Moores has a mixed record because a lot of legislation has been proposed, but it’s very clear if you look closely at the report that he voted in favor of several measures that have helped New Mexicans across the state, especially businesses in New Mexico. ”
Legislative reports do show that Stansbury, as a state senator, is correct in saying that Moores is opposed to controversial legislation that requires employers to pay a wage of 1 hour per 30 hours worked to their workers. But this bill is also widely opposed by many people in the business sector and by most, if not all, Republican lawmakers.
Related: Fact Testing: Mark Moores Attack Ad Deceived