Some guns will be prohibited at voting booths, and the waiting time for purchasing firearms will be increased to seven days, according to legislation signed into law Monday by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
In an auditorium of an Albuquerque high school, the second-term Democrat signed four public safety measures that the Democratic-controlled Legislature had approved during the most recent 30-day session.
“This legislation strikes at the heart of issues that are keeping New Mexicans up at night,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “We are losing far too many lives when guns end up in the wrong hands and violent offenders are permitted to reoffend repeatedly.” This legislation addresses both.”
While supporters have argued that the efforts will address violence in the state, Lujan Grisham admitted in the hours following the legislative session that she did not believe it was “safe out there” and has proposed calling lawmakers back to the Capitol to debate additional public safety initiatives.
Her office did not immediately respond to queries Monday about whether a special session was still being discussed.
While the Legislature addressed a few of the governor’s top goals, a long list of additional gun control and public safety proposals stalled.
Last year, Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency over gun violence, prohibiting the right to carry firearms in select parks and playgrounds in the greater Albuquerque area in response to a series of shootings that killed children. The New Mexico Supreme Court is contemplating a petition alleging that the governor overstepped her powers.
Republican lawmakers have said that the governor is not addressing the root causes of violence but rather attempting to limit the rights of law-abiding residents.
“We should discuss and debate other measures that can help reduce crime while respecting our Second Amendment rights,” House Minority Leader Rep. Ryan Lane of Aztec stated during the session. “These might include improving mental health services, bolstering community policing, bail reform, strengthening penalties for the criminal misuse of firearms, or enhancing gun safety education.”
New Mexico’s waiting period for handgun purchases will now be seven days, more than double the current federal government requirement of three days for a background check. The statute exempts concealed carry permit holders, federal weapons licensees, transactions involving law enforcement personnel, law enforcement agencies, and intimate family members.
The other measure forbids carrying firearms inside 100 feet (30.48 meters) of polling stations and ballot drop boxes. Exemptions are provided to law enforcement officers and holders of concealed carry permits.
The governor also signed legislation that increases penalties for second-degree murder-related offenses and gives judges an additional option to refuse bail to individuals accused of new crimes while already on trial for a felony.
