KOB 4 News (Albuquerque, NM) reports that yesterday (11/12/2024), New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham unveiled her public safety legislative agenda for the upcoming session.
The governor stated that:
“This is, without a doubt, the largest and most comprehensive public safety package in our state’s history. Gun violence is a significant contributor to the cycles of crime in our communities and [we] will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end this epidemic. Likewise, we will strengthen our support for law enforcement, increase penalties for violent crimes, and once again pursue legislation to keep violent offenders behind bars pending trial. All of this will build upon the progress and investments we’ve made in previous years.”
Of the 21 bills supported by the governor, eight directly impact New Mexico citizens’ purchase, possession and use of firearms. The proposed legislation includes, but is not limited to, the following four bills (one of which proposes to ban so-called “assault weapons” or “weapons of war”):
The Firearm Industry Accountability Act – amending state statute to allow gun manufacturers to be held liable for deceptive trade practices; An Assault Weapons Ban – regulating the manufacture, possession and sale of weapons of war, most often the gun used in mass casualty events; Prohibition of Firearms in Municipal Parks, Playgrounds and Related Parking Lots – as currently contained in the New Mexico Department of Health’s Public Health Order (“PHO”) being actively considered for constitutionality by the New Mexico Supreme Court; and Amendment of the Extreme Risk Firearms Protection Order Act (“ERPO”) – expediting and providing for orders to remove firearms from citizens by an on-call judge on a 24-7 basis.
The KOB 4 News article may be read in full HERE.
On January 12, 2024, Governor Lujan Grisham issued a Press Release regarding the aforementioned public safety legislative agenda, which may be read HERE.
As part of her official State of New Mexico website, Governor Lujan Grisham has a dashboard page titled “Gun Violence in New Mexico” – which includes metrics pertaining to the current PHO. The website may be viewed HERE.
Following yesterday’s announcement of Governor Lujan Grisham’s public safety legislative agenda, the Republican Party of New Mexico (“RPNM”) responded with the following statement from Steve Pearce, RPNM Chairman:
“What the governor proposed today was another egregious attack on New Mexicans’ Second Amendment rights. If the governor really cares about keeping our communities safe, she will focus on giving tougher penalties to criminals, keeping criminals behind bars while supporting law enforcement and allowing them to do their job. Republicans will be putting forth multiple bills this session that will get tough on criminals without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens. The governor’s continued assaults on New Mexicans’ constitutional rights must be stopped.”
My brothers and sisters, in this writer’s view, all of this boils down to a few rather straight forward (and what should be obvious) issues. The governor of New Mexico continues to push the political agenda of ridding the state of virtually all firearms:
1) despite the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution;
2) by threatening lawsuits and monetary penalties against firearms manufacturers;
3) despite the fact that “assault weapons” and “weapons of war” are undefined terms which even the federal government can’t or won’t define;
4) despite the fact that the language appears to conflate semi-automatic, one-round-per-trigger-pull handguns with “assault weapons” or “weapons of war”;
5) despite no apparent evidence of parks and playgrounds being subject to frequent firearms offenses;
6) despite the current PHO under ongoing examination by the New Mexico Supreme Court to determine constitutionality of the governor’s attempt to circumvent Second Amendment rights;
7) in the face of a move to facilitate the immediate removal of firearms from persons’ homes without due process through a 24-hour-per-day on-call judge; and most of all,
8) despite the fact that virtually all of the governor’s firearms-related legislation presumes that squashing law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights will somehow stop or significantly reduce violent and/or drug-crazed criminals from acquiring and using firearms – when in point of fact, the proposed legislation has the effect of making law-abiding citizens less able to protect themselves in crisis moments.
Pray! Pray for God’s wisdom and will to prevail in all of these matters. Pray for our leaders in state government, that they would know the will of God and move accordingly, with respect for all citizens – not only those who happen to agree politically with them. No person has all of the answers and we should be willing to listen to each others’ points of view!
The above prayer is so very important! Using a political majority to intentionally clamp down on law-abiding citizens in what seems to be a matter of intellectual dishonesty to further political goals and insults the intelligence of New Mexican citizens by asserting that highly regulating or terminating civil rights afforded by the U.S. and New Mexico Constitutions will somehow persuade criminals to stop using weapons and committing crimes is just flat wrong!
Some scripture for consideration:
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (ESV)
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions [emphasis mine], that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…”.
Proverbs 12:22 (NKJV)
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, [b]ut those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, [b]ut the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!