The unlawful order stripping law-abiding citizens’ right to self-defense is an egregious case of executive overreach.
West Bend, WI – The U.S. Concealed Carry Association for Saving Lives Action Fund (USCCA-FSL Action Fund) released the following statement denouncing New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “emergency public health order” to suspend New Mexicans’ constitutional right to carry an open or concealed firearm in the city of Albuquerque.
“The USCCA-FSL Action Fund condemns this order in the strongest possible terms. Not only does Governor Grisham lack the constitutional authority to implement such an unprecedented assault on the Second Amendment rights of New Mexico citizens, but it strikes at the very heart of what responsible gun owners have been saying for years – criminals do not follow the law, and this order only serves to punish law-abiding gun owners who protect their community,” said Katie Pointer Baney, Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of the USCCA-FSL Action Fund.
Governor Grisham announced the order in a Friday evening press conference, during which she acknowledged the likelihood that criminals will not adhere to the order while also claiming that constitutional rights are not “absolute.”
The order has already garnered a wave of outcry from responsible gun owners, state legislators, and even pro-gun control members of Congress.
I support gun safety laws. However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution. https://t.co/kOhLMtaOl2
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) September 9, 2023
Governor Grisham Has Abandoned Her Constitutional Oath
“By invoking a power she doesn’t have, Governor Grisham has abandoned her constitutional oath. In order to obtain a concealed carry permit in New Mexico residents must complete 15 hours of firearm training and pass a live fire qualification. The idea to strip these individuals of their permits in the name of preventing violent crime is nonsensical and dangerous. The USCCA-FSL Action Fund will work tirelessly to inform, engage and support law-abiding New Mexicans who want to see this assault on their rights stopped before too much damage is done,” concluded Pointer Baney.
New Mexico is a shall-issue state with concealed weapons licenses issued at the state level by the Department of Public Safety. Open carry is legal in New Mexico without a license for anyone at least 19 years of age who can legally possess a firearm. Gun ownership, education, and training among New Mexicans living on Tribal lands has recently increased as more Native American men and women have recognized the importance of the right to self-defense and firearms training.
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