Littler Lightbulb: What's New In New Mexico?

New Mexico has been making waves with several noteworthy labor and employment developments. This Lightbulb will highlight interesting legal quirks in the Land of Enchantment, along with recently enacted and proposed legislation. The Littler Albuquerque office will be carefully monitoring these, and other state and local, issues as they unfold.

• The "Red Flag" Gun Law: On February 25, 2020, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed SB 5, the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act. This "red flag" law, which takes effect May 20, 2020, allows a court to issue a protection order (PO) requiring an individual to turn over their firearms and forbidding the purchase or attempted acquisition of a firearm. Although PO petitions must be filed by law enforcement officers, the new law authorizes certain family members and others—including employers—to request a PO and provide evidence. Law enforcement must file a petition for a PO "upon receipt of credible information . . . that