By: ABQRAW staff
Posted: 9/12/2023 @ 2:40PM
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Albuquerque – Today New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has entered the chat and finally chimed in on the gun ban debate by issuing a letter to the governor letting her know his office will not defend her public health order on gun violence.
In the letter issued today, AG Torrez said the emergency order infringes on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Torrez also said it is unclear how the order would measurably reduce gun violence in the community.
“Given that only responsible gun owners are likely to abide, much less recognize your ban, it is unclear how this action will lead to a measurable decline in gun violence in our community,” Torrez added: “The data do not support the conclusion that gun violence in our community is attributable to otherwise law-abiding citizens exercising their constitutional right to carry firearms for protection outside the home.”
The state attorney general described the recent shooting deaths of two kids as a “wake-up call to everyone” on the impact of gun violence in the community.
However, Torrez questioned the use of a public health emergency to address that.
“I believe it is unwise to stretch the definition of a ‘public health emergency’ to encompass something that is fundamentally a public safety issue,” Torrez wrote in the letter.