Thirty sheriffs, four Democratic state senators and a cast of hundreds faced off Tuesday in a 90-minute debate that had only one piece of common ground.
Everyone agreed the government taking away someone’s guns can be a matter of life and death. After that, the sheriffs had no use for the Democratic lawmakers, who advanced a bill they admitted was half-baked. – Santa Fe New Mexican
I have to wonder, like seriously wonder, if these folks have ever tried advancing a very well fleshed out bill just to see what would happen? I can’t fathom where the tactic of cobbling together a pile of ‘do something’ held together with some discount packing tape became effective policy writing, but here we are.
The proposal, Senate Bill 5, would enable a family member or law enforcement officer to obtain a civil court order authorizing police to confiscate the guns of someone accused of posing a danger to himself or others.
Senate Bill 5 – ERPO Bill
Even some of the senators who voted for the proposal said it needed to be amended for clarity and fairness. The sponsor, Democratic Sen. Joe Cervantes of Las Cruces, said one section should be removed altogether. It grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to those making the allegations.
But instead of attempting to fix the bill’s deficiencies, the Senate Public Affairs Committee voted 4-3 to send it unchanged to the Judiciary Committee.
Cool. Why fix a bill just waiting to be abused with no due process and no legal recourse against false accusers. That can’t possibly go wrong. Remember, its for gun violence which is extra special bad violence and logic, reason, and standards of proof and effectiveness can all be suspended in its name.
New Mexico has 33 sheriffs, 30 of whom oppose this bill. They complain it could spark violence, that it allows for illegal seizure of property and that it denies due process to the accused.
“Essentially you are being deprived of your property rights under the Constitution for something somebody says you might do,” said Sierra County Sheriff Glenn Hamilton, a Republican.
He ridiculed Cervantes’ bill as wrongheaded, likening it to towing all the cars of people parked at a saloon and then requiring them to prove their sobriety before they can get back their property.
When 91% of your top law enforcement officers tell you its a bad idea… it might be a bad idea.
Welcome to the circus, New Mexico.
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