New Gun Bill Could Make it a Crime to Teach Kids How to Shoot
A Democratic state senator has introduced a bill in the New Mexico legislature that would essentially ban parents from teaching their own children how to handle and shoot firearms.
An anti-gun bill introduced Monday by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo López calls for strict gun storage rules and asks for stiff penalties for those who do not abide by them.
The proposed state legislation reads: “It is an offense for a firearm owner or authorized user to store or keep a firearm in any premises unless the firearm is secured in a locked container or secured by a gun lock or other means so as to render the firearm inaccessible or unusable to any person other than the owner or other authorized user.”
The bill suggested that anyone found in violation of the gun storage law would be guilty of a petty misdemeanor and be hit with a maximum fine of $500.
But the bill, further down in the text, specifically addresses those who allow others to handle firearms — which includes children in any situation.
“A minor may be an authorized user only if the minor is at least twelve years of age and has successfully completed a firearm safety training course,” according to the bill.
That would criminalize the act of parental supervision with a firearm for any person under 12 who has not paid for approved training.
The bill is taking plenty of flak from a Second Amendment advocacy group in the state.
A representative of the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association criticized López’s bill, according to New Mexico’s Piñon Post.
“The bill is an uneducated attempt to demonize firearms,” the NMSSA said. “It is already a crime to place a child in a situation that endangers their life, this law does nothing to add to a child’s safety.”
“The law is completely unenforceable unless they plan on going door-to-door inspecting firearm storage in your home. But this bill again goes beyond what they have attempted in the past. If a prohibited possessor gains access to your firearm you are liable as well.”
The NMSSA went on to say that crime in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, is a haven for property crimes that could presumably result in the victim of a crime like a burglary becoming a criminal, should one of their firearms be stolen.
“Albuquerque is the property crime capital of America; if your home or vehicle was broken into and a convicted felon stole your firearm, you could be charged with a crime under the bill. Instead of taking on the issue of the crime wave that has engulfed Albuquerque and other parts of the state, Sedillo Lopez wants to blame you, someone just seeking to defend yourself, if your firearm is stolen,” the organization said.
The Piñon Post reported that New Mexico’s Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee (currently hosting a Democratic majority) will consider the bill in the coming days. The eight-person committee is made up of three Republicans and five Democrats.
The introduction of López’s bill comes a week after a separate so-called “red flag” bill was introduced in the state that would make it easier to circumvent due process in order to confiscate firearms from citizens.
Under H.B. 193 in New Mexico, presumably anyone who would face a complaint could see their Second Amendment rights revoked for one year, or even for life, with very little process.
“A respondent who receives a temporary or one-year extreme risk firearm protection order shall relinquish all firearms in the respondent’s possession, custody or control or subject to the respondent’s possession, custody or control in a safe manner to a law enforcement officer, a law enforcement agency or a federal firearms licensee within forty-eight hours of service of the order or sooner at the discretion of the court,” according to the bill.
A further read of the bill reveals that even an accusation against someone could hurt them, should they have any kind of run-in with law enforcement officers or attempt to exercise their rights, even after being found not to be at “risk.”
“An extreme risk firearm protection order shall remain in each state system for the period stated in the order. Entry into the computer-based criminal intelligence information system constitutes notice to all law enforcement agencies of the existence of the order. The extreme risk firearm protection order shall be fully enforceable in any county, city or town in the state.”
Piñon Post reported that these and other bills are being introduced as New Mexico Democrats seem intent on enforcing vast gun control measures.
None of the anti-gun bills have been passed into law as of yet.
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