Walmart Will Stop Selling Guns in New Mexico

Death by a thousand cuts.

You can count on the antis to push this in other states to achieve the same effect.

Walmart is leaving the firearms business in New Mexico later this month after the state expanded background checks last week to nearly all firearms and required licensed dealers to facilitate private party transfers. The retailer first posted in-store signs about the decision June 28.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based general merchandiser already conducts background checks for firearms it sells in the state's 34 federally licensed stores, but a spokesperson said the company is concerned that the new law put into effect July 1 would require it to facilitate private transactions for weapons it does not sell. That means customers can come in with guns, like a handgun or assault rifle, they purchased elsewhere looking to register them.

"New Mexico's new firearms law would require Walmart stores in New Mexico to conduct background checks for private-party transfers, which our stores are not designed to do due to the safety risks to our associates and our customers," Tiffany Wilson, director of communications at Walmart, said in a statement. "The company has decided to surrender its federal firearms licenses and will no longer sell firearms in our New Mexico stores."

Including New Mexico, 12 states and the District of Columbia require background checks on all firearms purchases at the point of sale, according to the Giffords Law Center. However, this is the first time Walmart has reevaluated firearms sales "in this manner" after a change in state law, according to Wilson.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-to-stop-selling-guns-in-new-mexico/

Including New Mexico, 12 states and the District of Columbia require background checks on all firearms purchases ...

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I'll bet many, many people will read that as saying people can buy guns in 38 states with no background check of any kind.

How can a state compel a private business (Walmart or any federal licensee) to conduct background checks for private transfers in which they are not a party?

Uncle Duke said:

How can a state compel a private business (Walmart or any federal licensee) to conduct background checks for private transfers in which they are not a party?

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Gotta agree. It seems all Walmart needs to do is post a policy to that effect at each NM store. I know gun stores that won't do transfers for something they don't sell from inventory..or charge a high premium for doing so as to discourage it.

It seems Walmart is simply trying to grease the ways for eliminating firearms altogether eventually...and blame it on government (as if government doesn't deserve a lot of blame for stupid laws).

TheOriginalMexicanBob said:

Gotta agree. It seems all Walmart needs to do is post a policy to that effect at each NM store. I know gun stores that won't do transfers for something they don't sell from inventory..or charge a high premium for doing so as to discourage it.

It seems Walmart is simply trying to grease the ways for eliminating firearms altogether eventually...and blame it on government (as if government doesn't deserve a lot of blame for stupid laws).

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Perhaps that is Walmart's motivation here. If nothing else, they clearly are not interested in bankrolling a lawsuit to challenge New Mexico's new law. But I can't hate them for that, though you'd think the law should be challenged, and IMO needs to be challenged. The other FFL's are being similarly abused.

Seems like another of many attempts to simply do as the states please, for as long as they can get away with it. And if someone does have the will and the deep pocket resources to mount a challenge to the state, the state simply uses your taxpayer money to fight it.

Quite the racket, eh? SOB's.
Must be good to be king.

SB 8, which was supported by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and co-sponsored by state Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Española, was described by its proponents as benefiting public safety. Detractors argued, however, that the very people the law targets the most -- irresponsible gun owners and criminals -- are the least likely to comply.

Tripp Stelnicki, a spokesman for the governor, said in an email Wednesday, "If a company doesn't feel it can create or maintain an environment where quick, noninvasive background checks can be completed in a safe manner, this would seem to be the right move for them.

"New Mexicans have the expectation that those who sell firearms should be willing and able to conduct these small, common-sense checks," Stelnicki added.

Walmart stores throughout the state, including the two in Santa Fe, will cease gun sales July 22. The stores will still sell ammunition.

"I am sympathetic to them," said Bill Roney, owner of the Outdoorsman of Santa Fe, a gun shop in the DeVargas Center.

Roney said Walmart, a general department store that offers a much smaller selection of firearms than his shop, was probably not the best place to have private gun owners bringing their weapons for background checks.

"It creates a security nightmare for everyone," Roney said. Potential liability, he added, as well as the amount of clerical work required for each background check, could create "a money-losing proposition" for Walmart.

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https://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/tns-walmart-firearms-guns-new-mexico.html

(2) a prospective firearm seller who does
not hold a current and valid federal firearms license issued
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 923(a) shall arrange for a
person who does hold that license to conduct the federal
instant background check. A federal firearms licensee shall
not unreasonably refuse to perform a background check
pursuant to this paragraph; and

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https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/19 Regular/final/SB0008.pdf

Love the lies in this one:

Here are 5 reasons that we need background checks for firearms:

When Connecticut implemented this law, their gun homicide rate went down by 40% https://www.courant.com/news/connec...-in-gun-deaths-really-20160106-htmlstory.html

Women shot to death by intimate partners went down by 47%

In many states, 1 out of 10 people seeking guns have backgrounds that wouldn’t allow them to have guns in the first place

Background checks have blocked more than 3 million sales

Quinnipiac University polling found that 97% of Americans across the aisle support background checks

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This is not some radical bill. This is common sense and it saves lives. The proposed legislation will require online sellers to do what retailers have had to do for decades: a background check.

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https://progressnownm.org/?p=193889

MDA and Everytown/Bloomturd were behind it. https://t.e2ma.net/message/1wxrab/5f3red

More than 20 out of 33 NM Sheriffs say FU.

As reported in The Journal, “More than 20 county commissions out of 33 in New Mexico have passed sheriff-backed resolutions expressing support for law enforcement officials in deciding not to enforce gun laws they determine [are] unconstitutional.”

The sheriffs believe that the bill infringes on a citizen’s Second Amendment rights and is therefore unenforceable. They began presenting draft resolutions establishing ‘Second Amendment Sanctuaries’ to their county commissioners prior to the final vote on SB8. The resolutions essentially say that elected officials would violate their oaths of office by enforcing a law in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Elected officials in rural counties of New Mexico where the resolutions have passed indicate that constituents overwhelmingly support the resolutions.

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https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/new-mexico-passes-background-checks-sheriffs/

Wallmart

I have never purchased anything but clothing from Walmart, but, like Dicks, once they stop selling guns, their hunting, fishing, and other outdoor stuff soon follows. Pretty soon they are basically a clothing store that sells some camping stuff and cheap kayaks.

Threeband said:

I'll bet many, many people will read that as saying people can buy guns in 38 states with no background check of any kind.

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I think that is exactly the logical and literal meaning: in [38] states where background checks are not required for private sales, you can legally buy without a background check.

Campfire said:

I think that is exactly the logical and literal meaning: in [38] states where background checks are not required for private sales, you can legally buy without a background check.

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Which reflects the fact that most people have no clue how restrictive gun laws are already.

There's been breathless reporting that Kamala Harris intends to proclaim significant new gun laws by Executive Fiat, probably during her Inaugural Address. First on the list I saw is a new law which will allow the ATF to revoke the FFL of dealers who sell guns illegally. Wow.

Why didn't anyone ever think of that before?

owgriffin said:

I have never purchased anything but clothing from Walmart, but, like Dicks, once they stop selling guns, their hunting, fishing, and other outdoor stuff soon follows. Pretty soon they are basically a clothing store that sells some camping stuff and cheap kayaks.

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Most Walmart’s around here don’t sell guns. Haven’t stopped then from selling other sporting goods stuff including ammo.

I can’t blame Walmart. That’s a significant cost for them doing transfers since they are required to under the law. Many stores are open 24/7, but might have 1 or 2 associates who can do a gun sale. Unreasonably refuse is the language. “Look we don’t have any employees working who can do that”. Is that unreasonable? Or should they have an employee available (other than maybe at lunch) while the store is open that can facilitate a transfer under the law?

I bet Walmart doesn’t want to find out that the state thinks they need to. Or someone she’s them.

Hiring extra employees plus training for what might amount to a handful of transfers a week probably won’t make up the cost of it for them. To not do so leaves them at some legal risk of fines, loss of licensing or law suit.

As for the state forcing them to, why not? States and cities (red and blue) often require businesses and individuals to do certain things if they want a license. There are conditions attached to liquor licenses. Already terms and conditions attached to state firearms business licenses and FFLs.

I disagree entirely with UBC, but if UBC IS a thing, then I do agree with requiring the facilitation or transfers and price controls on that.

For a good example of what UBC with no price controls does, look at DC with buying a handgun from the only FFL that can do it (it is, what, >$100, right?). Many industries have price controls on center things. So long as it doesn’t result in a business or individual incurring more costs than revenue to perform the service or sale the good I don’t have an issue with that.

I don’t like government saying citizens need to do X, but if that happens then free market is kind of gone at that point. Demand has suddenly become inelastic and supply needs to also then have certain controls placed on it. Same reason I have an issue with health care. It doesn’t follow supply and demand rules. If you need it, there is generally no option to skip it. You are a captive consumer with limited options and the healthcare industry certainly does all it can to obscure costs. There is little to no reasonable way to shop around and if it’s emergency medical care you have zero choices. So not having controls on it is why we have gotten to the place of health care and prescription drug prices typically going up at about 3-4x the rate of inflation and have for 20+ years.

adit said:

Death by a thousand cuts.

You can count on the antis to push this in other states to achieve the same effect.



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-to-stop-selling-guns-in-new-mexico/

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However, this is the first time Walmart has reevaluated firearms sales "in this manner" after a change in state law, according to Wilson.


I'm not so sure about that statement, Delaware passed a similar law a few years back and Walmart there stopped selling guns

larr said:

However, this is the first time Walmart has reevaluated firearms sales "in this manner" after a change in state law, according to Wilson.


I'm not so sure about that statement, Delaware passed a similar law a few years back and Walmart there stopped selling guns

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The only Delaware law I'm familiar with is the one that says if you don't pass the instant NICS check, regardless of the reason, you have to wait an additional 25 days. Of course if there is a legitimate lawful reason, you don't get the firearm anyway.

POP57 said:

The only Delaware law I'm familiar with is the one that says if you don't pass the instant NICS check, regardless of the reason, you have to wait an additional 25 days. Of course if there is a legitimate lawful reason, you don't get the firearm anyway.

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Here is what I was referring to,
https://lawcenter.giffords.org/priv...u81MQsgyrbwPmWCztwncVApoEoMysHUIuxUWGHR967xw0