Staff Reports
New Mexico Democrats are pushing Senate Bill 17, dubbed the “Stop Illegal Gun Trade and Extremely Dangerous Weapons Act,” through legislative committees in a brazen attack on law-abiding gun owners and small businesses. Sponsored by Sens. Michaelita Debbie O’Malley, Heather Berghmans, and others, the bill advanced on party-line votes in the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee on January 28, 2026, and faced a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 2. Gun rights groups like the NRA-ILA blast it as an omnibus gun control scheme that shreds Second Amendment protections under the pretense of curbing trafficking.
At its heart, SB 17 brands gas-operated semi-automatic rifles—tools millions use for hunting, sport, and defense—as “extremely dangerous,” banning their sale or transfer to non-federal licensees starting July 1, 2026. It also outlaws magazines over 10 rounds, .50 caliber rifles and cartridges, and machine guns, sparing only rimfire .22s, antiques, or limited-action firearms like bolt-actions and lever guns. Republicans, including NM GOP Chair Amy Barela, call this a “blatantly unconstitutional” assault on common firearms, ignoring Supreme Court precedents like Bruen that protect such rights.
The legislation piles crushing mandates on federally licensed dealers, forcing costly security alarms, 24/7 video surveillance retained for two years, hardened premises, monthly inventories, and detailed record-keeping of every transaction. Dealers must hire only those 21 and older, run background checks, undergo mandatory state training on straw buys and suicide prevention, report multiple sales within five days, thefts in 48 hours, and quarterly traces—creating a backdoor registry primed for abuse. Family-run shops will buckle under these burdens, designed to shutter them and starve citizens of legal access.
Proponents cite polls from Everytown for Gun Safety claiming 77% support, but this ignores New Mexico’s sky-high crime rates driven by repeat offenders, not sporting rifles. Why no similar red tape for pharmacies or liquor stores? It’s selective overreach, punishing responsible owners while cartels flood streets unchecked. A coalition of 26 House Republicans warned it targets hunters and self-defenders, not criminals, echoing national patterns where “safety” bills disarm the innocent first.
This New Mexico power grab signals alarm for every American: if Democrats succeed here, copycat bans will spread nationwide, eroding the Founders’ guarantee against tyranny. Patriots must flood legislators, rally at hearings, and vote out these rights-trampling radicals—before SB 17 sets a precedent that chains us all. The Second Amendment isn’t negotiable; it’s our bulwark in a chaotic world.
