Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico introduced a 30-day ban on carrying firearms in public areas or state property in Albuquerque and its county, a transfer that she stated was a mandatory response to gun violence within the area however that critics denounced as unconstitutional.

The ban was issued on Friday as a declaration of a public health emergency, which Ms. Lujan Grisham stated allowed the state to entry totally different assets. The government order, which covers Bernalillo County, prohibits open and hid firearms on state property, public faculties or public parks, with exceptions just for legislation enforcement and licensed safety guards.

Residents with gun permits can nonetheless have weapons on non-public property. While touring with a gun, an individual should transport it in a manner that makes the firearm inoperable — in a locked field or with a set off lock, for instance. Those who violate the order will be topic to fines as much as $5,000.

Ms. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, stated she was spurred to motion after a number of latest deadly shootings of children, together with an 11-year-old boy who was killed exterior a minor-league baseball stadium this week in Albuquerque.

At a news convention on Friday, she stated that shootings have amounted to an epidemic and that the suspension allowed for a “cooling-off period” for the state to determine one of the simplest ways to deal with gun violence and public security. She stated she anticipated the suspension to be challenged in court docket and couldn’t assure it could stand.

“I welcome the debate and the fight about making New Mexicans safer,” she stated.

The New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, the official state affiliation of the National Rifle Association, is within the strategy of submitting a lawsuit in opposition to the ban, Anthony Segura, a spokesman for the group, stated.

Ms. Lujan Grisham “does not have the right” to override the federal and state Constitutions, he stated.

Two New Mexico state representatives, Stefani Lord and John Block, each Republicans, referred to as on Saturday for Ms. Lujan Grisham to be impeached, saying that she violated her oath to New Mexico and the nation.

Ms. Lujan Grisham stated in a telephone interview on Saturday that she remained assured in her resolution.

“I have emergency powers,” she stated. “Gun violence is an epidemic. Therefore, it’s an emergency.”

The government order is statewide however impacts solely cities and counties that exceed sure ranges of violent crime and gun-related emergency room visits, standards that at the moment applies solely to Bernalillo County, the seat of which is Albuquerque.

Harold Medina, chief of the Albuquerque Police, stated in an announcement that the governor had stated that state legislation enforcement officers can be chargeable for imposing the order.

John Allen, Bernalillo County’s sheriff, stated in a statement on Friday that the ban challenged the Constitution. He stated he was cautious of inserting his deputies in positions the place they may very well be susceptible to civil legal responsibility, “as well as the potential risks posed by prohibiting law-abiding citizens from their constitutional right to self-defense.”

But he added that he was dedicated to preventing “the gun violence epidemic plaguing” the county.

The governor’s order additionally requires state regulators to examine firearms sellers statewide each month to examine their compliance with sale and storage legal guidelines. And the order directs the state’s Department of Health to collect demographic info — like age, race, ethnicity and gender — of gunshot victims, info on the model and caliber of the firearm concerned, and common circumstances resulting in the harm.

Patrick Carter, co-director for the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, stated there was proof that fewer weapons result in much less violence in an space. However, he stated, there was not sufficient knowledge or analysis to find out whether or not or not this ban would impact stopping firearm accidents, which he stated required “a comprehensive approach that blends policy with other types of interventions.”

Robert Leider, an assistant professor of legislation at George Mason University, stated bans like this have been issued “when you have public disorders or other states of emergency, but most states of emergency usually involve something more acute.” He expressed skepticism that the ban can be upheld in court docket. “I’m not aware of any precedent for this just for general criminal wrongdoing,” he stated.

In the news convention, Ms. Lujan Grisham stated the ban can be lifted on the finish of 30 days, if the gun violence epidemic was over. But she added, “I bet it’s not over in 30 days” and that the ban was more likely to be modified.

“We’ll make adjustments, and I intend to make Albuquerque the safest place in America,” she stated within the interview on Saturday. “It’s a tall order, and I am on it.”