New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham will not renew a public health order banning carrying firearms in public parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. The temporary order, in effect since September 2023, was intended to reduce gun violence but was widely viewed as a violation of the Second Amendment. The order faced lawsuits from gun rights groups, prompting Lujan Grisham to narrow its scope to only apply to parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque.
Lujan Grisham claims the order resulted in the collection of over 1,700 firearms through buybacks and reduced gunfire incidents, although no specific numbers were provided. State Senate Republican leader Greg Baca criticized the order as unconstitutional and ineffective in curbing crime.
The National Association for Gun Rights, which previously sued against the order, called Lujan Grisham’s decision a win for gun owners. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, a Democrat who refused to enforce the ban, argued it infringed on citizens’ right to self-defense and was unconstitutional.
The temporary order was issued after an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed in an Albuquerque park. In addition to restricting firearms in public parks, the order also included measures to oversee firearm sales and test wastewater for fentanyl in schools. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez, also a Democrat, opposed the order, stating it would not improve public safety and may not be constitutional.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
