2021

There are a lot of bills NMSSA is following in the legislature right now, so here is the rundown of where we are at as of today.

There are now two proposed Constitutional Amendments to add a right to hunt to the New Mexico State Constitution. Both HJR5 and HJR8 are currently in the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

House Bill 102, the pork appropriation for a state-funded "gun-control study committee" advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee and is currently located in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

House Bill 166, the ban on self-made firearms is still in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. If you want to know more about why this issue matters so much, check out this article from pro-2A attorney, and NMSSA ally, Cody Wisniewski.

HB193, the proposed amendment to make New Mexico's gun-confiscation order bill even worse is also in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

SB224, the "safe-storage" bill that could also make you a crime for teaching your child to shoot is still in the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. NMSSA was quoted in the national press in The Blaze and The Daily Wire for working to expose what is in the bill.

We will keep you apprised on the latest from Santa Fe. I would like to ask of you that you join me in saying a prayer for the family and friends of the New Mexico State Police Officer killed in the line of duty today.

Zac Fort
President, NMSSA

Federal Legislation: 2/5/2021

H.R. 127: Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act

To provide for the licensing of firearm and ammunition possession and the registration of firearms, and to prohibit the possession of certain ammunition.

We need to oppose this as we were fighting for our lives.

Full text of Bill H.R. 127

376) HR127: License to own guns or ammo (Pt 1) - YouTube

If this link does not work, please copy and paste the Youtube link to your browser. They will not allow us to link to them or the video.

New Mexico Legislation:

New Mexico Legislation: Posted 2/3/2021

Mandatory Storage Legislation Introduced In The New Mexico Senate

SB 224: Lock Up Your Guns or Face State Charges

Dear New Mexico NRA Member:

Another legislative session -- another ineffective, intrusive and unenforceable guncontrol proposal. You wonder what they'll come up with next? Well, here it is: Senate Bill 224 by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D-ABQ), who must be auditioning for anti-gun billionaire Bloomberg's support in her campaign for the 1st Congressional District.

SB 224 reads as follows: "It is an offense for a firearm owner or authorized user to store or keep a firearm in any premises unless the firearm is secured in a locked container or secured by a gun lock or other means so as to render the firearms inaccessible or unusable to any person other than the owner or authorized user."

You could be fined up to $500 for failing to do so, or $1,000 if a minor, an "at risk" person or a prohibited person obtains the firearm. Both are misdemeanor penalties.

But, it doesn't stop there. The bill could actually make you a criminal if a minor were allowed access to your firearm, unless he or she is at least twelve years of age and has already successfully completed a firearms safety training course. So you could be charged with a misdemeanor for teaching your kid how to shoot.

Please contact your state senators and urge them to OPPOSE SB 224!

New Mexico Legislation: Posted 1/30/2021

House Bill 193: "Red Flag" Is Back & It's Worse Than Before

Rep. Joy Garratt (D-ABQ) & Rep. Daymon Ely (D-ABQ), authors of NRA-opposed Senate Bill 5 from the 2020 session, are back this session with House Bill 193, an amendment to the red-flag gun confiscation law that would allow a police officer to petition for an extreme risk protective order directly. Keep in mind that no crime has to be committed, or alleged to have been committed, for the order to be issued. The order would allow the police officer to search the home of the person subject to the order and seize any firearms the officer finds.

The red flag gun confiscation law has been a failure, as has every gun-control law passed in New Mexico. No one has been made safer as anti-gun lawmakers, elected with the support of billionaire gun control financier Michael Bloomberg, have rushed to trample on New Mexicans' civil liberties.

Federal Legislation: Posted 1/26/20201

H.R.5717 - Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020116th Congress (2019-2020)

Will require a federal license to own/purchase firearms and ammunition. For more information see the link below!!!

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5717/text?r=1&s=1

New Mexico Legislation: Posted 1/26/2021

In just-filed 2021 HB166, Representative Lujan from Santa Fe wants to make it a felony in New Mexico to manufacture or possess a firearm made from an unfinished receiver, a firearm made at home in any fashion, or a firearm that includes any components manufactured on a 3D printer not owned by a FFL. This would include firearms made from an 80% lower receiver.

If you already own such a firearm, this bill would make you a felon for doing so. If any component of any firearm you own was manufactured on a 3D printer, this bill would make you a felon. The bill would even make it a felony to provide code for making a firearm component on a 3D printer to anyone in New Mexico.

We are opposed to this legislation and will keep you updated on its progress.

Sent: Monday, January 18, 2021, 07:48:25 PM MST

Subject: Proposed legislation in NM affecting shooting sports instructors

Good Evening, All,

I'm reaching out to you tonight with a call to action. It was brought to my attention today that the New Mexico State representative from Bernalillo, Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D), has proposed legislation that includes a clause that would allow for firearms instructors to be held criminally liable if a student at any time commits an act of "domestic terrorism" under this bill's definitions.

An overview of this bill can be seen at https://pinonpost.com/nm-domestic-terrorism-bill-may-endanger-firearms-instructors/

The exact text of the bill is available here at https://openstates.org/nm/bills/2021/HB70/

As the independent-minded folks that I know you are, you're certain to have an opinion on this proposal and how it will affect shooting sports and concealed carry instructors statewide. It's time to practice what we preach, gang. Any one of you who's heard me give a benediction knows what I'm about to say, but it bears repeating.

At all levels of government, our elected representatives take an oath to preserve and defend the Constitution. Their job is to represent the will of their respective constituencies in the execution of that oath. Not just the part of the population who voted for them, ya'll. ALL of them. In order for this process to work, it's our responsibility as citizens and taxpayers to communicate our will to them.. Let's face it. They cannot possibly adhere to our wishes if they don't know what those wishes are.

Remember the guidelines: A typed or handwritten letter has a significantly higher likelihood of actually making it to the legislator's desk than electronic forms of communication. Keep it under one page, including salutation and closing. Be respectful. Be specific. Identify the proposed bill, express your position, and support it with a few rational arguments. Invite them to reach out to you for further discussion on the matter. Be respectful! And be persistent.

New Mexico residents can find the contact information for their respective House and Senate officials at https://nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_My_Legislator

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions. I'll do my best to get you answers.

In Liberty,
Traci Fuller

Project Appleseed NM State Coordinator

Read 'Em And Weep, Anti-Gunners: Dana Loesch Proves, Once Again, Why Red Flag Laws Are Dangerous

Read 'Em And Weep, Anti-Gunners: Dana Loesch Proves, Once Again,Why Red Flag Laws Are Dangerous

Beth Baumann

9/11/2019 12:40:00 AM - Beth Baumann

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), commonly referred to as red flag laws, have been all the talk in Washington. Politicians on both sides of the aisle seem to think red flag laws are the answers to the mass shootings taking place in our country.

The House Judiciary Committee proved once again that they don't understand or value the Constitution. They green lighted ERPOs, despite many Second Amendment advocates concerns over the lack of due process.

Talk radio host and pro-gun activist Dana Loesch compiled a Twitter thread giving Americans 10 reasons why we should all be against this move.

"Innocent until proven guilty" is the bedrock of our justice system. Prosecutors have a job to prove the defendant is actually guilty. With ERPOs, a person is deemed guilty and it's up to them to prove themselves innocent. Rather contrary to what our Constitution says.

We have no way to know that someone isn't going to use red flag laws for retaliation. Think of the ex-boyfriend or girlfriend who would love to get back at their 2A-loving former significant other. See how that could be a problem? There's nothing to keep them from lying and making false accusations.

Even when a person does finally have their day in court, it's not exactly something that is jumped on right away.

And those states that have implemented these laws haven't had any reductions in crime. California implemented their red flag laws in 2016 yet we had the Thousand Oaks shooting last November, the Poway Synagogue shooting in April and the Garlic Festival shooting in July.

Florida resident Jonathan Carpenter's case is a prime example of red flag laws gone wrong. A woman filed a complaint against a drug dealer with the same name. Police came knocking on Carpenter's door, confiscated his firearms and then he had to go to court to prove they had the wrong person. It wasn't until he showed up in court, the plaintiff saw him and told cops they had the wrong person, that Carpenter was allowed to get his guns back.

Our law enforcement agencies are struggling as it is to keep afloat and provide for their community. Taxing them with additional issues, like the liability of temporarily storing and protecting firearms.

Cherry picking what rights are worth keeping and protecting is dangerous. It creates a slippery slope for the government to come in and take away whatever right is important to you (whether it be your right to free speech, religion or even voting).

You can't be okay with forfeiting others' rights if you don't want yours forfeited down the road.

The biggest issue our nation has is the lack of law enforcement. Yes, we have cops, the FBI, the CIA, ICE but what we're missing is adequately enforcing every single law that's on the book.

Anti-gunners want to strip more rights guaranteed to us by the Second Amendment but they're not looking at the flaws that already exist, the biggest one being with background checks. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) isn't a completely wholesome system.

Assuming a criminal decides to go through the "legal process" of purchasing a firearm, there's a chance that he or she may be given the green light when really they're a prohibited possessor. That's not something that will be fixed by adding another law. It's something that's fixed by enforcing the law and requiring every government agency, at every level, to provide their convictions to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which oversees NICS.

The other issue is to stop letting people off with a slap on the wrist. If the court thinks you're mentally unfit or unstable enough to take away your firearms, there's a pretty good chance they have enough evidence to convict you of a crime. Right?

We need to stop holding everyone's hand and get serious about addressing this issue. Until we, as a society, stop sweeping this under the rug, nothing will change. We need to make sure those who need mental help get it before it's too late. We need to come together and agree to say something when we see another person acting suspicious or they seem like they're in distress. How many times have we learned about acquaintances, coworkers and friends of mass shooters who thought something was off with the person but they never said anything? Far too many to count.

We need to remove the shame behind seeking mental health treatment. We need to tell people, especially young men, that it's okay to struggle andhave issues but there's nothing wrong with asking for help.