Good Morning New Mexico Activists:
This is a brief note to clarify why we oppose HB 9 Unlawful Access to Firearm by Minor. When our opposition became known late Sunday, a vigorous email discussion ensued among gun violence prevention advocates and legislators. We woke up to a string of emails that made it clear that we needed to clarify why we oppose this bill in its current form and what specific amendments are needed to strengthen the bill.
First, we want to state clearly that we strongly support the intent of this bill. But we fear that ambiguous language in the bill may undermine that intent.
Our talking points, which you’ll find at the link the paragraph above, now include the specific suggestions for revision stated by the Attorney General’s Office in the Financial Impact Report, and specific revisions requested by New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. As they say, the devil is in the details, and we know that these details are technical and may not be clear to everyone who reads them. But we did the best we could to convey what needs to be amended. (If you want to read the AG’s comments yourself, you can find the Financial Impact Report at this link.)
For your convenience, we repeat the information about today’s 1:30 hearing of HB 9 below. It’s essential that this bill is amended before it moves to the Senate, so your immediate calls and emails to House Judiciary members are critical. If you missed any of our previous Alerts, including this morning’s or yesterday’s Alerts about the 7 bills being heard today and tomorrow, you can find them all at this link.
On Mon., Jan. 31, 1:30 p.m., Rm. 309, House Judiciary (in addition to HB 65 Housing Modernization Changes, which we told you about yesterday) is scheduled to hear HB 9 Unlawful Access to Firearm by Minor. On the surface, this bill may seem good – why not penalize parents whose minor child gets access to a firearm in the home and commits a crime? Please read the talking points in the link above to learn why we can’t support this bill in its current form. House Consumer & Public Affairs narrowly approved the bill by a 3:2 vote last Thursday, with several legislators noting that it is in need of revision.
Please email and call committee members this morning to urge them to either AMEND or OPPOSE this bill. Also consider offering public comment by following the instructions below to join the hearing by Zoom. Or watch the Webcast at nmlegis.gov by clicking on Webcast in the top menu bar and finding the committee name.
Join the Zoom webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85381395136. Or One tap mobile: +16699009128, 85381395136# or +12532158782, 85381395136#. Or for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799. Webinar ID: 853 8139 5136.
- Chair: Gail Chasey (D). District 18 (Bernalillo). Room 308, (505) 986-4411. Email: gail@gailchasey.com
- Vice Chair: Micaela Lara Cadena (D). District 33 (Dona Ana). Room 204B, (505) 986-4210. Email: micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Eliseo Lee Alcon (D). District 6 (Cibola & McKinley). Room 314A, (505) 986-4416. Email: eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Christine Chandler (D). District 43 (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval and Santa Fe). Room 316B, (505) 986-4420. Email: christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Zachary J. Cook (R). District 56 (Lincoln and Otero). Room 203B, (505) 986-4226. Email: zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Brian Egolf (D). District 47 (Santa Fe). Room 104, (505) 986-4782. Email: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Daymon Ely (D). District 23 (Bernalillo & Sandoval). Room 205A, (505) 986-4243. Email: daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Georgene Louis (D). District 26 (Bernalillo). Room 306, (505) 986-4329. Email: georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Matthew McQueen (D). District 50 (Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Torrance and Valencia). Room 316A, (505) 986-4423. Email: matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov
- Member: Greg Nibert (R). District 59 (Chaves & Lincoln). Room 203EN, (505) 986-4467. Email: greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov
- Member: William “Bill” R. Rehm (R). District 31 (Bernalillo). Room 201B, (505) 986-4214. Email: bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov
- Member: James G. Townsend (R). District 54 (Chaves, Eddy and Otero). Room 125, (505) 986-4758. Email: townsend@pvtn.net
To send group email, copy and paste this block: “Eliseo Lee Alcon” <eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov>, “Micaela Lara Cadena” <micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov>, “Christine Chandler” <christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov>, “Gail Chasey” <gail@gailchasey.com>, “Zachary J. Cook” <zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov>, “Brian Egolf” <brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov>, “Daymon Ely” <daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov>, “Georgene Louis” <georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov>, “Matthew McQueen” <matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov>, “Greg Nibert” <greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov>, “William “Bill” R. Rehm” <bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov>, “James G. Townsend” townsend@pvtn.net
We deeply appreciate your time and energy toward passing legislation that will improve the lives of all New Mexicans and protect the precious and beautiful resources of our state.
In Hope and Solidarity,
Roxanne & Paul