State Police in New Mexico shuttered a local gun store last week after the owner tried to reopen the business in defiance of the governor’s closure of “nonessential businesses.”
Back in March, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared that only “essential” businesses can remain open during this “public health emergency.”
Omitted from the list of “essential” businesses are FFLs, gun shops.
It should be noted that the Trump administration added the firearms industry — “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” — to its list of “critical infrastructure” late last month.
But that list is just a guideline for the states and is, therefore, non-binding. Governors can still do as they wish.
Louie Sanchez, the owner of the store known as “Calibers,” spoke to local news affiliate KOB4 about the recent visitation from law enforcement.
“State police showed up to Calibers and issued a cease and desist for us to operate,” explained Sanchez. “Which isn’t very fair because of the fact that we feel like maybe we’re getting picked on because we took a stance again them.”
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“We don’t think this is fair, the governor is literally picking winners and losers for who will stay in business,” Sanchez added.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said, “Non-compliant businesses have been given numerous opportunities by the state to adjust and come into compliance with the public health order, which is unambiguous about the need to reduce and minimize person-to-person contact amid this pandemic. This is an example of a business that chose not to comply and thus was served with a cease-and-desist.”
Hopefully, the ‘Rona virus is on its way out and we can all get back to business as usual in the coming weeks.
But if that fails, maybe suing the governor and the state of New Mexico will move the needle.
Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, told GunsAmerica that legal action is underway to straighten things out in the Land of Enchantment.
“The Second Amendment Foundation has already filed a lawsuit over New Mexico’s closure of gun stores. The Governor is a rabid gun Prohibitionist and is using this heath crisis to further her anti-gun rights agenda,” Gottlieb said.
Stay tuned for updates!
As they say, “elections have consequences”.
Der Fuhrer as spoken and her Gestapo has carried out her bidding. Seems to me like the free citizens of New Mexico need to pull their heads out of their rectums before ALL of their Constitutional rights are usurped by this FemiNazi and her minions.
New Mexico’s governor is a liberal Democrat and New Mexico is now controlled by liberal politicians who have forgotten their western heritage. She is trying ram through a radical gun control scheme by using the covid-19 quarantine as an excuse. Democrats love to leverage a crisis to advance their agenda and they are absolutely shameless about it. Nancy Pelosi recently held up approval of federal funds needed by workers and small business owners who are going broke because of the covid-19 crisis. She was demanding Senate approval of her radical legislative agenda before she would approval the bailout legislation. She doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process.
I’ve lived in NJ because Im from that area originally and by stroke of bad luck because of my job, and NM because my mom lives there but I moved on and retired to Fayettenam, NC because of shit like this. Both places are liberal shitholes though they both have great food. I guess great food and freedom don’t mix.
If legal gun shops are not allowed to be open for business, why then, is the holy WAL MART allowed to continue selling firearms and ammo, etc ?????????????????????????? Sounds like a huge double standard to me.
The Governor of New Mexico and most if not all public officials take an oath to uphold the US Constitution. During this pandemic many of these officials forgot their oath and have taken upon themselves to push their own agenda including stepping on the 2nd amendment of the Bill of Rights.
The New Mexico Governor signed Red Flag Gun Confiscation laws even before the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak. Now in New Mexico if a Judge agrees with a Police Officer without you being there you are denied your day in court with due process of law and they can legally take your guns away.
Most county New Mexico law enforcement are refusing to use these tyrant laws presently and that should make the gun owning citizens there happy.
Yup! That’s our darlin’! Suzanna Martinez left Santa Fairyland as a two term governor with a surplus in excess of $2 Billion that Ms. Lujan Grisham manages to blow through in about a year. She has managed to get legislation passed to require background checks at all gun shows and with the COVID19 pandemic as an excuse, has closed down all gun shows from now henceforth and (if she can get away with it) 4ever. Ms. Grisham has publicly stated that she is using California as the model to which she would like to transform New Mexico. The particularly sad thing about all this is that the GOP does not have a single viable candidate (my opinion) who has shown an interest in running against her. Hopefully I’m wrong about that.
The longer this Coronavirus goes on the more important it is to have a firearm. The unprepared are going to get desperate. Makes good people do bad things.
I’d be curious to hear hypothetical examples of orders the officers who served the store would refuse to carry out, e.g., where they would draw the line.
The local sheriff has the legal authority to arrest the state police, or at least step in an stop the order. But the citizens have to take a stand and resist. Check out Sheriff Richard Mack and his victory lawsuit at the Supreme Court decision in 1998/99. Here’s and interview that is excellent for the people, about sheriffs. Take a stand against tyranny. Just about 245 yrs ago some Colonists took a stand against the king. Let’s not forget our history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTHARYfVTZM&rel=0&modestbranding=1&playsinline=1
DON’T RE-ELECT NOBODY! This pandemic is serious but our response has been politically corrupted and our Rights trampled on for political expediency. Should we social distance and shut down as much as possible-yes, of course. However there is no rhyme or reason to what’s open and what’s closed. Some places won’t even allow you to buy plant seeds and garden supplies IN A STORE THATS STILL OPEN! Our Constitutional RIGHTS have been illegally rescinded by politicians who don’t have the authority to do so for their own political gain. So, my fear…what will they do if we have a real, true disaster if biblical proportions? Ask yourself this question before you vote next election. Stay safe.
Is the governor a Democrat? Interestingly, they can’t govern, but they have an intuitive knowledge of how to seize power. We have one like that in Michigan. Also, incidentally, the states with Democrat governors have the highest body count. They also know that if a death is classified as a COVID 19 death, there’s Fed money at stake. I don’t know if those two facts are related, might just be coincidence.
It would not surprise me to see the murder victims killed by those furloughed from prison due to Covid-19 listed as Covid-19 victims
I mean, their motto is “Never let a tragedy go to waste.”
When the government can take you rights and return them, if and when it wishes, you do not have rights, you have privileges.
Iman Tawidi
Americans are a “Privileged People” – -Some damn Politician.
Shocking what a simple virus has done to destroy our liberties. Imagine a real national disaster.
” Commerce ” can be regulated….trade cannot. Interstate commerce of alcohol, tobacco and firearms is a regulated( by the Constitutions) activity, trade, intrastate or interstate is not. Commercial buisnesses are regulated( incorporated ) unincorporated buisnesses are not…..wrap your heads around that.
next NEW MEXICO GOV ELECTION HOW ABOUT A cease & DESIST ORDER FOR GOV LUJAN JUST ME SAYIN
It is high time that these unAmerican politicians faced personal consequences, not just at the ballot box, but in the court system as well. And I do not mean draining the public coffers to pay their fines.
These agenda driven Leftist who seek to enslave the American people need to pay. Wheither with incarceration, fines paid by the illegal actor themselves (not the tax paying public), or when warranted more permanent solutions like hanging.
Treason is punishable by death, and should be enforced. These traitors who have completely ignored their oath of office need to face legal charges for their traitorous behavior, up to and including treason charges.
Why our legal system has not been prosecuting all of these illegally acting politicians to the full extent of the law is beyond me.
Well said. I agree with you 100%. Unfortunately, there are soo many sheeples out there that cannot or will not see beyond the government tit they are nursing off of. When the time comes, they will once again support these so called leaders.
That is our idiot. The problem is she will get reelected without a doubt because these idiots are sheep and have no problem electing people who turn a billion dollar surplus into a billion dollar deficit over night because it is all President Trump’s fault.
I live there too. Don’t forget she pulled the National Guard out of the bootheel and drug smuggling from Mexico went crazy. She was also a member of Bill Richardson’s administration. Richardson was one of the most corrupt governors around.
Your FFL license is federal !!!!!! The governor cannot shut down something that is federal if you check with the ATF that’s what they will tell you and it’s up to the FFL holders discretion if they close their gun shop or not!!!!!!! That is what the ATF told us in Michigan so I’m assuming that goes along with all the states I would do some checking
It does sound a whole lot like restraint of interstate trade, which states are not allowed to engage in.
But you have to realize that New Mexico is a state full of have-nots with their hands out that rivals any cesspool in the Northeast. This is why they consistently elect ultra leftist politicians. So this kind of behavior is not unanticipated.
I just hope the lawsuit goes on the fast track.
It would appear to me that New Mexico is in need of a new governor! Elections matter folks, use them wisely!
It’s said to see politicians use tragedy’s to further their agenda.
These out of control DOOMacrats have got to pay a price at the ballot box. If there are no real civil upheavals then it will be a sign to those above us that this type of power mad autocrats will be tolerated. The SILENT majority must be SILENT no more! it’s time to RISE UP people!!!!!