New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has caught flak from gun control activists and at least one member of her own party for her Sept. 8 executive order that includes suspending concealed and open carry of firearms for 30 days in the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
In a Sept. 9 post on X, gun control activist David Hogg wrote that he supports the governor’s desire to promote gun safety, but not at the cost of a constitutional right.
“I support gun safety, but there is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution,” his post reads.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Mr. Hogg also repeated a post from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.).
“Whether or not we agree with it, the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding the Constitution are the law of the land,” Mr. Lieu wrote.
When challenged about the post, Mr. Lieu cited last year’s Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol v. Bruen, in which the court held that Americans have a constitutional right to carry a gun in public.
2018 School Shooting Survivor
In a follow-up post, Mr. Hogg compared the Republican Party to a cult that demands complete allegiance. He wrote that was the difference between Republicans and Democrats.“If anybody steps out of line with the Republican Party or dares to call out trump (sic), it ends their career,” Mr. Hogg wrote. “We are liberal in the literal sense and not just political. We openly talk about different views, and I appreciate our openness to do so.
“It’s a good rule of thumb to make sure you never agree with someone 100% because no one is ever all ways (sic) right, especially me.”
Several posters from both sides of the aisle criticized Mr. Hogg.
Conservatives expressed surprise that they agreed with him on this point. One offered to talk further.
“This is great. Would love to discuss guns and 2A with you,” wrote Tim Pool, social media influencer and host of the Tim IRL podcast.
Second Order Aimed at Drugs
Gov. Grisham, also on Sept. 8, signed a second executive order aimed at reducing illegal drug use.The first, executive order 2023-130, declares gun violence a public health emergency; and the second, 2023-132, names drug abuse a public health emergency.
In a press release on her website, Ms. Grisham wrote that she issued the directives after the shooting deaths of three children, including an 11-year-old boy on Sept. 6, and two mass shootings. She said her decision was made after “a substantive and earnest conversation” with law enforcement and public officials from Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
The order dealing with guns exempts licensed security guards and police officers. Civilians with carry permits must place guns in locked boxes and use trigger locks or other means to prevent them from being fired before carrying them in public.
During a press conference on Friday, Ms. Grisham said no constitutional rights are absolute and that, as governor, she must suspend certain rights when she has declared an emergency.
“No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute,” she stated.
“There are restrictions on free speech; there are restrictions on my freedoms.”
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen expressed concerns over Ms. Grisham’s order.
“First and foremost, every lost life is a tragedy, and the well-being of our community is of paramount concern to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. We share in the collective grief and urgency to address this issue,” the sheriff said in a statement on X.
“I am wary of placing my deputies in positions that could lead to civil liability conflicts, as well as the potential risks posed by prohibiting law-abiding citizens from their constitutional right to self-defense.”
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Chief Harold Medina issued a statement saying that APD officers would not be enforcing civil violations of Ms. Grisham’s order.
“The governor made it clear that state law enforcement and not APD will be responsible for enforcement of civil violations of the order,” the statement reads.
