A group of New Mexico sheriffs were prohibited from attending a legislative session in Santa Fe's Roundhouse Tuesday because they were armed.
The Sheriffs came to the Roundhouse for the first legislative session of the year to meet with lawmakers and listen to the governor's speech, KRQE reports.
"We were allowed to go into the Roundhouse but we weren't allowed to go down onto the floor. We were directed to go to another room and watch what was going on from a TV," Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace said. "That has never happened to us before and that's a direct violation to the constitution of New Mexico. Not only that, the constitution of the United States, and that's just, as law enforcement officers, as peace officers, we carry weapons. That's just what we do."
A spokesperson with the Legislative Council Services said in December, the council voted to ban all weapons from the House gallery for all joint sessions of the legislature.
Roundhouse security said they're going to clarify if current law enforcement officials are exempt from that council rule before Thursday's next joint session.
