Gun Owners Fight Back as New Mexico Gun Ban Falters

The New Mexico legislature is considering a combination gun ban and hyper-regulatory bill, SB17. It is covered at Ammoland in a previous article. The bill bans the future sale of most semi-automatic firearms and detachable magazines which hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Those parts of the bill are almost certainly unconstitutional.

The bill also imposes costly regulatory measures likely to drive many small dealers out of business.  SB17 has passed the senate 21 to 17, with two senators not voting and two more senators absent. The bill is sponsored by six women Democratic party Senators and Senator Peter Wirth, the Senate Majority Floor leader.

The bill passed the New Mexico House Commerce & Economic Development Commitee. It is being heard, as of February 17, 2026, in the House Judiciary Committee. Firearms are popular in New Mexico. Second Amendment supporters are mounting a campaign to melt the phone lines to members of the Judiciary Committee and House members in general. On X, The National Association for Gun Rights, NAGR, is reporting the bill is stalled in the House Judiciary committe. From X:

@gunrights
·
Feb 17
We are receiving several reports from both people here and our members through the call center that angry staffers are slamming phones, yelling at callers, attempting and failing to shut down their lines, and generally losing their minds. 

Keep. Up. The. Heat!

The  Santa Fe New Mexican published an article saying SB17 was “all but dead”:

After being riddled with a slew of proposed amendments in a late-night committee hearing, the most contentious gun control bill of New Mexico’s 30-day session is all but dead.

One of the lead sponsors of Senate Bill 17, Sen. Debbie O’Malley, D-Albuquerque, said Tuesday the measure is unlikely to get another hearing after the House Judiciary Committee delayed a vote early Tuesday morning.

“There’s not enough time to hear it again,” she said.

The sportsmensalliance.org continues to call for opposition to SB17:

February 18, 2026

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard SB 17, the Governor’s tyrannical “Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act,” a measure that serves not as a safety tool but as a calculated strike against the rights of every law-abiding firearm owner in the state. It did not receive a vote, but with the 2026 legislation session expected to end on the 19th, the committee could take a vote at any time.

Immediate Action Required

It is imperative that you use the Take Action button to send an immediate message to the committee to vote “NO” on SB 17. SB 17 isn’t about safety, it’s a calculated burden on law-abiding citizens that leaves actual criminals untouched.

As noted in the Los Alamos Daily Post, the executive director of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence warned SB17 was vulnerable to court challenge, and might lead to undesired consequences. From the LADP:

“By passing a ban this broad, we are handing the U.S. Supreme Court a perfect opportunity to deliver a definitive, nationwide ruling against state-level firearm restrictions,” Viscoli told The New Mexican last week.

“Beyond the legal risk,” she added, “the bill’s immediate effect will likely be a surge in panic buying of the exact weapons this bill is trying to limit.”

There end date for the New Mexico legislative session is February 19, 2026. SB17 has an uphill climb to be passed before the end of the session. It could happen.

©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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