Governor renews order on firearms
Lujan Grisham directs state police to hold three gun buyback events, with one set Saturday in Española
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is again renewing an executive order declaring gun violence a public health emergency, her office announced.
The original version of the order issued in early September drew nationwide attention to New Mexico because it temporarily banned concealed and open carrying of firearms in public in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
After federal court challenges were filed and a judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the gun ban, Lujan Grisham modified it to prohibit carrying guns only in parks and playgrounds in the city and county.
U.S. District Judge David Urias has allowed the ban in parks and playgrounds to remain in effect while the lawsuits filed by pro-gun rights groups are being litigated.
While the gun ban in the governor’s public health order has received by far the most attention, the order includes several other provisions, including monthly inspections of licensed firearms dealers, increased police presence in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, gun buyback events and free trigger locks.
The Friday renewal extends the order to Dec. 1. There will not be any changes from the previous order that was last renewed in early October, Lujan Grisham’s office said in a Thursday news release announcing the extension.
In its news release, the Governor’s Office pointed to an increase in arrests in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County since the order was first implemented Sept. 8. The news release also said 86 guns have been seized in the past two months and noted no guns have been found on Albuquerque Public Schools campuses since Oct. 5, compared with six the month before.
“The work of local and state partners, especially law enforcement, in the last two months is yielding real results for the Albuquerque community. But now is no time to slow down, and we will continue our efforts to eradicate gun violence,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
The order directs New Mexico State Police to hold gun buyback events in Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Española on Saturday.
The one in Española will be held at the Robert “Gordy” Vigil Regional Sportsplex from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. People who bring in guns will get a $200
Visa or American Express gift card for handguns and a $300 gift card for rifles, shotguns and assault weapons, with no questions asked about the guns’ ownership or origins.
“These are opportunities for our communities to come together and make a real impact on gun safety,” state police Chief Troy Weisler said in a statement.
Lujan Grisham’s administration is currently facing two pending federal lawsuits stemming from the order. One suit, which started as two separate ones but have since been consolidated, was filed by several New Mexico residents and pro-gun rights groups including the National Association for Gun Rights, the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Second Amendment Foundation and the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association. It seeks to get the order overturned on constitutional grounds.
A separate lawsuit was filed by James Springer, a Torrance County YouTuber who says his rights were violated when he was threatened with a citation by state police while carrying a gun at a rally opposing the order in Albuquerque in September.