| After a floor vote on SB318 was delayed last Thursday, the bill was brought up again on the Senate Floor tonight for a vote and was passed 21 to 18. Numerous gun stores from around the state have told us the bill could put every gun store in New Mexico out of business. The bill accomplishes this by amending New Mexico’s Unfair Trade Practices Act to make it easier to sue a gun store than any other type of business and imposing harsher penalties on gun stores than any other type of business. Further, the bill states: “proof of monetary damage, loss of profits or intent to deceive or take unfair advantage of any person is not required” to sue a gun store or manufacturer. Activist groups who hate the Second-Amendment would be given free rein to sue New Mexico gun stores until the stores are forced to close. No other state in the country targets gun stores in this extreme manner. The bill now heads to the House Side. We expect it will stop in the House Judiciary Committee first, followed by a floor vote if it passes that committee. We have only days left in the 2025 Legislative Session, so we must act quickly if we are going to stop SB318. First, the contact info for House Judiciary Committee Members is at the bottom of this email. Second, find and contact your state representative, and tell them to oppose SB318. The 2025 Session ends at noon on Saturday, so this will be sprint to the end. Here is a quick rundown of the other bills we are tracking now. SB279, the gas-operated firearm and magazine ban is still sitting in the Senate Finance Committee and has not moved in over a week. HB12, the red-flag gun confiscation law expansion has passed both the House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor. The courts will ultimately be where this type of law will have to be fought. SB507, the concealed carry act rewrite will be in the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow, 3/19, after passing the Senate side. House Judiciary Committee Christine Chandler – (D) christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4411 Andrea Romero – (D) andrea@andrearomero.com 505-986-4243 Javier Martínez – (D) javier.martinez@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4782 Matthew McQueen – (D) matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4423 Andrea Reeb – (R) Andrea.Reeb@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4215 Reena Szczepanski – (D) reena.szczepanski@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4777 Michelle Paulene Abeyta – (D) michelle.abeyta@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4254 Nicole Chavez – (R) nicole.chavez@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4214 William A. Hall II – (R) bill.hall@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4336 Dayan Hochman-Vigil – (D) dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4777 Alan T. Martinez – (R) Alan.Martinez@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4758 |