New Mexico governor defends approach to attempted gun restrictions, emergency order on gun violence

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is defending her decision to treat gun violence as a public health epidemic by presenting statistics on recent firearms seizures, reduced reports of gunfire in the Albuquerque metro area and an uptick in jail bookings. The governor said at a Tuesday news conference that she has a responsibility to explore opportunities for gun-free “safe spaces” amid shifting judicial precedent. The state is awaiting a crucial federal court ruling on the governor's attempt to suspend gun-carry rights in public parks and playgrounds. Lujan Grisham is confronting a public backlash from critics who describe the gun restriction provisions as an assault on constitutional rights to self defense.