Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed red flag legislation into law on Tuesday, and told sheriffs who oppose the law that they should resign if they won’t enforce any gun seizure orders. The vast majority of the state’s sheriffs spoke out in opposition to the legislation before it was narrowly approved by the state legislature, and the head of the state sheriffs association rejected Grisham’s call to resign after her remarks during the signing ceremony.
New Mexico Sheriffs’ Association President Tony Mace of Cibola County said the new law goes too far by potentially impounding guns before any crime is committed and that he and other sheriffs will assert their discretion over its enforcement. “We don’t work for the governor, we don’t work for the Legislature,” he said. “We work for the people that elected us into office.” Sheriff Mace has told Bearing Arms that he’s willing to face contempt charges before he’ll seize anyone’s firearms under a red flag order, and he and other sheriffs have vowed to challenge the law in court as well.
Gun control activists in the state, meanwhile, say they plan on launching a public awareness campaign to let residents know how easy it is to file a red flag petition.