This affects Shootists Holiday ’20.
New Mexico gun groups sue governor over closed gun shops and shooting ranges
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, became the focus of a lawsuit Friday after her statewide emergency shutdown orders included firearms retailers, manufacturers, and ranges.
Lujan Grisham issued the shutdown orders for all nonessential businesses by March 24 and extended the closures through April 30. The list of essential businesses did not include firearms retailers, manufacturers, or ranges.
Four days after the first deadline, on March 28, the Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum supporting firearms and ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges as part of its “essential critical infrastructure workforce” advisory list during the COVID-19 virus response effort. However, the New Mexico order did not change.
The Mountain States Legal Foundation filed the lawsuit challenging the Lujan Grisham’s closure order for gun retailers, repair shops, and gun ranges on behalf of a group of plaintiffs that includes the National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, and New Mexico Shooting Sports Association — along with various gun retailers and several individuals: Robert Aragon, a lifelong public servant, Zachary Fort, a concealed handgun license holder and NMSSA president, and Anthony Segura, a licensed firearms instructor.
New Mexico passed a law last year mandating that nearly every firearm sale or transfer be completed by a federally licensed dealer. The plaintiffs argue that the governor has shuttered access to all of those dealers by closing their physical locations that and the closure of brick-and-mortar sites is unconstitutional.
“The government has no duty to protect you, and coronavirus-related impacts to law enforcement could be significant, so times like now are precisely when people must be able to acquire self-defense tools to defend their lives and homes,” FPC President Brandon Combs said. “We are proud to participate in this important case to defend the people’s right to keep and bear arms against government abuses in New Mexico.”
The lawsuit was filed one day after the Virginia Citizens Defense League led a group of gun rights activists to file a temporary injunction against Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam for shutting down indoor gun ranges in Virginia as part of his statewide stay-at-home order.
It’s not affected SH35 yet, but they’ll be taking a decision around the end of the month as to whether it will be rescheduled or not.
You’re right. Mark has been querying members on their plans.
So far I’ve only seen one or two flat out, “changed plans, not attending”. Most are still in “it depends on how things work out over the next month or two”. Two months to go, a lot of uncertainty in the air. With things changing practically daily as to what state is doing what in reaction to the panic, there’s really no idea of it will be practicable to travel interstate across the US by then – even if the NM governor lifts the bans on gatherings by then. I know that international travel is impossible until further notice, just not sure about interstate in the US of A. We do indeed “live in interesting times”.