Multiple news agencies are reporting that on September 7, 2023, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued Executive Order No. 2023-130 – Declaring A Public Health Emergency Due To Gun Violence.
Executive Order No. 2023-130 may be read HERE.
KOB 4 News reported on Friday, September 8, 2023, that Governor Lujan Grisham held a press briefing and stated that pursuant to Executive Order No. 2023-13, she was issuing a public health order (“PHO”) suspending, immediately, both open and concealed carry of firearms in Bernalillo County – including the City of Albuquerque.
The governor’s PHO prohibits the carrying of firearms on public property – with exceptions for law enforcement and armed security officers – and does not impact private property, licensed firearm dealers, firing ranges or shooting competitions.
The PHO became effective on Friday, September 8, 2023, for a period of 30 days. The PHO will be evaluated to determine if it should be allowed to expire, be renewed, or be renewed with adjustments.
The KOB 4 News report may be read HERE.
Below is a YouTube video of Governor Lujan Grisham’s press briefing held on Friday, September 8, 2023:
In response, the Republican Party of New Mexico (“RPNM”) issued a press release yesterday regarding Governor Lujan Grisham’s PHO. The press release states, in part, that the governor’s PHO “violates gun rights within the New Mexico Constitution and the Concealed Handgun Carry Act of 2003, which guarantees the concealed handgun rights of New Mexicans who qualify for and obtain a permit. The [g]overnor admitted she knew her order is unconstitutional, stating she wasn’t sure she would win a legal challenge against it.”
The complete RPNM press release may be read HERE.
My brothers and sisters, Governor Lujan Grisham’s executive order and PHO have been prepared using the same approach as was used for the COVID-19 emergency orders, which were amended and renewed for months on end!
The governor’s September 8, 2023 PHO unilaterally suspends part of the New Mexico Constitution because it arbitrarily denies New Mexicans the constitutional right to carry firearms.
Are there any credible statistics showing that persons with concealed carry permits are committing a large number of crimes and are a root cause of the violence epidemic in Bernalillo County? Of course not! And, those who carry firearms to commit crimes are subject to multiple criminal charges having nothing to do with open or concealed carry, such as murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and so forth.
The governor’s emergency directives are justified by arbitrarily-established criteria making Bernalillo County the only county in New Mexico subject to the PHO at this time. As always seems to be the case, the current administration’s efforts to curb firearm-related crimes fail to target the criminals and instead target law abiding citizens who elect to carry firearms for personal protection. The governor’s executive order declaring a public health emergency due to gun violence is justification in-and-of-itself that citizens SHOULD be allowed to responsibly carry a firearm for personal protection.
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Senate Republican Leader Greg Baca Prepared to File Lawsuit Against Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
