Lawsuits filed after New Mexico governor suspends right to carry guns in public

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On Friday, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a public health order that she says takes immediate action to curb gun violence and drug use. Notably, the order suspends open and concealed carry in Bernalillo County for 30 days.

“The purpose is to try and create a cooling off period while we figure out how we can better address public safety and gun violence,” Lujan Grisham said during the news conference.

The order has sparked a heated debate, which is already playing out in federal court. As of Monday morning, four lawsuits had been filed calling on a judge to immediately halt the public health order – claiming it violates Second Amendment rights.

“It’s the danger to our democracy, because the executive, the legislative and judicial branches of our government, whether it’s state or federal, are supposed to stay in their lanes,” said Tim White, an attorney representing the National Association for Gun Rights. “Governor Grisham’s health order – it’s not out of the lane, it’s not even in the country.”

White argues the order does nothing to actually police the bad guys, and that the temporary order won’t be so temporary.

Senate Republican Leader Gregory Baca says that Senate and House Republicans are also moving forward with a lawsuit.

“Based on the past actions of the governor from the health orders we saw come out of the COVID crisis, we saw that one got extended, and extended, and extended,” Baca said. “What we need to do is step in.”

Baca says this just damages the public and their trust in the system and leadership in this state. The lawsuit by Senate and House Republicans is expected to be filed by Wednesday.

The showdown will play out in court, as the governor expected. KOB 4 reached out to the governor’s office about the lawsuits, but we have not heard back.