New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has revised a temporary public health order that initially restricted the carrying of firearms in public areas and state property in the Albuquerque metro area. The revised order, issued on Friday, now only bans firearms in parks and playgrounds. The original order, issued on Sept. 8, faced legal challenges and was temporarily blocked by a federal judge who sided with plaintiffs arguing that the ban violated the Constitution.
“I encourage you to engage in a more thoughtful and deliberative process with members of the New Mexico Legislature rather than taking unilateral action that infringes on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.” — New Mexico AG Raúl Torrez, a Democrat
The governor’s initial ban was met with opposition from both Republicans and Democrats. Two Republican state representatives called for the governor’s impeachment, while New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, wrote a letter to the governor expressing he did not believe that the ban “will have any meaningful impact on public safety.”
The governor issued the original ban as a public health emergency response, with exceptions only for law enforcement or licensed security guards. The ban was statewide but only affected cities and counties with high levels of violent crime and gun-related emergency room visits.
Despite the pushback and legal challenges, the governor has stated that she welcomes the debate and will fight to restore the provisions restricted by the judge. The temporary restraining order will remain in place until a hearing next month.
Read more at The New York Times.
