Two New Mexico State House of Representatives GOP members are calling for Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to be impeached after she temporarily suspended concealed and open carry across Albuquerque and the surrounding Bernalillo County for at least the next 30 days.
On Thursday, Grisham said she needed to respond to recent deaths by firearms, including an 11-year-old boy who was shot and killed while outside a minor league baseball stadium Wednesday evening.
The suspension of concealed and open carry was classified as an emergency public health order.
“When New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to take their kids to school, to leave a baseball game — when their very right to exist is threatened by the prospect of violence at every turn — something is very wrong,” said Lujan Grisham in a statement.
Republican state Representatives John Block and Stefani Lord announced Saturday they are calling for the governor to be impeached.
“I am calling on counsel to begin the impeachment process against Governor Grisham,” said Lord, “This is an abhorrent attempt at imposing a radical, progressive agenda on an unwilling populous. Rather than addressing crime at its core, Governor Grisham is restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Even Grisham believes this emergency order won’t prohibit criminals from carrying or using weapons; a basic admission that this will only put New Mexicans in danger as they won’t be able to defend themselves from violent crime.”
Lord said Grisham is a “rogue governor.”
“She put this emergency order together, and it violates her oath. And she’s supposed to be protecting and defending the rights of New Mexico; she can’t just raise her hand one day and say, I promise to uphold this oath and promise to protect the people of New Mexico and the Constitution, and then just one day decide, oh, just kidding,” said Lord.
Block told Fox News Digital there “is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”
“It is an absolutely flagrant attack on law-abiding citizens who she is targeting with this order, and she is trying to force litigation and waste more taxpayer dollars while doing it because New Mexicans are the ones that are going to have to pay the legal bills on this, not her personally,” said Block.
Gun rights organization, Albuquerque resident announce lawsuit against the Governor, Secretary of Health
The National Association for Gun Rights and Foster Haines, an Albuquerque resident, announced Saturday they filed a lawsuit against Grisham and New Mexico Secretary of Health Patrick Allen, arguing the emergency order is unconstitutional. They are asking for a temporary restraining order to be issued against the measure.
“Gov. Luhan Grisham is throwing up a middle finger to the Constitution and the Supreme Court,” said the President of the National Association for Gun Rights, Dudley Brown.
Democrat Representative Ted Lieu of California weighed in on Grisham’s executive order and said it’s unconstitutional.
“I support gun safety laws. However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution,” Lieu said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
David Hogg, who advocates for stricter gun laws, said on X, “I support gun safety, but there is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he had concerns after issuing the order.
“While I understand and appreciate the urgency, the temporary ban challenges the foundation of our constitution, which I swore an oath to uphold,” said Allen. “I am wary of placing my deputies in positions that could lead to civil liability conflicts, as well as the potential risks posed prohibiting law-abiding citizens from their constitutional right to self-defense.”
