A series of sweeping gun-control measures in Colorado is on track to hit the governor's desk by the end of the month, with Democratic committees in the Legislature advancing all the bills despite a Capitol packed with hundreds of opponents and surrounded by cars circling the Capitol blaring their horns.
Gun limits including expanded background checks and ammunition magazine limits were helped Monday by testimony from the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and victims of mass shootings in Connecticut and suburban Denver.
Colorado has become a focus point in the national debate over what new laws, if any, are needed to prevent gun violence after recent mass shootings, including an attack at an Aurora movie theater last summer – a massacre that brought to mind the Columbine High School shooting of 1999 for many in the state and across the nation.
The seven gun-control measures cleared their committees on 3-2 party-line votes and are planned for debate by the full Senate by Friday. Four of the seven have already cleared the House, making it possible some of them will land on the desk of Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper within weeks.
"I think they'll all pass. I really do," said Democratic Senate President John Morse. "And I think they all should pass. I think any of them failing doesn't make Colorado as safe as we could make Colorado."
Besides the blaring car horns, the gun nuts also decided to take to the skies to advertise their displeasure:
A biplane flying above the Capitol Monday warned the governor, "HICK: DO NOT TAKE OUR GUNS!"
Yeah nothing has an impact on legislation like banners on biplanes, don't you agree?
I see Colorado as a sort of legislative "canary in the mine shaft." If these laws get passed here, there is a strong chance that others states will feel emboldened to pass them as well.
At least that is my hope.
Do you remember how right after the shootings at Sandy Hook we had so many Republicans coming out and attempting to shame the President and others for suggesting that they were using the tragedy for political reasons, and that it was "too soon to start talking about gun control?"
That was because they well knew that the memories of the American people are sometimes brief, and that with the passing of time the outrage and pain would subside. They hoped that if they could just delay things long enough, while also pointing towards numerous other contributors to the violence like mental health and video games, they might help their NRA overlords escape the impact of stringent new gun control laws.
Fortunately, at least in Colorado, that did not work for them. Let's hope that with Colorado setting the example it will not work for them nationally either.
I hope Giffords and her husband plan on releasing samples of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of violent death threats (via guns) they get every day just because they are pushing for public safety measures with a dangerous product.
ReplyDeleteHugo Chavez Dead: Venezuela's President Dies At 58
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/hugo-chavez-dead_n_2296423.html
My Venezuelan friend is so excited!
DeleteAs a Coloradan, I am so proud of us once again. If a "wild west" state like ours can do it, anyone can.
DeleteAnon Coloradan @2:38PM
DeleteI'm proud of you folks out there, too. Despite the huge enclave of RW Evangelistic types that have such a strong presence and influence in CO, the rest of 'you people' deserve recognition for providing the balancing effort that has stymied or neutered the truly crazies that have been allowed to hijack politics in other states all over the South, Mid-West, and in other Rocky Mountain states.
Now, the rest of us who are social moderates and progressives ---plus (clutching my pearls) even the dreaded *libruls* that we all are to some degree--- need to be able to replicate the successes of CO's recent big wins despite the presence of the same polarized political atmosphere that exists across the country.
On that note, I read an article about yesterday about Franklin Sain's arrest for alleged death threats and racial and sexist bullying against Rhonda Fields, the state legislator from Aurora, who became active in gun control efforts there in CO after her son and his fiancé were gunned down by a "spray of gunfire" as he was set to testify against a defendant who had murdered a friend of his. I was really impressed with Ms Fields and her commitment to making things better for and safer to all Coloradoans, despite the ugly, detestable things done against her to bully her into "sitting down and shutting up". In short, the lady has a "steel spine" and she's courageous to step forward and and lead despite the efforts to intimidate her into backing off the issue. I don't idolize any human being because none of us are infallible, but she is worthy of hero status for what she's done and continues to do.
I'm hoping Gryphen can highlight Ms Field's story as a follow-up to yesterday's post on the gun legislation issue in CO, because IMO, she's emblematic of the effort that has allowed CO to take the lead on an issue affecting all American citizens. If we can have brave, selfless legislative leaders step forward in every state to propose good legislation without fear of being blasted by the NRA, AFP and other big-money special-interest groups, then we can galvanize the will of the people and force changes in public policies that will make all of us safer.
Kudos CO!!!!
Go Colorado! Proud of my state. Hope the Gov gets to sign the whole thing!
ReplyDeleteI live in a mountain town next to Colorado Springs because I won't live in that town. Colorado Springs has always been a extremely republican, conservative town but became an unhinged, bible thumpin', intolerant bastion of hate after dobson and 8 million other crazy religious organizations moved here. The good news is that those outfits are past their heyday and are trying to sublease parts of their massive complexes out because the gullible old ladies aren't sending them their SS checks anymore. Someday I hope the town I grew up in becomes just sort of conservative again rather than a congregating point for ignorant, hateful folks who should live in the deepest, darkest most inbred part of the south...
DeleteThe editor of the local rag came from soldier of fortune magazine, the city refuses to raise taxes hence, pot holes everywhere, medians of major streets are no longer maintained. City parks are no longer maintained and park bathrooms are locked as there's no one left to clean them...no trash cans in the parks any longer because the city won't pay to have the trash cans emptied. All the rwnj's need to spend some time in CS to see how their great plan of never raising taxes is working out here. CS is where doug bruce came from, he came up with TABOR..something that was more damaging to the state of Colorado than any other legislation in the state in my lifetime. Google doug bruce....
Columbine is a half-mile from my sister-in-law's house. The movie theatre in Aurora is where she goes with her family for a night on the town. Although she and her husband are rabid foaming-at-the-mouth Republicans, they are so anti-gun it is heartening. Perhaps there is some hope. Just a little goes a long way.
ReplyDeletePOTHEADS I tellya... buncha freakin POTHEADS makin' law in Colorado!
ReplyDeletehmmm...
maybe marijuana should be a REQUIREMENT for holding public office?