Amid Lujan Grisham’s FFL inspection mandate, RLD chief retires

The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) has been slow to inspect licensed firearms dealers in compliance with Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s anti-gun public health order. The Department has visited only seven percent of them since September 8 out of a total of 750 federally licensed firearms retailers in the state, according to reports.

The public health order, part of Lujan Grisham’s attacks on the Second Amendment, mandates the RLD to conduct monthly inspections to ensure compliance with sales and storage laws. However, the agency, responsible for certifying and regulating over 500,000 individuals and businesses across the state, has not previously performed inspections of firearms dealers.

The inspections, referred to as “spot inspections,” have not yet led to any reports to law enforcement authorities. RLD staff members conduct observations related to state laws, including the storage of firearms and compliance with requirements for the legal transfer of firearms.

Amid these new mandates from the governor to RLD, the Department’s superintendent, Linda Trujillo, is suddenly leaving. 

“After 25+ years of public service, I’m embarking on a new journey: retirement,” Trujillo said in a statement. She started in the position in 2020 and oversaw the state’s hurried legalization of recreational marijuana.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm industry trade association, has threatened legal action against these inspections. They argue that federally licensed firearm retailers in New Mexico are heavily regulated by the ATF and subject to federal laws, making state inspections unnecessary. According to the foundation’s general counsel, New Mexico lacks statutes or regulations governing the sales and business practices of such retailers.

The foundation claims the RLD lacks legal authority to enforce federal regulations and suggests that the inspections may violate the rights of New Mexico members, warning of potential litigation to protect these rights.

The RLD maintains that its inspections are conducted under the authority of an executive order from the governor declaring a state of public emergency due to gun violence and the public health order issued by the Department of Health.

Despite the public health order already triggering a series of lawsuits, mainly related to restrictions on carrying firearms in public places, this new dispute centers on the inspection of firearms dealers, with the National Shooting Sports Foundation challenging the state’s authority to conduct such inspections and raising concerns about legal rights and regulatory authority.

Deputy Superintendent Clay Bailey will assume the role of Acting Superintendent in the interim after Trujillo’s exit. 

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17 thoughts on “Amid Lujan Grisham’s FFL inspection mandate, RLD chief retires”

  1. New Mexicans, you all need to stand up against this tyrant and get her out of office. She keeps violating our 2nd amendment rights and she will not stop unless you all vote out her comrades come Election Day and impeach her. She needs to be removed from office, she is killing NM.

    1. Clare A May, retired

      Term limited. She cannot run again. All damage will be done before she is term limited out of the tolite seat in santa fe.

    2. Unfortunately, MLG cannot be voted out of office. She is term limited out of the office of governor, having been re-elected in 2022. Her term does not end until the end of 2026. Our only recourse is to defang her through the election process in 2024 when all of her NM House and Senate accomplices are up for election.

    3. Elizabeth Stromberg

      She has already “killed” New Mexico by shutting down an already shaky economy during the Pandemic. By the time her term is up, I shudder to think what new dictates she will have imposed!

    4. She is wasting tax payers money demanding inspection which have no legal force behind them. Spending us into bankruptcy and trying to take away our constitutional rights! Impeach her!!

  2. In addition to all that, does the RLD even have enough people to suddenly meet the requirement to inspect 500,000 people every single month? How much does that cost taxpayers to hire that many people to conduct that level of harassment?

  3. Elections have consequences, I hope New Mexicans understand what voting blindly democrat turns your kids transgender with out parents permission, punishes law a abiding gun owners, has poor folks pay taxes that will be given. (rebated) to rich folks to buy electric cars that poor people can’t even think about affording. Plus New Mexico is the third worst state (one of the few measurement that we are not last) in the nation of probably spending our tax dollar. Wake up New Mexico, most of us are conservative in views but many vote Marxist, listen to your family members that are conservative republicans, no seriously talk to them with open eyes and ears. The democrat party is not the same party your grandparents voted for, they are now communist Marxists (they want to control your every move).

    1. I agree with your objective but unfortunately it won’t happen because that intellectual dwarf has infected every State Government Agency INCLUDING the NM State Police who would be responsible for arresting her and escorting her off the Roundhouse premises.

      Biden’s Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity Democrat Party cohorts from the Albuquerque Office would likely show up to protect her.

  4. Sad but people vote for her .like the president . If she think she can the gun come and get it there lot of people not giving it up

  5. Just so I’m clear on the RLD…what is it that they actually do because it sounds like they just suck up tax money while doing nothing? Which is pretty much what most politicians in NM do since this is the brother-in-law state.

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