Critics of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) are calling for her impeachment over an executive order that banned the carrying of legal firearms in Albuquerque under the pretense of a public health emergency. Grisham has faced criticism not just from Republicans, but from a number of Democrats, as well.
The backlash against the governor follows the order, which is slated to be in place for 30 days, starting Sept. 8. This includes a ban on either concealed or open carry. The governor framed her order as an emergency health declaration.
The governor stated that no right is absolute.
Several members of the state legislature called for the impeachment of Lujan Grisham as of this writing. State Rep. John Block (R) wrote on social media that the governor should be impeached and removed.
State Reps. Stefani Lord (R) and John Block (R) also called for the governor’s impeachment. Lord issued a statement in which she called the governor’s action “an abhorrent attempt at imposing a radical, progressive agenda” on the population.
She said that instead of “addressing crime at its core, Governor Grisham is restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”
“I have a newsflash for the Governor: The Second Amendment is an absolute right, and so is my authority to impeach you for violating your oath to New Mexico and the United States.”
New Mexico representatives are planning on impeachment for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham who suggested that citizens with concealed carry permits in her state “should be” arrested claiming she was not bound by the Constitution.
Should she be impeached? Yes or No? pic.twitter.com/c98DDxCGXu
— Veterans Taking Back (@VeteranTakeBack) September 9, 2023
The governor’s action was also critiqued by a prominent Democrat, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen (D), who wrote that the “temporary ban challenges the foundation of our Constitution, which I swore an oath to uphold.”
He further wrote that he was “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.”
The governor’s actions resulted in an almost immediate legal challenge. National Association for Gun Rights is suing the governor seeking the overturning of her order.
The governor similarly faced calls for her impeachment in 2019 for her order to remove New Mexico National Guard troops from the southern border.
