New Mexico Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Gun Restrictions in Public Parks

Lawsuit argues Governor Lujan Grisham overstepped her authority by treating gun violence as a public health crisis.

The New Mexico Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's emergency orders restricting the carrying of guns in public parks and playgrounds.
The lawsuit was brought by Republican state legislators, the National Rifle Association, and several Albuquerque residents, including retired law enforcement officers and a gun-shop owner.
The plaintiffs argue that the governor has overstepped her authority and that gun violence and drug abuse do not qualify as public health emergencies that can limit access to firearms.
Governor Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democrat, first invoked the orders in response to a series of shootings, including the death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium.
The governor's health order includes directives for gun buyback efforts, monthly inspections of firearms dealers statewide, reports on gunshot victims at New Mexico hospitals and wastewater testing for indication of illicit drug use at public schools.