New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) is facing a growing backlash, including calls for her impeachment, after her September 7, 2023 executive order banning concealed carry for self-defense in cities like Albuquerque.
Breitbart News reported that the governor’s order went into effect on September 8, 2023 and lasts for 30 days, after which Lujan Grisham made it clear that he will revisit the issue and possibly extend the ban.
The governor used the order, which bans open and concealed carry…even for licensed concealed carriers–Criticize the levels of gun violence in Albuquerque, especially with reference to the deaths of children. He did not say that licensed concealed carriers, who carry for self-defense, had caused those deaths.
New Mexico State Representative. John Block (R) responded to the order by calling for the impeachment of the governor to X: “Impeach and remove Lujan Grisham. We even have Elon behind us on this!”
Benalillo County Sheriff John Allen answered to Lujan Grisham’s order making it clear that he has reservations about enforcing it, as he believes it violates the constitution:
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an emergency order temporarily suspending open and concealed carry laws in Albuquerque and all of Bernalillo County for the next 30 days. This measure has been positioned as a response to the alarming and tragic increase in gun violence, particularly the heartbreaking death of an 11-year-old boy last week.
First and foremost, every life lost is a tragedy, and the well-being of our community is a primary concern for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. We share the collective grief and urgency to address this problem.
However, as an elected sheriff, I have reservations about this order. While I understand and appreciate the urgency, the temporary ban defies the very foundation of our Constitution, which I swore to uphold. I am wary of placing my deputies in positions that could lead to civil liability conflicts, as well as the potential risks of denying law-abiding citizens their constitutional right to self-defense.
Amy Swearer of the Heritage Foundation also commented on the governor’s order:
This is totally unconstitutional. It’s also logically insane. Concealed carry permit holders aren’t the ones driving the gun crime, and now you’re telling the real criminals that they have free reign because their victims can’t arm themselves.https://t.co/UlrxcCFVG4
— Amy Swearer (@AmySwearer) September 9, 2023
The Associated Press pointed out that Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina responded to the governor’s order by making it clear that he will not enforce it.
WATCH: AWR Hawkins explains the value of concealed carry permits
awhawkins
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst of American armed radio and a Turning Point US Ambassador. He was a visiting fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010, a speaker at the 2023 Western Conservative Summit, and holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (Brown Water Navy), the United States Navy from the beginning, the Civil War, and modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up for Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Contact him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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