By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The Santa Fe New Mexican is reporting that gun control Senate Bill 17, which would ban so-called “extremely dangerous weapons” such as the AR-15 and AK-47, is “all but dead” after opponents essentially overloaded it with proposed amendments Tuesday.
SB 17 is ostensibly aimed at adding requirements to firearms dealers, but critics said he measure would infringe on Second Amendment rights, and create problems for small businesses, specifically the gun dealers. According to KOAT News, opponents also argued it is unconstitutional. SB 17 would, among other things, require licensing and trainingfor employees at gun stores in the state.
Dubbed the “Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act,” SB 17 had already passed the Senate, with three Democrats joining Republicans to vote against it, but it got hunt up in a debate in the House Judiciary Committee late Monday night. And the newspaper recalled how Miranda Viscolo, executive director of the New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence raised concerns that passing the bill could give the U.S. Supreme Court “a perfect opportunity to deliver a definitive, nationwide ruling against state-level firearm restrictions.”
New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session is wrapping up, and advocates for this legislation expressed disappointment that it likely would not survive the deadline. They vowed to try again next year.
KOAT quoted State Rep. Stefani Lord (R-22nd District) calling SB 17 “the most egregious bill I’ve ever seen in the history of the United States.” She received thousands of opposing petitions, and described the measure as “just another bill to penalize the people who are just owning their firearms, going about their business.”
The bill has been vigorously opposed by the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, which called it “the worst anti-Second Amendment bill to ever come out of the New Mexico Legislature.”
This year’s session is scheduled to end Thursday at noon.
