First and likely only anti-gun bill of 2024 Session heads to MLG’s desk

An anti-gun bill creating a mandatory seven-day waiting period for firearm transactions in New Mexico is now awaiting the governor’s approval following its passage in the state legislature after extensive discussions on Monday evening.

The bill underwent some revisions from its original form before securing approval with a narrow 36-32 vote, where it faced opposition primarily from Republican legislators, although some Democrats voted against the anti-gun bill. This marks the second occasion the House has deliberated on the bill due to amendments introduced by the Senate earlier in the session.

Key modifications to the bill pertain to exemptions from the seven-day waiting period. The exemptions apply to individuals with a federal firearm license, holders of a concealed carry license, law enforcement officers engaging in firearm transactions among themselves, and family members transferring firearms to one another.

However, some lawmakers believe the bill should include additional exemptions. State Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) expressed particular concern over the lack of an exemption for survivors of domestic violence, stating, “But the biggest thing for me on top of everything else, Mr. Speaker and gentle lady, was the fact that they didn’t allow the exemption for survivors of domestic violence. I think if you come in and have a restraining order, you are scared for your life, you are not living with this person, you are afraid they are going to kill you, you don’t have the opportunity to bypass that.”

Further adjustments by the Senate stipulate that if the mandatory federal background check is not completed within 20 days, the firearm sale may proceed. The initial version of the bill required buyers who did not pass the background check within the waiting period to fund a subsequent check. Additionally, the bill now exempts firearm mufflers and silencers from the waiting period.

This bill is among several firearm-related measures proposed by the governor at the start of the legislative session. Other pending proposals on the House floor include the bill to attack firearms manufacturers and sellers, stringent updates to the red flag law, a prohibition on semi-automatic firearms, and an increase in the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21, stripping 18-20-year-olds of their constitutional rights, and a bill to ban “high capacity” magazines on firearms. With these bills currently at the midpoint of the legislative process, it is unlikely any other anti-gun bills may pass.