New Mexico State Senator George Muñoz, Lt. Governor Howie Morales Issue Statement on Passage of “Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act” on Senate Floor
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Chris Nordstrum
(415) 601-1992
Chris.Nordstrum@nmlegis.gov
February 8, 2020
SANTA FE — On February 7, the New Mexico Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 5, The Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, a measure designed to allow firearms to be temporarily seized from those deemed dangerous to themselves or others.
Senator George Muñoz (D- Cibola, McKinley, San Juan), issued the following statement on his support of the bill: “I voted for this bill for one simple reason: it will protect innocent people from mentally unstable individuals with guns who wish them harm. If you are a stable person who doesn’t pose a threat to others this law won’t affect you. School safety is a priority for me, and every child getting dropped off at school should know that we are putting safeguards in place to assure them that they will return home safely with their parents.”
Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales made the following statement in support of Senator Muñoz’s vote: “Along with a strong majority of New Mexicans, I applaud State Senator George Muñoz for his very courageous vote yesterday in support of Senate Bill 5 to establish Extreme Risk Protection Orders. It was a close vote, and his backing of this legislation was important. Empowering our law enforcement officers to help individuals experiencing mental health crises will make New Mexico communities safer and save lives in the future. As a former classroom teacher and parent of two young children, this matters to me. We must do everything in our power to protect children and schools, by every means possible. Senator Muñoz’s outspoken leadership over the years to make New Mexico’s classrooms safer has inspired legislators to do better, and it makes his support for SB 5 all the more meaningful to me. Parents drop their children off at school every day and expect them to come home safe. This bill helps ensure this.”
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