New Mexico: Hearings This Coming Week on Gun Owner Liability Bill & Magazine Limit Legislation!

On Wednesday, February 2, at 1:30pm or 15 minutes after the House floor session concludes, the House Judiciary Committee will consider House Bill 9 by Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-ABQ), legislation that creates civil fines and misdemeanor penalties for parents or guardians whose minors gain unauthorized access to their firearms (except in the case of burglary).  It also contains a provision that would allow parents to take other parents to court to impose the $1,000 fine on them if they allege that a minor gained access to their firearms.  NOTE: HB 9 is listed on Monday's agenda for House Judiciary per the legislative website, but the sponsor has asked the bill to be heard Wednesday instead because amendments she plans to offer have not yet been drafted.

There is no educational or community outreach component to HB 9, such as NRA's Eddie Eagle child accident prevention program or the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Project ChildSafe firearms safety kit giveaways.  New Mexico already has laws on the books to hold adults accountable for endangering a child. (NMSA Section 30-6-1, New Mexico’s Child Abuse/Abandonment statute).  Under the law, it is a felony for a responsible person to knowingly, intentionally, or negligently, and without justifiable cause, cause or permit a child to be placed in a situation that may endanger the child’s life or health. Prosecutors have the tools, in appropriate cases, to hold parents, guardians or other custodians of children accountable when a child gains unauthorized access to a firearm and commits a crime or injures himself or someone else.

NRA members and New Mexico gun owners are encouraged to participate in this committee hearing via Zoom (details are provided below) and to contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and let your opinion on this measure be known!

Please click the link below to join the Zoom meeting (note: the bill is last on the agenda, so it may be later in the afternoon before the committee gets to it):

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85381395136

Webinar ID: 853 8139 5136

Or One tap mobile : US: +16699009128,,85381395136# or +12532158782,,85381395136# 

Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 

On Tuesday, February 1, at 1:30pm or 15 minutes after the House floor session concludes, the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee will hear House Bill 156 by Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-ABQ), legislation which makes it a felony to possess, use, manufacture, import, purchase, sell, loan, borrow or transfer a magazine or similar device capable of holding more than fifteen rounds of ammunition in this state.  This restrictive measure contains no grandfather clause for currently- and lawfully-owned magazines.  It was deemed germane to the budget session because the author included a $1.5 million appropriation to the New Mexico Department of Safety to "administer" this ban if it becomes law.  

NRA members and New Mexico gun owners are encouraged to participate in this committee hearing via Zoom (details are provided below) and to contact your State Representatives and urge them to OPPOSE HB 156!

Please click the link below to join the webinar (note: the bill is last on the agenda, so it may be later in the afternoon before the committee gets to it): 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82353539692

Or One tap mobile : US: +16699009128,,82353539692# or +12532158782,,82353539692# 

Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 

Webinar ID: 823 5353 9692 

Lastly, House Bill 68 by Rep. Meredith Dixon (D-ABQ), an omnibus crime bill which -- as introduced -- contained language that banned the possession of firearms within 1,000 feet of a school, was reported out of the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee on Saturday with that language removed from the bill.  We will monitor HB 68 as it moves through the legislative process to ensure that gun control advocates do not add it back in!