New Mexico has become a Second Amendment battleground of late, and the recent legislative session, which adjourned February 19, is more proof of that reality. In fact, Democrats in the New Mexico legislature pushed one of the most extreme gun-ban proposals in the country before the measure finally stalled and the session ended, killing it for now.
Senate Bill 17 would have banned common gas-operated semi-automatic firearms, .50-caliber rifles virtually never used in crimes and firearm magazines holding more than 10 rounds under the guise of labeling them all “extremely dangerous weapons.” The measure passed the state Senate by a 21-17 vote, with all Republican senators and three Democrats voting against the bill.
Fortunately for lawful gun owners in the Land of Enchantment, the measure stalled in the house and the legislative session ended before it could be resurrected. And while pro-gun advocates cheered the bill’s failure, those supporting the ban have reacted bitterly in the aftermath of the measure’s failure.
In fact, the New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action released a statement blasting what it called the House of Representatives’ “shameful refusal” to advance SB 17.
“New Mexicans are dying while the House plays political games with their lives,” Cheryl Haase, lead with the New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action, said with typical over-the-top hysteria. “Our state has the third-highest gun death rate in the country, and House lawmakers responded by abdicating any responsibility to address the gun trafficking supply chain that is fueling gun violence and they failed to get assault weapons off our streets. Our communities deserve leaders who will put public safety first—not cowards who hide behind the clock and table life-saving legislation. Voters have long memories, and we will remember exactly who turned their backs on us when it mattered most.”
Not to be outdone, the demanding moms’ sister group, Students Demand Action, also pounced on lawmakers who worked to protect citizens’ Second Amendment rights.
“House lawmakers failed at their most fundamental duty: protecting the lives of kids like me desperate to grow up without the fear of gunfire ringing out at any moment,” said November Rowe, a volunteer leader with the Sandia High School group of Students Demand Action. “If the House thinks we’ll go away because the session is over, they’ve grossly underestimated our fury. We are the ones ducking for cover, and we will be the ones at the ballot box.”
What Rowe might not realize is that angry leftist students aren’t the only ones who will be at the ballot box. New Mexico gun owners are tired of seeing their rights threatened, and it’s imperative that they all cast their vote for freedom in the next election.
Even Democrat lawmakers realized that the sweeping ban was so vast that it was certain to face immediate court challenges. Camille Ward, a spokesperson for House Democrats, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that Miranda Viscoli, executive director of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, had warned that the legislation was legally vulnerable and likely to backfire.
“By passing a ban this broad, we are handing the U.S. Supreme Court a perfect opportunity to deliver a definitive, nationwide ruling against state-level firearm restrictions,” Viscoli told the newspaper in the final days of the session. “Beyond the legal risk, the bill’s immediate effect will likely be a surge in panic buying of the exact weapons this bill is trying to limit.”