April
7, 2005--Yesterday, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed
a bill which made three significant changes to the state's shall-issue
concealed weapons carry system.
The bill--the "Right-to-Carry Reform
Bill" (HB 641)--lowers the age for permit holders from 25
to 21. It also makes permits valid for four years instead of two,
and allows authorities to establish reciprocal agreements with
other shall-issue states.
Governor Richardson, a Democrat and the
former energy secretary under President Clinton, had pushed for
the original concealed carry bill two years ago.
The Reform Bill passed the New Mexico
legislature with wide bipartisan support. It was sponsored by
state Representative John Heaton, also a Democrat.
Spokesmen for a number of gun-rights groups
were quick to applaud the bill's passage.
"These changes will encourage more
law abiding New Mexicans to apply for a license and protect themselves
in a lawful, responsible manner," said Chris Cox, head of
the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action.
The Citizens Committe for the Right to
Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) was also jubilant.
"The law recognizes that young adults
have just as much right to self-defense as older citizens, and
that 21-year-olds in New Mexico are just as responsible as 21-year-olds
in other states who are already legally licensed to carry,"
said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron.
"We would hope that governors in
a few other states-- namely Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois and
Kansas-- will take a lesson from Gov. Richardson," Waldron
continued. "Personal protection is not a right that stops
at a state's borders, nor is it any less important for people
in the upper Midwest than it is in the Southwest."
Governor Richardson has been eyed by many
in political circles as being a strong contender for the Democrat
presidential nomination in 2008. His backing of concealed carry
legislation will likely give him an edge amongst gun owners nationwide,
an edge that other Democrat hopefuls, including Senator Hillary
Clinton, currently lack.
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