ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Gun violence remains a pressing issue in New Mexico and continues to demand attention. Despite the implementation of a controversial public health order in September of last year, which made progress in the fight against gun violence, the state has received a mere C+ grade on the Giffords Law Center’s Gun Law Scorecard.
According to the Giffords Law Center, New Mexico has implemented certain measures to prevent gun crimes. These include universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, and the passage of a new child access prevention gun law during the 2023 legislative session.
However, the Giffords Law Center believes that New Mexico’s gun laws could go further. Some of the recommended additions include gun owner licensing, restrictions on assault weapons, waiting periods, robust concealed carry laws, open carry regulations, funding for community violence intervention, and the reporting of lost or stolen firearms.
Governor Lujan Grisham’s office acknowledges the progress made so far, such as mandatory background checks, a red flag law, safe storage requirements, and an increase in arrests and firearm seizures due to the public health order. However, they also emphasize that more work needs to be done. The office plans to introduce a comprehensive set of commonsense gun safety laws in the upcoming legislative session.
These issues were also addressed in law enforcement summits led by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. While the primary goal of the current legislative session is to pass the state budget, crime prevention is expected to be a major topic of discussion.
In conclusion, New Mexico’s efforts to combat gun violence have resulted in some positive steps forward. However, there is still room for improvement, according to the Giffords Law Center. As the state aims to address crime prevention and pass the state budget in the current session, the importance of enacting stricter gun laws and taking further actions to ensure public safety remains a crucial concern.