NRA, others file lawsuit against governor

The National Rifle Association and others have filed a federal lawsuit against New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham over her order to close gun shops and shooting ranges as part of a broader measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“By arbitrarily, capriciously — and unconstitutionally — targeting those who lawfully sell firearms and ammunition, New Mexico is depriving citizens of their natural and fundamental right to keep and bear arms,” the complaint says.

“Uncertain times are precisely when fundamental rights — like the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense — must be protected.”

The complaint was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.

Plaintiffs are asking the court to find that firearms and ammunition makers and dealers and shooting ranges are “essential” businesses and must be allowed to operate during the pandemic.

The complaint also asks the court to find the governor’s public health order directing them to close unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs also seek unspecified damages and legal fees.

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said in an email the state “has taken and will continue to take an extremely broad view of what is considered non-essential to public health amid this pandemic.”

“Gun stores are hardly the only entity having to adapt as we work to stem illnesses and prevent deaths,” Sackett wrote.

“No one is happy about closing in-person business in our state — no one, including the governor,” Sackett continued.