Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Gun Control Has Failed New Mexicans

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Gun Control Has Failed New Mexicans

Dear New Mexico NRA Member:

Last week marked the two-year anniversary of New Mexico's ban on private firearm transfers, otherwise known as the state's "universal background check" scheme, taking effect.  That law and the subsequent red flag firearms surrender bill passed in 2020 have been abject failures at controlling crime in the Land of Enchantment.  NRA-ILA and law enforcement warned state lawmakers that these misguided proposals would not impact criminals and would only result in less freedom for the law-abiding.

This excellent opinion piece written by Zac Fort, president of the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association (NRA's state affiliate), says it all.  NRA-ILA remains committed to working alongside NMSSA and New Mexico gun owners to fight against any further restrictions on your rights by anti-gun politicians at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, or in your cities and towns.

Gun Control Has Failed New Mexicans

Two years have now passed since the first of several hotly debated gun-control bills passed in Santa Fe. When these gun-control bills were passed, we were told by supporters that these laws were “proven” to reduce violent crime and homicides. But what has actually transpired since? Quite the opposite.

Per the FBI, the homicide rate in New Mexico sharply rose in 2019 – the latest year of data available. That was the year the gun-control law criminalizing private firearm sales went into effect. The City of Albuquerque saw a record number of homicides in 2019. In 2020, homicides in Albuquerque were only slightly below the record set in 2019. And in 2021? While the year is only half-way through, Albuquerque has already seen a record number of homicides for the first six months of the year. Many American metropolitan areas have seen increases in violent crime in 2020 and into 2021, but most are not seeing the record levels Albuquerque is tragically experiencing.

We were warned this would happen. Back in 2019, a bipartisan group of New Mexico Sheriffs representing 30 of New Mexico’s 33 counties, collectively representing a majority of the state’s residents, cautioned against the policy and said it was a distraction from the real issues. Their words of caution were disregarded by some and sharply criticized by others. But ultimately, the data now shows those sheriffs were correct. Criminalizing private firearms sales has not been shown to be a deterrent to violent crime or homicide in New Mexico.

In the 2020 legislative session, a “red-flag” firearm confiscation order law, known as the “Extreme Risk Protection Order” act was passed. The law allows law enforcement to take away someone’s firearms under a purely civil order – no crime has to be committed, or alleged to have been committed for the order to be sought. However, the law doesn’t connect someone in distress to resources to help them, it simply sends a team of police officers to their home where a search warrant is executed for their firearms and ammunition. An analysis of the law after it had been in place for a year found that it was only used four times, to which one of the law’s author’s responded by stating: “clearly it’s not working as well as we’d like it to.” But should the scant usage be a surprise? The law doesn’t connect someone to help, but it puts both someone in distress and police into a tense situation.

The “Extreme Risk Protection Order” law was a vast expansion of police power in New Mexico. It gives police the authority to execute an extensive search warrant against a defendant and confiscate private, constitutionally protected property under a purely civil order. Ironically, after expanding police power in the 2020 legislative session, curtailing police power was a common theme in the 2021 legislative session.

When New Mexico politicians use the term “gun-violence” they are using it as a rhetorical escape from discussing the real problems that plague our state. What they call “gun-violence” would be more aptly described as “failed-justice-system-violence” or “lack-of-economic-opportunity-violence.” Too many New Mexicans are entrenched in cycles of poverty and abuse. The Roundhouse putting the target on New Mexico gun owners isn’t going to break a single one of those cycles.

Gun control laws passed in Santa Fe have failed New Mexicans. We aren’t safer today than we were before, but we have less freedom for it – and it isn’t just Second-Amendment rights under fire from gun control laws. Wasting time and efforts on divisive and ineffective policies has only set New Mexico further back and distracted us from the real issues we need to face as a state. 

Zachary Fort is the President of New Mexico Shooting Sports Association. The mission of New Mexico Shooting Sports Association is to promote the shooting sports in New Mexico and defend the rights of New Mexico firearm owners.


TRENDING NOW
MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

On March 11, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued two decisions concerning the Commonwealth’s firearms carry licensing scheme for nonresidents.

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, February 7, 2025

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through ...

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

Saturday, March 8, 2025

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

In 2023, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order declaring gun violence a “public health emergency” and banning the carry of firearms in various locations throughout the state.

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Thursday, March 6, 2025

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Yesterday the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee met to continue discussions on Senate Bill 279 (GoSAFE). The author did not accept the committee substitute to amend the near all-encompassing ban on semi-auto firearms with equally ...

Oregon Court Of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Decision, Lifts Hold on Ballot Measure 114

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Oregon Court Of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Decision, Lifts Hold on Ballot Measure 114

On Wednesday, March 12th, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that had declared unconstitutional Ballot Measure 114, which imposed a permit-to-purchase scheme and banned the possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. ...

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

Several years ago, a seven-year-old boy was suspended from school for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun and pretending to fire it at his second grade classmates. A school official stated the child ...

New Mexico: Anti-Gun Extremists Introduce Sweeping Gun Ban

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

New Mexico: Anti-Gun Extremists Introduce Sweeping Gun Ban

As they have tried in the past, anti-gun radicals in the New Mexico Senate have introduced Senate Bill 279, the "GOSAFE Act," a near all-encompassing ban on semi-automatic and NFA firearms.

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case in which the Mexican government is attempting to hold members of the U.S. gun industry financially liable for drug cartel violence south of the border.

New Mexico: Senate Finance Staff Reviewing Semi-Auto Bill

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

New Mexico: Senate Finance Staff Reviewing Semi-Auto Bill

Yesterday, Senate Finance committee posted that their staff is reviewing SB 279 as a part of their Wednesday meeting. While this is not a formal hearing, this could be a decision point on whether Senate ...

Colorado: FOID Bill Passes House Judiciary With More Amendments

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Colorado: FOID Bill Passes House Judiciary With More Amendments

Yesterday, March 11th, Senate Bill 25-003 underwent another transformation during a late-night hearing in the House Judiciary committee, ultimately passing with amendments along a party-line vote. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.