Gun Rights Advocates File Lawsuit Against New Mexico for Albuquerque Public Gun Ban

On Saturday, a gun rights organization took legal action against New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (a Democrat) and other state authorities regarding an emergency decree that prohibited the carrying of firearms in public areas in Albuquerque.

Protesting the New Law

The National Association for Gun Rights, in collaboration with Foster Haines, a resident of Albuquerque, swiftly filed a lawsuit, responding to Governor Grisham's announcement of a temporary suspension of concealed and open carry laws within the city.

Their argument revolves around the Second Amendment, invoking the Supreme Court's recent ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen as precedent. This landmark decision, rendered the previous year, invalidated a concealed carry law in New York, emphasizing that firearm regulations must align with the nation's historical firearm regulation tradition to be deemed constitutionally valid.

Lodging Complaints

The complaint asserts, “The State must justify the Carry Prohibition by demonstrating that it is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. But it is impossible for the State to meet this burden, because there is no such historical tradition of firearms regulation in this Nation.”

Public Health Emergency

Citing a recent spate of shootings, including the tragic killing of an 11-year-old boy just two days earlier, Governor Grisham declared a public health emergency due to gun violence on Thursday. Subsequently, on Friday, she issued an order suspending concealed and open carry laws for a 30-day period, applying to regions that surpass a particular violent crime threshold—a criterion fulfilled solely by Albuquerque.

In a statement on Friday, Grisham emphasized, “As I said yesterday, the time for standard measures has passed. When New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to take their kids to school, to leave a baseball game — when their very right to exist is threatened by the prospect of violence at every turn — something is very wrong.”

This article was produced and syndicated by Max My Money.