The Democratic Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, is facing backlash from members of her own party for temporarily suspending open and concealed carry laws across Albuquerque under an emergency health order. While Grisham’s decision was driven by recent tragedy involving young children, critics argue that the order violates the U.S. Constitution. Even liberal gun control activists like David Hogg and Democratic Representative Ted Lieu have voiced their concerns over the suspension of constitutional rights.

The controversy surrounding Governor Grisham’s temporary ban on open and concealed carry laws started when she announced the suspension for at least 30 days, beginning on September 8. The decision came in response to the fatal tragedy of several young children in Albuquerque. However, critics argue that the order infringes upon the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Democratic Representative Ted Lieu took to Twitter to express his disagreement with the governor’s action: “I support gun safety laws. However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”

Liberal gun control activist David Hogg also chimed in, agreeing that the order violates the Constitution. He further criticized the governor’s reasoning behind the ban, stating that it does not hold water. Hogg emphasized that while he supports gun safety, there is no provision in the Constitution that allows for the suspension of rights during a state public health emergency.

Governor Grisham’s press secretary, Caroline Sweeney, defended the order and clarified that it does not suspend the Constitution but rather state laws within the governor’s jurisdiction. Sweeney argued that the governor is actively seeking proactive partners who can bring solutions to the table, rather than naysayers with no real answers to the gun violence epidemic.

However, critics, including Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz, found themselves in an unusual agreement with Democrats on the gun issue. They expressed shock and mocked the governor for losing support from liberals who are strong proponents of gun control.

The controversy surrounding the gun ban has escalated to the point where two Republican legislators in New Mexico, Representative Stefani Lord and Representative John Block, have called for Governor Grisham’s impeachment. Lord denounced the governor’s action as an abhorrent attempt to impose a radical agenda on unwilling residents. Lord argued that instead of addressing crime at its core, the governor is restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, putting New Mexicans in danger.

Several Second Amendment groups, including The National Association for Gun Rights and the NRA, have also filed lawsuits against the governor, accusing her of disregarding the Constitution and infringing upon Americans’ Second Amendment rights. The president of The National Association for Gun Rights criticized Governor Grisham, stating that she is “throwing up a middle finger to the Constitution.”

Critics of the gun ban argue that Governor Grisham should focus on addressing crime with more effective policies rather than implementing stricter gun control measures. The NRA called on the governor to consider “soft-on-criminal policies” as the root cause of the crime trends in New Mexico.

While the governor invited Democratic Representative Ted Lieu to join a police academy class to help curb gun violence, critics maintain that the focus should be on addressing underlying issues, such as crime prevention and mental health support, rather than restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens.