Republican New Mexico state Representatives are fighting back after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an “emergency” order on Thursday banning the carrying of firearms in Albuquerque. The governor’s move was a response to a recent spate of gun homicides, one of which killed an 11-year-old child.
State Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block issued a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, calling for the impeachment of Gov. Lujan Grisham over the emergency order, noting that it “violates the Governor’s oath to protect and defend the rights of New Mexicans and is illegal in nature.” Lord argued:
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. Even Grisham believes this emergency order won’t prohibit criminals from carrying or using weapons; a basic admission that this will only put New Mexicans in danger as they won’t be able to defend themselves from violent crime.
🚨PRESS RELEASE: @RepBlock & I are calling for the impeachment of @GovMLG. New Mexicans won’t stand by as she disregards her oath to uphold our Constitution.
Read the full press release below! 👇 pic.twitter.com/r5kt9nOSvI
— Rep Stefani Lord (@Lord4NM) September 9, 2023
This statement comes just one day after the governor cracked down on gun rights by declaring it a public health emergency.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency over “gun violence” on Thursday following the death of an 11-year-old boy. On Friday, she took the unprecedented step of “suspending” gun rights in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city, with the possibility of other cities following suit.
Gov. Lujan Grisham declared gun violence a public health emergency Thursday, following the murder of an 11-year-old boy on his way home from an Isotopes game Wednesday night. That case, combined with several other violent cases involving children, sparked the decision.
The new public health order is effective Friday, Sept. 8. After 30 days, they will evaluate whether they should renew the order or make adjustments.
The public health order is a statewide mandate, but it only suspends open and concealed carry laws in communities with extremely high violent crime rates and firearm-related emergency room visits. Right now, that only includes the Albuquerque metro.
Lujan Grisham’s order was met with fierce criticism from proponents of gun rights, many of whom argued that it violates the Second Amendment and will place more people in danger. Legal analyst Jonathan Turley pointed out how this move could backfire, in a post on X.
The order, in my view, is flagrantly unconstitutional under existing Second Amendment precedent. It could also be a calculated effort to evade a ruling by making the period of suspension so short…https://t.co/aURAa8Ict9
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 9, 2023
The governor defended her position, arguing that Constitutional rights are “not intended to be absolute.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham when asked about her “emergency” order barring people from carrying guns:
“No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute. There are restrictions on free speech. There are restrictions on my freedoms.” pic.twitter.com/OTWo6mYseM
— Jeff Charles, An Awful Pundit🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) September 9, 2023
Currently, Democrats dominate both chambers of the state legislature, which means an actual impeachment effort is not likely to succeed. However, it is possible that Gov. Lujan Grisham’s order could face a successful challenge in the courts.
