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Gov. Martinez Institutes Most Restrictive Gun Laws in US

ProgressNow New Mexico is reporting that, on Friday of last week, Governor Susana Martinez's Department of Public Safety published new, more restrictive rules for New Mexico's conceal carry reciprocity laws (i.e. the laws that determine which other states' concealed firearms permits New Mexico will recognize).

Under the previous law, New Mexico recognized reciprocity agreements with 20 other states. As of last Friday, New Mexico now only recognize reciprocity agreements with 5 other states (OK, ND, NC, NE, MO). This change in the law makes New Mexico the only state to recognize reciprocity agreements with so few other states (of the 41 states that grant concealed firearm permit reciprocity, New Mexico now has the most restrictive law in the entire nation) - the only other states with more restrictive laws are the states that don't recognize any out-of-state firearms permits whatsoever.

The NRA, along with shadowy lobbying groups like ALEC, have pushed for universal conceal carry laws - meaning that every state would be forced to recognize firearm permits for anyone who has one, regardless of how lax the permitting process is in that permit's state of origin. It was also the lobbying efforts of groups like the NRA and ALEC that allowed Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law to be passed - this law is now at the center of the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman tragedy because it allowed Zimmerman to shoot first and ask questions later.

The ProgressNow website (here) has a bit more information and links to the DPS's newly published rules.

Tags: ALEC, Guns, Martinez, NRA, Politics, Susana

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Comment by Lahjik on May 2, 2012 at 6:42pm: Isn't this the same bunch that also pushed through the amendment allowing concealed carriers to pack heat while in bars and other alcohol-serving areas, with no requirement to show they're not drinking while armed?

That doesn't really jibe with "Most restrictive" in my eye.

Comment by hettie on May 2, 2012 at 11:37pm: so from what you've written above and checking out the link, it sounds like there's now a law that means many fewer people from other states will be able to carry their concealed firearms around new mexico. and the reason behind this is that the qualification standards from those other states aren't as high as new mexico's. that sounds like a really good idea. I'm not sure what the point of this post is.

Comment by Alex Curtas on May 3, 2012 at 12:13pm: hettie, that's exactly right. I just wanted to inform Burquenos about the administration's new policy. DPS says that they're reviewing the reciprocity agreements with every state and DPS says they want to extend those agreements to as many states as possible. But, as of now with the newly published rules, NM has recognizes the fewest concealed carry reciprocity agreements of any state in the US.

Comment by Ben Moffett on May 3, 2012 at 5:00pm: So is this a short term political trick, or is the Governor interested in putting limits on out-of-state guns.