Keep Calling and E-mailing Committee Members in Opposition to this Measure
Last night, due to an 8-8 tie vote, the House Judiciary Committee failed to advance House Bill 77, state Representative Miguel Garcia's sweeping gun control bill to end almost all private firearm transfers in New Mexico. This fight is far from over because supporters of HB 77 are continuing to work on amending the bill in an attempt to move it forward as soon as possible! Please thank the eight committee members who stood with law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen and politely register your displeasure with those who did not.
Second Amendment stalwarts, state Representatives Nate Gentry (R-ABQ) & Bill Rehm (R-ABQ), took the lead in pointing out dozens of serious technical and policy flaws in this shoddily-drafted bill by Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-ABQ) and a hastily-drawn up amendment offered by Rep.Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe). One of the most glaring of these errors is that the amended bill would allow certain family members to transfer a firearm to a minor child without a background check - but require a background check on a firearm transfer to an adult son, daughter, nephew, niece or grandchild! Other problematic language may effectively prevent the state Department of Public Safety from conducting the very background checks the bill purports to require. Committee Chairman Gail Chasey (D-ABQ) and most of her fellow Democrats on this committee chose to ignore these important issues and force a vote on the measure regardless. Representative Eliseo Lee Alcon (D-Milan) was the lone committee Democrat to vote against a "do pass" recommendation. (Note: the requirement that DPS maintain a registry of lawful gun buyers has been removed, a point to remember when communicating with state legislators on the bill.)
Thank you to the hundreds of NRA and New Mexico Shooting Sports Association members and industry supporters (including representatives of Calibers and Ron Peterson Firearms in Albuquerque) who made the trip to Santa Fe for this important committee hearing. Although testimony was limited to an hour each for both opponents and proponents -- another indication of just how fast gun control advocates want to ram this measure through -- those who were able to speak against the bill did a terrific job.
How members of the House Judiciary Committee voted on HB 77 is indicated below. Please thank those who stood with law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen by voting NO, and politely register your displeasure with those who did not and voted YES.
It is also critical that you contact members of the House Appropriations Committee (contact information provided below), the next group that will consider this bill, and urge them to OPPOSE HB 77. The start-up cost for HB 77 is estimated to be nearly $1 million. And on top of that, lawful gun buyers and sellers will be hit with a $25-$35 fee (gun tax) under the bill for each background check. Tell committee members that if this is such a compelling public safety measure, then the state should absorb the entire cost of implementing and maintaining it. For more information from NRA-ILA on restrictions on private transfers, please click here.
To determine your state lawmaker and obtain their contact information, click here.
House Judiciary Committee Votes:
YES -- Rep. Gail Chasey, Chairman (D-ABQ)
505-986-4412
YES -- Rep. Georgene Louis, Vice-Chairman (D-ABQ)
505-986-4464
NO -- Rep. Eliseo Lee Alcon (D-Milan)
505-986-4844
NO -- Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad)
505-986-4248
NO -- Rep. Zach Cook (R-Ruidoso)
505-986-4452
YES -- Rep. Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe)
505-986-4423
NO -- Rep. Kelly Fajardo (R-Belen)
505-986-4220
YES -- Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-ABQ *sponsor of the measure*)
505-986-4327
NO -- Rep. Nate Gentry (R-ABQ)
505-986-4757
YES -- Rep. Emily Kane (D-ABQ)
505-986-4464
YES -- Rep. Moe Maestas (D-ABQ)
505-986-4774
NO -- Rep. Terry McMillan (R-Las Cruces)
505-986-4450
NO -- Rep. Paul Pacheco (R-ABQ)
505-986-4214
No email available
NO -- Rep. Bill Rehm (R-ABQ)
505-986-4214
YES -- Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-ABQ)
505-986-4243
pat.roybalcaballero@nmlegis.gov
YES -- Rep. Mimi Stewart (D-ABQ)
505-986-4842
House Appropriations Committee Contact Information:
Rep. Henry "Kiki" Saavedra, Chairman (D-ABQ)
505-986-4316
No e-mail available
Rep. Paul Bandy (R-Aztec)
505-986-4211
Rep. Sharon Clahchischilliage (R-Kirtland)
505-986-4211
No e-mail available
Rep. Doreen Gallegos (D-Las Cruces0
505-986-4436
Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard (D-Los Alamos)
505-986-4436
stephanie.garciarichard@nmlegis.gov
Rep. William Gray (R-Artesia)
505-986-4226
Rep. Jimmie Hall (R-ABQ)
505-986-4215
Rep. Larry Larranaga (R-ABQ)
505-986-4215
Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup)
505-986-4432
patricia.lundstrom@nmlegis.gov
Rep. Rodolpho "Rudy" Martinez (D-Bayard)
505-986-4235
Rep. Nick Salazar (D-Ohkay Owingeh)
505-986-4433
No e-mail available
Rep. Tomas Salazar (D-Las Vegas)
505-986-4435
Rep. Jim Smith (R-Sandia Park)
505-986-4467
Rep. Elizabeth Thomson (D-ABQ)
505-986-4255
Rep. Don Tripp (R-Socorro)
505-986-4220
Rep. Christine Trujillo (D-ABQ)
505-986-4255
christine.trujillo@nmlegis.gov
Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela (D-Santa Fe)
505-986-4320
Rep. James White (R-ABQ)
505-986-4451
More Like This From Around The NRA
