John Block, a representative for New Mexico's House District 51, said that Democrats "will never be happy until they disarm every single New Mexican" in relation to Senate Bill 318. He made this statement in a post on the social media platform X on March 13.

"These psychos will never be happy until they disarm every single New Mexican," said Block, State Representative. "Disarmament is all they want so the government can control all of our lives without a single person having the ability to push back."

According to Block, his response was directed at a post from BMC Tactical. The post indicated that the Senate was working late as Democrats attempted to advance Senate Bill 318. BMC Tactical warned that no gun shop would survive if the bill became law due to high penalties.

Screenshot of State Representative John Block's March 13 post on X | X

Senate Bill 318 proposes placing firearms and destructive devices under the jurisdiction of the Unfair Practices Act. It includes weapons that could be converted to expel a projectile (except shotgun shells) and parts designed or intended to convert a device into a destructive device. The act allows individuals harmed by unfair or deceptive trade practices to seek actual damages or up to $10,000, whichever is greater. Additionally, the bill stipulates that failure to respond to a subpoena in cases involving violations of the Unfair Practices Act while manufacturing, advertising, distributing, or selling firearms would result in a $10,000 penalty along with attorney fees and costs.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Joseph Cervantes. A Senate Floor Amendment passed on March 13 defines a firearm accessory as "any attachment or device inserted or affixed onto any firearm to alter its functioning capabilities." The amendment also increased penalties for parties charged with unfair or deceptive trade practices to pay up to three times actual damages or $30,000, whichever is greater. It raised statutory damages for failing to respond to subpoenas from $25,000 to $30,000.

State Representative John Block is described as a lifelong New Mexico resident who has served as a staffer at the New Mexico Legislature and coordinated government affairs at Chevron. He also worked at the Pro-life legal group Americans United For Life. According to his campaign website biography, he holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Rutgers University and an MBA from Eastern New Mexico University. Block resides in Alamogordo with his boyfriend.