True to political form, New Mexico’s leftist governor issued an updated executive order on September 15th, another Friday afternoon. This comes two days after a Federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against a portion of the original executive order, the section which banned all open or concealed carry in Albuquerque and the rest of Bernalillo County. The new order modifies this section to only include public parks or playgrounds, or other public areas provided for children to play in.
The opposition to the governor’s original “public health emergency” executive order was loud and swift. Many within her own Democrat party including the Albuquerque Mayor, Police Chief, the Bernalillo County District Attorney and Sheriff opposed it. Even the Democrat State Attorney General spoke out against the order and said he would not defend it because of its unconstitutionality.
With this order modification, it will be interesting to see if those who previously opposed gun-control by public health emergency executive order are now okay with this limited version.
It’s worth noting that none of the tragic shootings of children cited by the governor as her motivation for banning the open or concealed carry of firearms occurred in a public park or playground.
Let’s be crystal clear about what is happening here. Ever since the United States Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen in 2022, gun-control states have been passing “Bruen response laws”. Not to comply with it mind you, but to circumvent it and make the ruling moot. A common feature among them is to declare virtually all public and privately owned space outside your home a “sensitive space” where firearms are not allowed, thus negating the whole concept of being able to carry a firearm for personal protection outside the home.
The good news is most of the elements of these laws are currently held up in litigation as they clearly violate Bruen. A bold new solution to get around these legislative gun-control laws being held up in the courts was needed. Enter the public health emergency and a governor who leans far enough to the left to sign her name to it.
I have zero doubts this concept came from the very same privately funded gun-control institutions who are behind the majority of gun-control legislation in this country. This may have been why New Mexico’s governor wasn’t phased by her own Attorney General saying he would not defend it. These groups have also been providing free legal services to defend their gun-control products all over the country. All they need is a politician’s signature.
The fact that the governor has no intention of calling a special legislative session this year to address rising crime, violence or public safety is further evidence her public health emergency is an end run around Bruen. She will instead prioritize “gun safety measures” in the 2024 session including a prohibition on automatic weapons, a 14-day waiting period for gun sales and a ban on selling guns to those under 21. Of course, none of these are or has been a factor in the crime and violence problem the state has been facing.
One section untouched by the temporary restraining order is the monthly inspections of firearms dealers to ensure compliance with gun laws. While there has never been any implication of firearms dealer’s operations contributing to the current crime and violence situation, authorizing monthly state inspections is another gun-control priority measure to increase costs for dealers and consumers through state licensing and regulation. I am hopeful the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will make good on their promise to file suit against this before the state begins inspections.
Less noticed at the bottom of the updated executive order is a section stating that free trigger locks shall be made available to each firearm owner, limit of one each, just call or email the state. Groundbreaking thinking on behalf of the governor of New Mexico? Well….
Did you know you can get FREE gun locks from just about every police department in the country, including the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department? No fuss, no muss, just go in and ask for them. How is this possible? Because the NSSF, the trade association for the firearms industry provides them for free.
“Project ChildSafe is a real firearms safety solution that helps make communities safer. Since 1999, more than 15,000 law enforcement agencies have partnered with the program to distribute more than 37 million firearm safety kits to gun owners in all 50 states and five U.S. territories.”
Please consider the governor has said she would extend this public health emergency order at the end of the 30-day period based on the results on crime.
Crime and violence are complicated community issues. They have been made worse by years of criminal laws being loosened, no-bail laws passed, the election of soft-on-criminal prosecutors defunding the police, violent offenders not being arrested or prosecuted, convicted criminals let out of prisons and prisons being closed.
To think that a 30-day public health emergency order that does NOTHING but disarm the law-abiding citizenry in public will do anything but make crime and violence WORSE is insanity. If gun-control by executive order is allowed to stand, everyone around the country better start getting used to saying:
It’s just 30-days to flatten the curve.
Bob
*Image from Gun Owners of New Mexico
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Bruen? What’s Bruen? (Hard Left Turn At Albuquerque Part 2)
