New Mexico governor, AG, both Democrats, clash over her monthlong ban on carrying guns in Albuquerque
CBSN
Albuquerque — Some demonstrators defiantly wore holstered handguns on their hips or carried rifles in a Tuesday rally by gun-rights advocates, protesting New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's surprise order to suspend the right to carry firearms after two children were recently killed in separate shootings.
The rally unfolded on Albuquerque's Civic Plaza shortly before New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced he cannot defend the governor's public health order on firearms, furthering a divide between the state's top-ranked elected Democrats.
In his letter to Lujan Grisham, Torrez said that although he agrees a debate is needed on the impact of gun violence, it cannot be rebranded a public health emergency to justify a blanket 30-day prohibition against carrying firearms in and around Albuquerque. He urged the governor to consider whether her time would be better spent on developing comprehensive legislation.
