New Mexico: Waiting Period & Gun Industry Lawsuit Legislation Advancing In Senate

House Bill 101 (Semi-Auto Ban & Magazine Limit Bill NOT on House Judiciary Committee Agenda Today!)

On Sunday, March 5, the Senate Health & Public Affairs Committee voted out two extreme measures that target law-abiding citizens and the firearms industry:

Senate Bill 427 by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), imposes a 14-day waiting period on all firearm purchases, with an exception for concealed handgun licensees. Like House Bill 100, this measure will add nothing to the existing FBI background check process and will only delay your ability to exercise your Second Amendment right to defend yourself, your family and your property. This would make for the longest firearms purchase waiting period in the entire country!  For more information on this proposal, click here.

Senate Bill 428 by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) creates a hostile climate for lawful firearm-related industries and transactions by facilitating an increasing amount of litigation and claims, with vastly increased liability exposure and civil penalties, for even minor suspected violations of the terms of an FFL or the law as the basis for Unfair Trade Practices Act proceedings. For more information on this bill, click here. This legislation was significantly amended in committee; we will report back to you on the impact these changes have on the bill and what action items need to be taken on the measure.

For now, these bills move to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration next.  Here's what you can do NOW to help stop SB 427:

* Contact SJC Committee members and urge them to OPPOSE SB 427.  NRA-ILA will notify you when this bill is scheduled for a public hearing.

Click here to contact your State Senators in opposition to SB 427 in anticipation of a Senate floor vote.