News From New Mexico Shooting Sports Association

 

Today, the 2024 New Mexico Legislative Session officially started. The governor wasted no time attacking out rights in her State of the State speech. She has made it clear that once again she is targeting your right to own a firearm while ignoring New Mexico's broken criminal justice system. This year is a 30-day budget session, but there have been a multitude of gun related bills filed so far. Here is the list we are tracking, some we support, most we are opposed to. HB27 - Expand New Mexico's "red-flag extreme risk protection order" gun confiscation law to allow a police officers and any "health care professionals" to seek an order against someone. It would also allow police to obtain a search warrant under the purely civil orders and require an accused party to immediately surrender their firearms.  HB58 - Remove the law passed in 2019 to criminalize private firearm sales. HB78 - Make New Mexico a permitless or "constitutional" concealed carry state. HB79 - Reduce gross receipts tax on firearm and ammunition sales. HB81 - Tax credits for gun safe purchases. While this is a concept we support, one of the bill's sponsors was also a sponsor of mandatory storage laws in the past, so it is a bill we will be watching very carefully. HB114 - Increased civil liability for the firearms industry by creating new civil actions against gun manufacturers and retailers in New Mexico. Several New Mexico FFLs have told us they would go out of business if this bill passes. HB127 - Banning anyone under 21 from purchasing or possessing a semiautomatic firearm. An 18-year old who currently own a semiautomatic firearm would not be allowed to keep their gun if the bill passes. HB129 - Mandatory 14-day waiting period on firearm sales. After you purchased a gun, you would have to wait 14 business days before you could take it home with you. SB5 - Banning firearms near polling places. Additionally, we are expecting several more bills that have yet to be filed, or do not have a bill number yet. A semi-automatic rife ban that would also require current owners to register their firearms with the state. Another version of a 14-day waiting period bill. A bill that would impose an 11% excise tax on the sales of firearms and ammunition. A bill that would impose even more restrictions on where someone can carry a firearm. This is going to be a very busy session for gun owners. We will be sending out alerts as we receive information on bills and when they will be heard.