A controversial
provision in New Mexico's concealed carry law has resulted in the state's
highest court declaring it unconstitutional. Enacted in April 2001 to
allow qualified citizens after receiving safety training and passing a
criminal background check to carry concealed firearms, the law included an
option for individual municipalities to ban carrying within their
jurisdictions. The state Supreme Court ruled, however, that cities and
counties don't have the right to choose which state laws they want to
follow, and because of this, the entire statute was unlawful the court
said. In order to pass constitutional muster, legislators must rewrite and
pass a new concealed carry bill without any provision allowing
municipalities to opt out of the law.