Demand Letter to Estancia Mayor Nathan Dial Members of the Estancia Board of Trustees

Today, the ACLU-NM sent a letter to Estancia Mayor Nathan Dial and members of the Estancia Board of Trustees demanding they immediately rescind a new town rule that requires individuals to be armed in order to attend a council meeting or conduct business in a town building.

The letter argues the new rule put forth by the Town of Estancia unequivocally violates the First Amendment, as it will deter community members from attending town council meetings to petition their local government, thus creating a chilling effect on the exercise of their fundamental rights under the First Amendment. In addition to being unconstitutional, requiring community members to be armed in order to attend a council meeting is a violation of New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act.