New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham will not renew a public health order that temporarily banned carrying firearms in public parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. The order was put in place in September 2023 to combat gun violence but was seen as a violation of the Second Amendment. The order was scaled back due to lawsuits from gun rights groups, focusing only on parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque.
Lujan Grisham claimed that the order led to the collection of over 1,700 firearms in buybacks and a decrease in gunfire incidents, although no specific data was provided. Republican state Senate leader Greg Baca criticized the order as unconstitutional and ineffective.
The National Association for Gun Rights sued the order, which was dismissed after Lujan Grisham modified it. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, a Democrat, refused to enforce the ban due to constitutional concerns.
The temporary order was issued after an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed in a park in Albuquerque. In addition to restricting firearms, the order also implemented measures to strengthen oversight of firearm sales and test for fentanyl in public schools.
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez opposed the order, citing concerns about its impact on public safety and constitutional validity. Despite Lujan Grisham’s claims of success, the order faced significant criticism and legal challenges during its implementation.
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