By AUSTIN FISCHER, MEGAN GLEASON, The SourceNM

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order in early September saying gun violence in the state “constitutes a statewide public health emergency of unknown duration.”

The order issued on September 8 encourages local mayors and sheriff’s offices to ask for “an emergency proclamation and implementation of temporary additional restrictions” under the state Riot Control Act.
“To my fellow citizens: get loud. Step up. Demand change: from your neighbors, from your friends, from your communities, from your elected leaders,” Lujan Grisham said in a news release. “Enough is enough.”
This state law gives the governor numerous emergency powers, including the ability to outlaw the possession of firearms or any other deadly weapon outside someone’s home or business, except for police.

There were at least 2,090 shootings in New Mexico between 2014 and 2022, killing 1,323 people and injuring 1,280, according to data collected from media, police, and other sources by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

The governor’s order also invoked the Public Health Emergency Response Act and the All Hazard Emergency Management Act. It directs the state departments of health, homeland security, and public safety to coordinate with her office “to provide an effective and coordinated response.”

On September 13, a federal judge in Albuquerque issued a ruling to temporarily stop the parts of the public health order issued by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that banned the possession of firearms in public settings.

U.S. District Judge David Urias issued the ruling from the bench Monday after hearing from multiple groups who sued in five different civil lawsuits. Urias did not rule on parts of the public health order related to drug use and monitoring, or suspending the state-run program to help minors accused of crimes avoid juvenile prison.

This is a developing story. Visit the sourcenm.com for continued updates.