Santa Fe Marks Second City in New Mexico to Pass Resolution; New Mexico Has a Loophole that Enables Criminals, Domestic Abusers and Other Dangerous People to Obtain Guns from Unlicensed Sellers with No Background Check, No Questions Asked
SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, along with the Mayor of Santa Fe, today applauded the Santa Fe City Council for passing a city-wide resolution urging the state legislature to close the background check loophole in New Mexico and pass a law that would require criminal background checks on all gun sales.
Santa Fe’s action comes just two months after the Las Cruces City Council passed a similar resolution. Under current New Mexico law, criminals, domestic abusers and other dangerous people are able to buy guns from unlicensed sellers – including people they meet online and at gun shows – with no background check, no questions asked. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have acted to close this loophole.
STATEMENT FROM SANTA FE MAYOR JAVIER GONZALES, A MEMBER OF MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS, PART OF EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY:
“Far too often, it’s mayors who get the call when a life is taken by senseless gun violence and I’ve seen the pain of families who get those same calls. My top priority is the safety of New Mexicans and that’s why I fully support something as simple as criminal background checks on all gun sales. I’m proud of our City Council in Santa Fe, not only for putting the safety of our community first, but for being a leader in the state. As a native Santa Fean, I’ve seen the progress our city and state have made – but we must come together and work to keep guns out of dangerous hands. That starts with closing our state’s background check loophole and requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales. Together, we can create a safer New Mexico and my fellow elected leaders must make this a priority. Lives are on the line.”
STATEMENT FROM KAREN WATKINS, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE NEW MEXICO CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“Our City Councilors in Santa Fe have shown true leadership today and we’re hopeful their commitment to public safety is something that our leaders in the statehouse are paying attention to as well. This is now the second City Council resolution – following Las Cruces earlier this summer – passed in favor of closing New Mexico’s background check loophole. Right now, dangerous people can obtain a gun in our state with no background check and no questions asked. This loophole puts our families at risk and we have the ability to do something about it by making passing criminal background checks on all gun sales a priority during the 2017 legislative session. Together, we must demand that our legislators heed the calls for action from our cities and their constituents to support background checks. And if they won’t – we’ll find new legislators who will.”
Background checks are proven to help prevent crime and save lives. In states that require background checks for all handgun sales, 46 percent fewer women are shot and killed by intimate partners, there are 48 percent fewer gun suicides, and 48 percent fewer law enforcement officers are killed with handguns.
The resolution has received support throughout the state, including from New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, whose supporters were in attendance at the City Council hearing today along with the New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.