By Senator Crystal Brantley

Progressives in New Mexico have always been off the mark when it comes to solving our crime crisis in New Mexico.

In the last decade there has been a trend in the majority party of the Legislature to do everything short of keeping the worst repeat offenders off of our streets and in prison. Call it social justice, call it rehabilitation advocacy, call it whatever you'd like—the truth of the matter is we have yet to act decisively. There is a chance to change that, but here we are discussing another misdirected campaign that does anything but make New Mexicans safer.  Nick Paul,  Ant Thornton and I —the Republicans of the Senate Judiciary Committee—are working hard to make sure the priorities of our committee are kept fixed on upholding the constitution and the rule of law.

Senate Bill 279, known colloquially as the 'GOSAFE ACT,' is set to be heard before our committee in the coming days. Clocking in at 20 pages long, the elaborate bill squirms and writhes to be anything but what it is: a blatantly unconstitutional measure that targets at least half of all New Mexicans.

As members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we are asked to evaluate this bill dutifully and thoroughly on the merits of the text itself. Our members and our team of legal experts analyze the impact of each clause, each line, and each word of the bill as it will be adjudicated before a court of law. There is no way to read this bill as anything short of a blatantly unconstitutional proposal.

You might be tempted to say, it's an anti-gun bill, of course, the Republicans are going to oppose it. I encourage each of you to take some time, to visit the New Mexico Legislature website and read the bill.

You don't have to be a fan of Justice Clarence Thomas or the "historical tradition" test outlined in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen case to see this is an unconstitutional measure.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads:

"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The New Mexico Constitution Article II, Section 6 reads:

"No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes..."

Against that backdrop, without even mentioning the mountains of case law and court precedent, let's consider what this bill proposes: creating a statewide gun registry; creating a list of all gun owners who possess firearms in said registry; turning the New Mexico Attorney General's office (whose mission is to uphold the law and the constitution) into an enforcer of this unconstitutional mandate; and turns anyone who does not comply into felons.

My big question is…did anyone ask the criminals if they plan to comply?

Senator Crystal Brantley serves as the New Mexico State Senator for District 35 (Catron, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra & Socorro). She also serves as Ranking Republican member of the Senate Judicary Committee.