Gun rights group sues Gov. Lujan Grisham over ban
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public in and around the state’s largest city drew an immediate court challenge and also calls for her impeachment by Republicans in the legislature.
New Mexico state Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block, both Republican, called for her impeachment after she issued the Sept. 8 order, which prohibits citizens from carrying guns in public in the Albuquerque area.
“This is an abhorrent attempt at imposing a radical, progressive agenda on an unwilling populous. Rather than addressing crime at its core, Governor Grisham is restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Ms. Lord wrote in a statement posted on X.
Mr. Block claimed that the governor has “called for open season on law-abiding citizens” by misinterpreting the Constitution and laws of the state. “That’s something that needs to be remedied immediately,” the lawmaker said.
In response to the impeachment threat, Mrs. Lujan Grisham’s office said the governor is “prepared to fight challenges to her decision and recognizes not everyone supports the public health order,” adding that it’s a “public health emergency, and extraordinary measures are required to prevent more innocent New Mexicans from being killed by guns.”
Lawsuit Filed
The National Association for Gun Rights and Foster Haines, a member who lives in Albuquerque, filed documents (pdf) in U.S. District Court in New Mexico suing Mrs. Lujan Grisham and seeking an immediate block of the order’s implementation.
“The State must justify the Carry Prohibition by demonstrating that it is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” the lawsuit states. “But it is impossible for the State to meet this burden, because there is no such historical tradition of firearms regulation in this Nation.”
The president of the pro-gun group, Dudley Brown, said that Mrs. Lujan Grisham’s order is essentially a “middle finger” to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court, according to a statement.
“Her executive order is in blatant disregard for [New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen]. She needs to be held accountable for stripping the God-given rights of millions away with the stroke of a pen,” Mr. Brown said, referring to the 2022 Supreme Court decision on gun rights.
