April
5, 2001
SENATE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. 55
The Honorable Richard Romero and
Members of the Senate
Executive-Legislative Building
Honorable President and Members of the Senate:
I have this day VETOED and am returning SENATE BILL
131, as amended, enacted by the Forty-Fifth Legislature, First Session, 2001.
This
bill requires gun merchants to provide either trigger locks or lockboxes when
they sell a firearm. Although this
country is taking a hard look at similar gun safety measures, no states in the
Southwest have mandated the use or sale of trigger locks by firearms
dealers. Moreover, nothing in this law
assures New Mexico that supplying trigger locks will result in increased gun safety,
since locks and lockboxes are easily discarded. Finally, this bill could create a hardship on small gun merchants
in this state who would lose sales to surrounding states. Only new guns would be required to have the
trigger locks at purchase and pawn shops would be excluded.
Sincerely,
Gary E. Johnson
Governor
RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE
GOVERNOR:
Time: _____________________
By:_____________________________
Secretary of State
Date ______________________
Time:______________________
Date_______________________
By:_____________________________
Chief Clerk of the Senate Sem55sb131v