New Mexico state Republicans file impeachment articles against Dem governor over gun control

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Two Republican state lawmakers in New Mexico filed a resolution Wednesday to impeach Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, accusing her of breaking her oath to the U.S. Constitution over her use of emergency public health orders to restrict the right to carry firearms in some public places.

Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block claim that with the restriction, Lujan Grisham infringed upon the rights of New Mexicans.

"The rights of New Mexicans are not up for debate, and no matter how hard Lujan Grisham tries to violate the Constitution, she will never succeed," Lord said in a statement. "I stood firm against her tyranny when she tried to use a Covid health order to take our guns, and I will continue to stand firm against her continued attempts to destroy our Republic."

Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democrat, invoked the emergency orders last year in response to a spate of gun violence, including the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium. The orders restrict firearms in places like parks and playgrounds in the greater Albuquerque area.

NRA PREPARES FOR BATTLES AGAISNT BLUE STATE GOVERNOR ‘TORCHING THE CONSTITUTION’ WITH GUN CONTROL

Block accused the governor of "violating the Constitution to make a political statement," noting that Lujan Grisham said she expected legal challenges from the outset.

In the federal court system, a judge has allowed enforcement of the gun provision to continue while legal challenges run their course.

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR'S STATE OF THE STATE SPEECH DISRUPTED BY PROTESTERS

In response to the impeachment articles, Lujan Grisham spokesperson Maddy Hayden said in an email to The Associated Press that the two lawmakers are more interested in political stunts than crafting meaningful legislation, citing their bills to criminalize necrophilia and offer sex offenders an early release from prison if they agree to chemical castration procedures.

"There's not much to say in direct response to this inane effort," Hayden said, referring to the impeachment resolution.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in both chambers of the state legislature. Both the House, with a simple majority vote, and Senate, with a two-thirds vote, would have to vote to impeach the governor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Daughter of New Mexico’s last Republican senator running for father’s old seat

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The daughter of the last Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate for New Mexico has launched a campaign to take her father's old seat.

Nella Domenici, the daughter of the late Sen. Pete Domenici, formally announced her candidacy on Wednesday.

"I’m officially running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico! Our state is amazing, but our leaders have failed us. Costs for families are up, crime is rampant, the border is wide open, and our kids are being left behind. We can and must do better!" she wrote on X.

Politico first reported about the planned announcement. She already filed her statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Nella Domenici, a former chief financial officer of Bridgewater Associates, has entered a field of Republicans vying to replace Democratic incumbent Sen. Martin Heinrich.

NRA PREPARES FOR BATTLES AGAINST BLUE STATE GOVERNOR ‘TORCHING THE CONSTITUTION’ WITH GUN CONTROL

In a state President Biden won by 10 percentage points in 2020, conservative Latino activist Ben Luna and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales had already declared in the U.S. Senate race before Domenici, as well as failed 2020 state Senate candidate John Thomas Roberts. Both filed paperwork on Tuesday to compete in the June 4 GOP primary.

"Our state is blessed with abundant natural resources, cultural diversity, rich traditions, hard-working people, and leading national laboratories and military installations. But sadly, our leaders in Washington and Santa Fe have failed us. The cost of living is up, we have a crime and drug crisis, the border is wide open, and our public education system is leaving our kids behind," Nella Domenici wrote on her campaign's Facebook page.

"We can and must do better!" she continued. "I am uniquely prepared and ready to fight for a significantly improved New Mexican economy. My professional experience and education enables me to deeply understand inflation, taxation, setting and managing huge budgets and creating incentives and benefits that serve employees, and attract new businesses and entrepreneurs. And like my father and mother, I have been a warrior for those who most need an advocate: for women competing in academics or business, for families dealing with mental illness, and for those without access to quality healthcare or education."

As New Mexico has grown increasingly blue in the past decade, Domenici is hoping to capitalize on the reputation of her father, who left office 15 years ago. He died in 2017 at age 85.

After first being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, the same year as Biden, Pete Domenici served six terms before leaving office in 2009 after deciding not to run for re-election, making him the longest serving senator in New Mexico's history. For decades, he was influential in the GOP at the national and state level, serving as chairman or ranking member of the powerful Senate Budget Committee for many years. He was also known for his energy policy and as a strong advocate for New Mexico’s national laboratories, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Combined with her own decades in the finance industry, Nella Domenici added a powerful name to the race against Heinrich, who won his last re-election in 2018 by more than 30 points.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

In a released statement, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines, R-Mont., championed, "Nella’s experience at the highest levels of business, commitment to securing our border, and passion for improving education make her a strong candidate to flip this seat."

Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Jessica Velasquez, however, had doubts about the seat flipping from blue to red.

"If Nella Domenici survives the dogfight, her close ties to Wall Street and her work for a mega-hedge fund that laid off American workers while investing in China will all face extensive scrutiny as Republicans’ primary intensifies," Velasquez said, according to Politico.

Though New Mexico would be a welcome pickup for the GOP, it is not considered close to a swing state, and Republicans are more heavily vying to flip Senate seats this year in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, all states former President Trump won in 2020. Other main targets include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona, according to Politico.

It remains to be seen, however, if Domenici's candidacy will prompt Democrats to spend more in the state this year.

As an initial investment, Domenici contributed $500,000 to her campaign. Heinrich, who could soon become the next top Democrat on the Senate Energy Committee, had already raised $3.2 million by the end of last quarter, according to Politico.

NRA prepares for legal battles against blue state governor ‘torching the Constitution’ with gun control

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

New Mexico is kicking off its 2024 legislative term with a number of gun control bills that the NRA is already teeing up to battle in court, Fox News Digital has learned.

"Extremist Governor Lujan Grisham and her allies have unleashed a barrage of gun control proposals that punish the lawful … while ignoring criminals. Last year, Lujan Grisham effectively suspended the Second Amendment by denying citizens their right to carry and self-defense," NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) Executive Director Randy Kozuch told Fox News Digital.

"Now, she's doubling down on her attacks, effectively torching the Constitution with her latest gun control insanity."

Lujan Grisham held her State of the State address Tuesday afternoon and called for the passage of a gun safety package she said would better protect residents from crime and violence, especially children.

NRA GETS UNANIMOUS GOP BACKING IN SUIT TO DISMANTLE GOVERNOR’S ‘UNLAWFUL’ GUN ORDER

"I'm calling for a gun safety package. It bans assault weapons, raises the legal purchase for all guns to 21, institutes a 14-day waiting period, increasing penalties for felons in possession of a firearm, keeps guns out of parks and playgrounds and allows law enforcement officers to now file extreme risk protection orders," Lujan Grisham said Tuesday.

"I want to be very clear: No responsible gun owner should be punished or prevented from exercising their right. And no child should ever be put in danger by a weapon of war, especially one wielded by a person who can't pass a background check or can't wait two weeks to get a firearm."

NRA SLAMS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR'S GUN ORDER, ISSUES HARSH ADVICE

Lujan Grisham's remarks came after the governor was repeatedly interrupted by protesters with videos on social media showing protesters wearing "cease-fire now" shirts, referring to the war in Israel.

There are six gun control bills filed in the state House and Senate this legislative season and an "assault weapons ban" that has not yet been introduced but is detailed in a recent press release from the governor as a bill aimed at regulating "the manufacture, possession and sale of weapons of war, most often the gun used in mass casualty event."

Lujan Grisham announced her "public safety legislative agenda" last week, which she described as the "largest" safety package in New Mexico history, while pinning blame on gun violence for recent crime trends.

"This is, without a doubt, the largest and most comprehensive public safety package in our state’s history," Lujan Grisham said last week of the package, according to a press release. "Gun violence is a significant contributor to the cycles of crime in our communities, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end this epidemic.

"Likewise, we will strengthen our support for law enforcement, increase penalties for violent crimes and, once again, pursue legislation to keep violent offenders behind bars pending trial. All of this will build upon the progress and investments we’ve made in previous years."

GOP ASKS UNLIKELY BIDEN ADMIN ALLY TO STEP IN TO STOP NM'S 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER GRAB'

In the New Mexico House, four bills have already been filed, including House Bill 27, which would expand the state’s red flag confiscation laws to allow law enforcement and health officials to report a person’s potentially harmful behavior, which could require the individual to surrender guns to authorities.

House Bill 114, if passed, would allow the New Mexico attorney general or local district attorneys to file lawsuits against the gun industry for injunctive relief and civil penalties.

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM SWIPES AT FELLOW DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED HER GUN CARRY BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The other two bills, House Bill 127 and House Bill 129, would prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing and possessing a semi-automatic weapon and increase the waiting period on gun purchases to 14 business days, respectively. The NRA-ILA notes on its website that if House Bill 129 passes, New Mexico would have the longest gun purchase waiting period in the nation.

The Senate has introduced its own version of a bill that would impose a 14-business day waiting period on gun purchases and a bill that would impose an 11% excise tax on guns, gun parts, suppressors and ammunition. The tax bill, styled after a similar California law that takes effect later this year, would collect the tax from gun retailers and place the funds in a victims reparation fund and a fund for abused children and families.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

"As a clear enemy of the Second Amendment and our self-defense rights, Governor Lujan Grisham is already being challenged by the NRA in the New Mexico Supreme Court. We remain on the front lines, ready to combat each and every one of her new oppressive gun control measures. The NRA stands with freedom-loving New Mexicans against Lujan Grisham's assault," Kozuch said.

Lujan Grisham came under fierce condemnation last year after signing an emergency public health order that temporarily suspended open and concealed carry across Albuquerque and the surrounding county.

NEW MEXICO DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR SLAMMED FOR 'ANTI-2ND AMENDMENT' PUSH: 'ILLEGALLY TRYING TO SNATCH GUNS'

The NRA responded with a lawsuit in the state's Supreme Court, arguing the order was unconstitutional, which earned unanimous support from GOP state House and Senate members and retired law enforcement officers, the Republican Party of New Mexico and the Libertarian Party of New Mexico.

As the number of lawsuits increased over the order, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, distanced himself from the governor, telling her he would not defend her administration in court. Other Democrats also spoke critically of the measure, as did gun control activist and Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg.

Lujan Grisham said when she announced the order she anticipated legal challenges and raised eyebrows over her remarks on the Constitution.

"No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute," Lujan Grisham responded to a reporter in September when asked whether it’s "unconstitutional" to prevent Americans from exercising their right to bear arms.

New Mexico Democrat governor slammed for ‘anti-2nd Amendment’ push: ‘Illegally trying to snatch guns’

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

New Mexico Republicans are accusing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of undermining the Second Amendment after the Democrat introduced gun control proposals on Friday.

Lujan Grisham announced that a 30-day state legislative session slated to begin Tuesday that will include "the largest and most comprehensive public safety package in our state's history."

The gun control proposals include a 14-day background check waiting period on gun purchases, prohibiting guns in polling places and parks, and a minimum age requirement of 21 years on semiautomatic firearm purchases.

The package also includes the Firearm Industry Accountability Act, which would "amend the state statue [sic] to allow gun manufacturers to be held liable for deceptive trade practices."

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS OPEN, CONCEALED CARRY ACROSS ALBUQUERQUE: 'VIOLENCE AT EVERY TURN'

"The constitutionality questions are beginning to be very complicated in the arena of gun violence," Lujan Grisham said at a press conference Friday. "We are going to continue this effort, following what is going on around the country.

"There will be others who will follow in our footsteps, creating their own public safety corridors, which in effect also make New Mexicans safer."

State Sen. Greg Baca, the Republican minority floor leader, accused the two-term governor of taking "a hyper-partisan turn."

"Senate Republicans are eager to join the governor in tackling New Mexico’s crime epidemic, and to that end, we have introduced a number of commonsense solutions," Baca said in a release.

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR SHOCKS WITH COMMENT ABOUT CONSTITUTION AFTER ISSUING TEMPORARY GUN BAN: NOT 'ABSOLUTE'

"Unfortunately, today’s press conference took a hyper-partisan turn with the announcement of several anti-2nd Amendment measures targeting New Mexico gun owners who only want to protect themselves and their families," he added.

In another statement, Steve Pearce, chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, called the Democrats' proposals "another egregious attack on New Mexicans' Second Amendment rights."

"If the governor really cares about keeping our communities safe, she will focus on giving tougher penalties to criminals, keeping criminals behind bars while supporting law enforcement and allowing them to do their job," Pearce argued in a statement. "Republicans will be putting forth multiple bills this session that will get tough on criminals without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens."

"The governor's continued assaults on New Mexicans' constitutional rights must be stopped," he added.

Fox News Digital reached out to Grisham's office for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

US judge upholds New Mexico Gov. Grisham’s suspension on gun-carry rights in public parks, playgrounds

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

A federal judge cleared the way Wednesday for enforcement of a public health order that suspends the right to carry guns at public parks and playgrounds in New Mexico's largest metro area.

The order from U.S. District Judge David Urias rejects a request from gun rights advocates to block temporary firearms restrictions as legal challenges move forward.

It marks a victory for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her advocacy for temporary gun restrictions in response to recent shootings around the state that left children dead.

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM DEFENDS EFFORTS SUSPENDING GUN-CARRY RIGHTS IN PUBLIC PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS

The standoff is one of many in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year expanding gun rights, as leaders in politically liberal-leaning states explore new avenues for restrictions.

In New Mexico, the restrictions have ignited a furor of public protests, prompted Republican calls for the governor’s impeachment and widened divisions among top Democratic officials.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, continued to argue this week that some sensitive public spaces should be off limits for open or concealed carry of firearms.

Gun rights advocates have filed an array of lawsuits and court motions aimed at blocking the restrictions in her order, arguing that even a new, scaled-back version would deprive Albuquerque-area residents of 2nd Amendment rights to carry in public for self-defense.

But in denying the request for injunction, the judge ruled that the plaintiffs had not shown a substantial likelihood of success in court. He rejected arguments that gun restrictions for "sensitive" places should apply only to locations for core government functions, such as polling places, and not playgrounds.

"Given the Supreme Court’s recognition of schools as sensitive places and the sound analogy between schools and playgrounds ... the court finds that the recognition of what constitutes a sensitive place could very well be determined by the type of function occurring at those locations as well as whether a vulnerable population — such as children — utilize such locations," Urias wrote.

NEW MEXICO LEGAL CHALLENGE EXAMINES GUN-CARRY RESTRICTIONS AMID STATE GUN CONTROL EFFORTS

Urias also said it appears "plausible, although not certain" that the governor may "demonstrate a national historical tradition of firearm restrictions at public parks within cities."

Zachary Fort, who is a plaintiff in several consolidated lawsuits challenging the gun restrictions, said he carries in public parks for self-defense when he can.

"I was disappointed in the judge’s decision today, but I think it’s too early to say now what our next steps are going to be," Fort said.

The governor’s initial order would have suspended gun-carry rights in most public places in the Albuquerque area, while the current version applies only to public parks and playgrounds with an exception that ensures access to a municipal shooting range park. The restrictions were tied to a statistical threshold for violent crime that applies only to Albuquerque and the surrounding area.

State police have authority under the order to assess civil penalties and a fine of up to $5,000, but the sheriff and Albuquerque’s police chief had refused to enforce it.

The rest of the public health order has remained intact, including directives for monthly inspections of firearms dealers statewide, reports on gunshot victims at New Mexico hospitals, wastewater testing for illicit substances at schools, safe-surrender programs for gun owners who choose to decommission firearms they no longer want and more.

A temporary restraining order that previously blocked the gun restrictions was to expire at the end of Wednesday.

NRA gets unanimous GOP backing in suit to dismantle governor’s ‘unlawful’ gun order

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: The National Rifle Association hit Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham with a lawsuit Thursday in the state's Supreme Court over an "unconstitutional" rule temporarily suspending open and concealed carry across Albuquerque and the surrounding county.

"Please rescind your unlawful and blatantly unconstitutional orders and uphold your oath to defend the constitutional rights of those in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. Until then, we’ll see you in court," NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch wrote to Lujan Grisham on Thursday, according to a letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

The suit, filed Thursday in the New Mexico Supreme Court, names Lujan Grisham, Chief of New Mexico State Police Troy Weisler and New Mexico Department of Health Secretary Patrick Allen.

The NRA was joined by every single GOP state House and Senate member, along with retired law enforcement, the Republican Party of New Mexico and the Libertarian Party of New Mexico as petitioners.

NRA SLAMS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR'S GUN ORDER, ISSUES HARSH ADVICE

The lawsuit argues Lujan Grisham's gun order is unconstitutional and unlawful, and called on the state's highest court to "issue an extraordinary writ invalidating" the order.

Lujan Grisham temporarily suspended open and concealed carry laws in Bernalillo County, where Albuquerque is located, for at least 30 days in a public health order announced Friday. The governor cited the fatal shootings of a 13-year-old girl in July, a 5-year-old girl in August and an 11-year-old boy this month as motivation behind the rule.

The governor has been hit with at least four other lawsuits over the order, all of which argue the rule defies the U.S. Constitution. On Wednesday, a federal judge appointed by President Biden blocked part of the public health order that suspended carrying firearms in public.

Lujan Grisham argued following the judge's ruling that she will "stand up to protect families and children" from crimes involving guns.

"I refuse to be resigned to the status quo. As governor, I see the pain of families who lost their loved ones to gun violence every single day, and I will never stop fighting to prevent other families from enduring these tragedies," she said.

Lujan Grisham said when she announced the order that she anticipated legal challenges and raised some eyebrows over her remarks on the Constitution.

"No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute," Lujan Grisham told a reporter who asked whether it’s "unconstitutional" to order Americans not to exercise their right to bear arms.

Kozuch, the director of the NRA's lobbying arm, hit back in his letter to Lujan Grisham Thursday that the NRA "strongly disagrees" with her comment that her oath is not "absolute."

"You claim that your oath to uphold the rights covered by these amendments is ‘not absolute.’ The National Rifle Association strongly disagrees. New Mexicans and other law-abiding Americans visiting or travelling through Albuquerque and Bernalillo County have an absolute right to carry the firearm of their choosing to defend themselves and their families," he wrote.

GOP ASKS UNLIKELY BIDEN ADMIN ALLY TO STEP IN TO STOP NM'S 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER GRAB'

The NRA pointed to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article II, Section 6 of the New Mexico state Constitution as both "clearly" protecting "the right of peaceable people to carry firearms for self-defense."

Article II, Section 6 of the New Mexico Constitution states: "[n]o law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms."

Quickly following the announcement last week, Second Amendment groups, New Mexico residents, Democrats and even gun control activist David Hogg spoke out that the rule was unconstitutional.

"In a shocking move, Governor Lujan Grisham is suspending Second Amendment rights by administrative fiat, ignoring the U.S. Constitution and the New Mexico Constitution," Kozuch told Fox News Digital earlier this week.

"Instead of undermining the fundamental rights of law-abiding New Mexicans, she should address the soft-on-criminal policies which truly endanger its citizens," he added.

Kozuch again stressed in his letter Thursday that the governor should "hold criminals responsible" for spreading violence, and highlighted that even the governor admitted in her press conference last week that criminals would not follow the 30-day gun ban.

"When announcing these orders, you claimed that they are meant to deal with the very real problem of violent crime in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. Yet, in the very press conference where you made that claim, you admitted that the criminals responsible for that rising violence will not follow these orders," he wrote.

"The NRA urges you to hold criminals responsible for the damage they inflict, but we will not stand by as you attempt to blame and restrict the rights of peaceful Americans who simply want to protect themselves, their families, and their community."

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM SWIPES AT FELLOW DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED HER GUN CARRY BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The governor's press secretary Caroline Sweeney told Fox News Digital on Sunday that the "order does not suspend the Constitution but instead state laws over which the governor has jurisdiction." Sweeney added that the governor "was elected to serve the people of New Mexico, and not a day goes by that she doesn’t hear from a constituent asking for more to be done to curb this horrific violence."

Before the lawsuits against the order grew larger Thursday, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez distanced himself from the governor, telling her he would not defend her administration in court.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

"Though I recognize my statutory obligation as New Mexico's chief legal officer to defend state officials when they are sued in their official capacity, my duty to uphold and defend the constitutional rights of every citizen takes precedence. Simply put, I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety but, more importantly, I do not believe it passes constitutional muster," Torrez wrote in his letter to Lujan Grisham this week.

The governor also does not have support from the Bernalillo County Sheriff, who called the order "unconstitutional," while Bernalillo County district attorney, the Albuquerque police chief, and Albuquerque mayor have all said they won’t enforce the order. Lujan Grisham said the state police would enforce the order, and that violations could carry a fine of up to $5,000.

GOP asks unlikely Biden admin ally to step in to stop NM’s ‘unconstitutional power grab’

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are demanding U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland step in and protect the Second Amendment rights of New Mexico residents following Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s order temporarily banning open and concealed carry.

"Governor Grisham has issued an order which is being used to blatantly trample on the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of New Mexico, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) must act swiftly to stop this unconstitutional power grab," a group of Republican senators wrote to Garland on Wednesday in a letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

The letter was spearheaded by Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who was joined by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.

"By preventing certain New Mexicans from exercising their constitutional rights to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home, Governor Grisham is violating the Second Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and Article IV of the Constitution," the senators continued.

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM SWIPES AT FELLOW DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED HER GUN CARRY BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL

"This is a chilling action, and it is imperative that your Department act immediately to show that this kind of unconstitutional abuse will not be tolerated in New Mexico or anywhere else in the United States."

NRA SLAMS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR'S GUN ORDER, ISSUES HARSH ADVICE

Lujan Grisham temporarily suspended open and concealed carry laws in Bernalillo County, where Albuquerque is located, for at least 30 days in an executive order announced Friday. The announcement was spurred by the fatal shootings of a 13-year-old girl in July, a 5-year-old girl in August and an 11-year-old boy this month.

The announcement shocked New Mexico residents, with more than 100 people forming a protest in Old Town Albuquerque on Sunday, where they defied the order and openly carried firearms. Protesters formed another rally Tuesday on Albuquerque's Civic Plaza.

Gun rights groups have also slammed the governor as enacting an "unconstitutional" order that stripped law-abiding citizens of their rights to bear arms.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

"In a shocking move, Governor Lujan Grisham is suspending Second Amendment rights by administrative fiat, ignoring the U.S. Constitution and the New Mexico Constitution. Instead of undermining the fundamental rights of law-abiding New Mexicans, she should address the soft-on-criminal policies which truly endanger its citizens," NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch told Fox News Digital earlier this week.

The governor has been hit with at least four lawsuits over the order, which all argue the rule defies the U.S. Constitution.

"Gov. Luhan Grisham is throwing up a middle finger to the Constitution and the Supreme Court," said Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, one of the groups that filed a suit against Lujan Grisham.

The governor's press secretary Caroline Sweeney told Fox News Digital on Sunday that the "order does not suspend the Constitution but instead state laws over which the governor has jurisdiction."

Sweeney added that the governor "was elected to serve the people of New Mexico, and not a day goes by that she doesn’t hear from a constituent asking for more to be done to curb this horrific violence."

The Democratic governor has also come under fire from members of her own party, including California Rep. Ted Lieu, who posted this week that the order "violates the U.S. Constitution," and liberal gun control activist David Hogg, who echoed the California lawmaker.

NEW MEXICO ATTORNEY GENERAL WON'T DEFEND GOVERNOR'S GUN ORDER

Democratic New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez additionally sent Lujan Grisham a letter this week outlining that he will not defend her administration against the recent lawsuits because he believes the order does not pass "constitutional muster."

"Though I recognize my statutory obligation as New Mexico's chief legal officer to defend state officials when they are sued in their official capacity, my duty to uphold and defend the constitutional rights of every citizen takes precedence. Simply put, I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety but, more importantly, I do not believe it passes constitutional muster," New Mexico AG Raul Torrez wrote in his letter to Lujan Grisham.

NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN TAKING UP FIREARMS CLASSES FOR SELF DEFENSE: 'REFUSING TO BE VICTIMS'

The Republican senators added in their letter to Garland that the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy in New Mexico this month was "horrific" and "inexcusable," and said they would work with the Department of Justice to "combat violent crime in communities across the nation." The senators, however, continued that the governor overstepped her bounds in issuing the order and called on Garland to uphold and enforce the Constitution.

"While the public health order may invoke state law to authorize this unconstitutional infringement, it should be no match for the authority which the DOJ has to enforce our rights under the U.S. Constitution. That is why we are calling on you to enforce the Constitution and intervene on behalf of the constitutional rights of New Mexicans to stop this unconstitutional act from standing," the senators said.

NM GOP leaders to file suit against Dem Gov Grisham to block gun carry ban

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The New Mexico Senate's Republican leader is set to file a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in an effort to stop her gun carry ban.

New Mexico state Sen. Gregory Baca told Fox News Digital his lawsuit, filed in conjunction with New Mexico House Minority Leader Rep. Ryan Lane, is his response to the governor's order, cast as a public health measure, barring the concealed and open carriage of firearms in Albuquerque for at least 30 days.

NEW MEXICO SHERIFF SAYS HE WON'T ENFORCE ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ GUN BAN: ‘PROTECTING THE SECOND AMENDMENT’

"We are going to file suit against her this week, most likely today or tomorrow, because of its blatant unconstitutionality," Baca told Fox News Digital, referring to the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Baca, a lawyer, said he didn't know if the lawsuit would go to the Supreme Court but said he thinks "that it actually doesn't need to go there, because it is so clear that it violates our Constitution… both nationally and at the state level."

The New Mexico Senate GOP leader said there are six lawsuits already filed against Grisham and that he and his colleagues "will be filing at the state court level with the Supreme Court of New Mexico."

When asked if he believes the public health order will be stopped, Baca said, "I do. I think it certainly will be."

"There will be injunctive relief granted on probably all of these lawsuits forcing that health order to be rescinded at that time," he continued. "If that is not the case, she may rescind it on her own just due to pressure from her own party and her own people."

"We have a number of high-ranking Democrats now in this state that are in opposition to it because it's, as I said, it's unconstitutional on its face, including, from what I understand, six Democratic lawmakers from the House," Baca said.

Baca said that, while an impeachment inquiry would have to originate in the state House, should one reach the Senate, the chamber GOP "will give it our full attention."

The Senate Republican leader called out Grisham's statements claiming that her oath to uphold the Constitution is not "absolute."

"I believe that because of some of the words that she stated in her press statement, essentially, she said that herself," Baca said. "She said that she did violate her oath, in which case, I think that, you know, that is just a huge revelation to people."

"I've always understood that the oath I've taken both for the United States military, this office, for the New Mexico State bar, those I take seriously," he continued. "And I have felt that those should not ever be violated."

Baca's lawsuit comes as Grisham faces heavy pushback for her ban on concealed and open carry in Albuquerque.

Grisham is facing widespread outcry from state law enforcement officials following her attempt to ban concealed and open carry permits.

Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen described Grisham's 30-day "public health order" as "unconstitutional" during a press conference this week despite standing beside the governor during her rollout of the policy.

"It’s unconstitutional, so there’s no way we can enforce that order," the sheriff said Monday in a news conference. "This ban does nothing to curb gun violence."

"We must always remember not only are we protecting the Second Amendment, but at the same time, we have a lot of violence within our community. Let me be clear, I hold my standards high, and I do not or never will hedge on what is right," he said.

Grisham's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.

New Mexico attorney general won’t defend governor’s gun order

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez told Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham he won't defend her executive order suspending open and concealed carry across Albuquerque and the surrounding Bernalillo County for at least 30 days, saying he believes it's unconstitutional.

Grisham announced on Sept. 7 that she needed to respond to recent gun-related deaths, which include an 11-year-old boy who was shot and killed while outside a minor league baseball stadium on Wednesday night.

The suspension of open and concealed carry in the defined area is being classified as an emergency public health order.

Torrez, a Democrat himself, wrote the letter to Grisham on Tuesday, stating he won't defend her administration in two lawsuits concerning the executive order.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

"I am writing to inform you that my office will not defend your administration in the above referenced cases challenging the Public Health Emergency Order Imposing Temporary Firearm Restrictions, Drug Monitoring and Other Public Safety Measures (the Emergency Order) issued by the Secretary of Health on September 8, 2023," Torrez wrote. "Though I recognize my statutory obligation as New Mexico's chief legal officer to defend state officials when they are sued in their official capacity, my duty to uphold and defend the constitutional rights of every citizen takes precedence. Simply put, I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety but, more importantly, I do not believe it passes constitutional muster."

While the attorney general says that he grieves with victims of gun violence, Torrez wrote that Grisham shouldn't be making executive orders such as the one she signed last week.

"However, I encourage you to engage in a more thoughtful and deliberative process with members of the New Mexico Legislature rather than taking unilateral action that infringes on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens while having little if any discernible impact on the underlying dynamics driving gun violence in our community," he wrote.

In the four-page letter, Torrez also told Grisham it's "unwise to stretch the definition of a ‘public health emergency’ to encompass something that is fundamentally a public safety issue."

Torrez said that the executive order is "near certain" to violate the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

Responding to criticism, Grisham's press secretary Caroline Sweeney told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that her office received the letter, but said the governor didn't ask Torrez to defend the order in court.

"The governor’s office received the letter from the Attorney General Torrez and let me be clear – Gov. Lujan Grisham did not ask the attorney general to represent the state," Sweeney said. "The governor is looking for state leaders to step up and take bold steps to make New Mexicans safer from the scourge of gun violence. We invite the Attorney General to turn his attention to that effort."

Sweeney said on Sunday that the order "does not suspend the Constitution but instead state laws over which the governor has jurisdiction."

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM SWIPES AT FELLOW DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED HER GUN CARRY BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL

"The governor is looking for proactive partners who will bring solutions to the table - not naysayers who have no real answers to the gun violence epidemic we are faced with," Sweeney said. "She was elected to serve the people of New Mexico, and not a day goes by that she doesn’t hear from a constituent asking for more to be done to curb this horrific violence. If Ted Lieu is so interested in addressing this issue, we invite him to join our next police academy class in January."

Republican state Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block announced on Sept. 9 that they are calling for the governor to be impeached.

"I am calling on counsel to begin the impeachment process against Governor Grisham," Lord said. "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."

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Lord said that Grisham is a "rogue governor."

LIBERALS TURN ON NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR OVER GUN SUSPENSION: ‘VIOLATES THE US CONSTITUTION’

The National Association for Gun Rights and Foster Haines, a resident of Albuquerque, announced on 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 against the measure to be issued.

Fox News Digital reached out to Grisham's office for comment.

Fox News' Houston Knee contributed to this report.

New Mexico sheriff says he won’t enforce ‘unconstitutional’ gun ban: ‘Protecting the Second Amendment’

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is facing widespread pushback from state law enforcement officials following her attempt to ban concealed and open carry permits.

"It’s unconstitutional, so there’s no way we can enforce that order," the sheriff said in a Monday news conference. "This ban does nothing to curb gun violence."

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICANS BELIEVE DEMOCRATS WILL BACK IMPEACHMENT OF LEFT-WING GOVERNOR OVER 'ROGUE' GUN ORDER

Grisham issued an emergency order on Friday suspending the right to carry guns in public across Albuquerque and the surrounding Bernalillo County for at least 30 days following recent instances of gun violence.

The governor said she expects the order to face legal challenges, but she believes she needed to act in response to recent gun-related deaths, such as an 11-year-old boy who was shot and killed outside a minor league baseball stadium earlier this week.

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS OPEN, CONCEALED CARRY ACROSS ALBUQUERQUE: 'VIOLENCE AT EVERY TURN'

The suspension was classified as an emergency public health order and applies to open and concealed carry in most public places, excluding police and licensed security guards. The restriction is connected to a threshold for violent crime rates met only by the Albuquerque area.

Allen claims he pressured against the public health order, saying "[Grisham] knew we as law enforcement did not agree with the order, and as a result, this was solely her decision."

Grisham fired back at Allen following his press conference, ordering the law enforcement official to "stop being squeamish" about enforcing the order.

LIBERALS TURN ON NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR OVER GUN SUSPENSION: 'VIOLATES THE US CONSTITUTION'

"I don’t need a lecture on constitutionality from Sheriff Allen: what I need is action," Grisham said in a statement responding to Allen. "What we need is for leaders to stand up for the victims of violent crime. We need law enforcement, district attorneys, public officials, school leaders and state agencies to use every single tool at their disposal to stop this violence. Period."

She continued, "We’ve given you the tools, Sheriff Allen — now stop being squeamish about using them. I will not back down from doing what’s right and I will always put the safety of the people of New Mexico first."

Violators could face civil penalties and a fine of up to $5,000, according to the governor's spokeswoman Caroline Sweeney. The governor said state police are responsible for enforcing the order, but she acknowledged not all law enforcement officials – including the district attorney for the Albuquerque area – agree with it.

Lujan Grisham cited several recent shootings in Albuquerque when issuing the order, including the Wednesday shooting outside the Albuquerque Isotopes' field that left 11-year-old Froyland Villegas dead and a woman critically wounded. The two were inside a vehicle that was sprayed with bullets as people were leaving the game.

On Aug. 13, 5-year-old Galilea Samaniego was shot and killed as she slept when four teens entered a mobile home community in two stolen vehicles and opened fire on the home. The girl was shot in the head and died from her injuries at a hospital.

Another deadly shooting took place in August in Taos County when a 14-year-old boy used his father's gun to shoot and kill his friend, 13-year-old Amber Archuleta, while they were at the boy's home.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.