Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is facing widespread pushback from state law enforcement officials following her attempt to ban concealed and open carry permits.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen described Grisham's 30-day "public health order" as "unconstitutional" during a press conference this week despite standing beside the governor during her rollout of the policy, Fox News reports.
"It’s unconstitutional, so there’s no way we can enforce that order," the sheriff said in a Monday news conference. "This ban does nothing to curb gun violence."
Gov. Grisham said in a statement responding to Allen: "I don’t need a lecture on constitutionality from Sheriff Allen: what I need is action. What we need is for leaders to stand up for the victims of violent crime. We need law enforcement, district attorneys, public officials, school leaders and state agencies to use every single tool at their disposal to stop this violence. Period."
Violators could face civil penalties and a fine of up to $5,000, according to the governor's spokeswoman Caroline Sweeney. The governor said state police are responsible for enforcing the order, but she acknowledged not all law enforcement officials – including the district attorney for the Albuquerque area – agree with it.
