New Mexico governor abandons restrictions on guns except in parks, playgrounds

(The Center Square) - At a press conference on Friday, Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that she was amending her controversial gun order to allow open and concealed carry, except in parks and playgrounds "where we know we have high risk of kids and families," she said.

The move comes a day after a federal judge temporarily blocked the order and fellow Democratic politicians denounced her plan as unconstitutional. Local law enforcement had refused to enforce the order and the state's attorney general had refused to defend it in court.

Lujan Grisham, citing recent shootings, had declared a public health emergency centered on gun violence. The executive order signed September 8, included an "action plan" that banned carrying a loaded weapon off of private property in Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque. The governor's office threatened fines of up to $5,000 for violations.

The governor made the changes to the order after "listening to the debate in court," according to ABC.

"I want to point out that the conversation in that court was pretty clear that we are not wrong about this emergency, or about the issues related to violence, gun violence and public safety generally," she said.