SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico may change into an early political testing floor for a proposal to make assault-style weapons much less lethal.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday mentioned she’ll encourage the state’s Democratic-led Legislature to think about statewide restrictions that mirror an unconventional proposal from U.S. senators aimed toward decreasing a shooter’s means to fireplace off dozens of rounds a second and fix new magazines to maintain firing.
The proposed federal Go Safe Act was named after the interior biking of high-pressure fuel within the firearms in query and comes from such senators as New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich, a Democrat. If accredited, it could imply assault-style weapons would have completely mounted magazines, restricted to 10 rounds for rifles and 15 rounds for some heavy-format pistols.
“I’ve got a set of lawmakers that are more likely than not to have a fair debate about guns, gun violence, weapons of war and keeping New Mexicans safe than members of Congress are,” mentioned Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, at a information convention within the state Capitol. “We will have to see how those votes all shake out.”
Bans on assault rifles in a number of states are beneath authorized problem after the U.S. Supreme Court in June broadly expanded gun rights in a 6-3 ruling by the conservative majority. The choice overturned a New York legislation proscribing carrying weapons in public and affected a half-dozen different states with related legal guidelines. After the ruling, New York and different states have moved to move new gun restrictions that adjust to the choice.
Lujan Grisham lately suspended the precise to hold weapons at public parks and playgrounds in New Mexico’s largest metro space beneath an emergency public well being order, first issued in response to a spate of shootings that included the dying of an 11-year-old boy exterior a minor league baseball stadium. The order sparked public protests amongst gun rights advocates and authorized challenges in federal court docket which are nonetheless underway.
The restriction on carrying weapons has been scaled again from the preliminary order in September that broadly suspended the precise to hold weapons in most public locations, which the sheriff and Albuquerque’s police chief had refused to implement.
New Mexico’s Legislature convenes in January for a 30-day session targeted totally on finances issues. Other payments could be heard on the discretion of the governor.
Lujan Grisham mentioned her pressing strategy to violent crime is spurring extra arrests and reining in gunfire. Her effort has come amid new considerations about gun violence after a taking pictures Friday involving two 16-year-olds that left one in all them lifeless exterior a highschool basketball recreation in Albuquerque.
The governor’s well being order consists of directives for gun buybacks, month-to-month inspections of firearms sellers statewide, reviews on gunshot victims at New Mexico hospitals and wastewater testing for illicit substances.
