Additional Coverage:
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has decided not to extend the ban on carrying firearms in Albuquerque’s parks and playgrounds.
The ban, imposed in September 2023, aimed to reduce gun violence. However, it faced criticism from gun rights advocates and even some Democrats, who argued it violated the Second Amendment.
Despite initial reports of reduced gunfire incidents, Governor Grisham did not provide specific data to support this claim. However, she credited the ban with collecting over 1,700 firearms through buyback programs.
Republican lawmakers, including State Senate leader Greg Baca, opposed the order, calling it unconstitutional and a distraction from the state’s crime epidemic.
The National Association for Gun Rights welcomed the decision, stating that it was an admission of the ban’s failure.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, a Democrat who refused to enforce the ban, also criticized it as unconstitutional.
The ban was originally imposed after an 11-year-old boy was killed in an Albuquerque park. It also included restrictions on firearm sales and wastewater testing for fentanyl in schools.
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez also opposed the ban, arguing that it had no significant impact on public safety and was unconstitutional.