New Mexico: Your Santa Fe City Council is Attempting to Ban Standard Capacity Magazines

The Santa Fe City Council is currently considering an ordinance that would ban the future possession, sale or transfer of any ammunition feeding device that accepts, or can be readily converted to accept, more than ten rounds.  Introduced by Mayor David Coss (an outspoken member of billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s gun control coalition), Councilor Patti Bushee and Councilor Ron Trujillo, Bill No. 2013-27 would outlaw standard capacity magazines used with commonly-owned self-defense pistols and rifles used by recreational and competitive shooters.  With no exception in the ordinance for mere possession in one’s private vehicle, even driving through Santa Fe with a newly-purchased standard capacity magazine in your car or truck could put you in violation of this ordinance.

Instead of focusing on real crime control measures and having a serious debate about complex mental health issues, your City Council has chosen the expedient – and likely unconstitutional – route of targeting law-abiding gun owners, licensed firearms dealers and heavily-regulated gun manufacturers.  Congress allowed a similar ban to expire in 2004 on the federal level because studies showed it had little or no impact on violent crime.  Additionally, this local prohibition ignores the plain-letter protections guaranteed by Article II, Section 6 of the New Mexico Constitution, which reads:

“No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.” [Emphasis added.]

This ordinance has been scheduled for a hearing and vote on Wednesday, June 26, at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall located at 200 Lincoln Avenue in Santa Fe.  Public comments and testimony will be taken so be sure to show up and speak against this measure.  Also, please contact the City Councilors listed below and urge them to OPPOSE Bill No. 2013-27.

Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger

rdwurzburger@santafenm.gov

505-955-6815

Councilor Patti Bushee

pjbushee@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-2345

Councilor Chris Calvert

ccalvert@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-6812

Councilor Bill Dimas

bdimas@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-6817

Councilor Carmichael Dominguez

cadominguez@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-6814

Councilor Peter Ives

pnives@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-6816

Councilor Christopher Rivera

cmrivera@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-6818

Councilor Ronald Trujillo

rstrujillo@santafenm.gov

(505) 955-6811