SANTA FE – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday expressed her support and gratitude to the New Mexico State Senate for passing Senate Bill 8, enacting background checks for firearm sales.

“I commend the New Mexico State Senate for taking action to enact this important common-sense gun violence reduction measure that will make a difference in the fight to make our communities safer,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said.

“One year ago today, seventeen American families saw their entire world shatter. Seventeen bright futures were cut short. The lives of countless others were irrevocably changed by the trauma of what happened at a Florida high school.

“In the interim, since Parkland, 1,200 more American children have been shot and killed. New Mexico is no exception when it comes to gun violence in this country. With the passage of this legislation, we are one step closer to preventing that horror from happening again in the state of New Mexico.”