Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has adjusted her previous statewide gun carry ban, which will now only encompass parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque and its surrounding county.
This decision on Friday followed the initial blanket ban that faced significant backlash and was subsequently blocked by a federal judge. Governor Lujan Grisham justified the initial suspension and the latest one as an urgent response to “deaths of children in gun violence,” particularly referencing a recent tragedy involving an 11-year-old boy in an Albuquerque road rage incident.
The governor’s moves have moved New Mexico into the larger national debate concerning the balance between gun rights and public safety. Emphasizing her dedication, Governor Grisham said, “I’m going to continue pushing to make sure that all of us are using every resource available to put an end to this public health emergency with the urgency it deserves.”
The legal pushback against the governor’s first suspension highlighted its potential conflict with a 2022 US Supreme Court ruling on gun rights. National gun rights activists shared this sentiment, and it was eventually upheld by a federal judge who temporarily halted the governor’s order until further legal scrutiny.
Despite the controversy surrounding the initial ban, Governor Grisham’s modified firearms suspension received the backing of Democratic leaders from both chambers of New Mexico’s legislature.
