Democrat State Party Platforms - Colorado To Georgia

This is a  continuation of my series of posts pointing out the political platforms of the individual state Democrat parties on firearms, gun control, and the Second Amendment. Remember, this is the official position of the Democratic Party in each state and you can expect Democrats to work to enact laws along these lines.

Colorado

Colorado Democrats have an explicit gun control agenda in their platform. Moreover, firearm restrictions come up in other areas such as schools and National Parks and Forests.

Firearms and Gun Safety
We agree with individual ownership of firearms for hunting and personal safety, but also believe that firearms should be regulated as follows:

1. Ban assault weapons, bump stocks, and high capacity magazines.
2. Enact universal background checks federally.
3. Enact restrictions: Must be 21 and must demonstrate competency with firearms to purchase a firearm.
4. Prohibit the possession and purchase of firearms by people with violent criminal offenses or on terrorist watch list.
5. Except for security personnel, ban firearms on K-12 schools, college campuses and allow cultural institutions to ban firearms on their premises.
6. Enact Extreme Risk Protection Order law, which would allow families and law enforcement to seek a court order to temporarily disarm a person who is dangerous to themselves or others.
7. Enact criminal penalties when adults fail to properly store firearms and minors gain access and harm themselves or others.
8. Restrict firearms use in National Forest to designated areas, except during hunting season.
9. Allow the CDC and other government agencies to conduct gun violence research, and properly fund.

With regard to making schools gun-free zones, the Colorado Democrats say:

We oppose guns in school, more guns would make our schools less safe and but all (sic) students and staff at increased risk of becoming a victim of gun violence.

Finally, with regard to public lands and wildlife, it says, "We support the restriction of shooting in National Forests and Parks."


Connecticut

As you might expect, Connecticut Democrats support gun control and make great claims for it. They don't go into great detail so they must assume all the post-Newtown restrictions have been accepted.

Guns

Connecticut Democrats are proud to stand behind common sense gun violence prevention measures. As a result, Connecticut has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country.

Gun violence in our urban centers needs to be addressed. This can be supported through incentivized proactive measures such as buybacks, and reinforcing “no questions asked” protections where appropriate in order to get guns off the streets.

Connecticut can do more. There is progress to be made in the areas of Domestic Violence and Extreme Risk protections as these scenarios are a source of mass shooting violence and gun suicide.

Delaware

 The Delaware Democrats' platform adopts the usual buzzwords such as "common sense" and "weapons of war" without going into too much detail.

Preventing Gun Violence: Gun violence is taking far too many lives in Delaware. Delaware Democrats support common sense gun safety measures while respecting responsible gun ownership. We will build on successful efforts at the state level and proposed efforts at the federal level to get weapons of war away from criminals and off our streets, while preserving the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.

Florida

 The Florida Democrats have a list of their "values" on their website instead of a platform. In addition to a statement on guns, they also have a separate "gun violence prevention" fact (sic) sheet.

Preventing Gun Violence

"Proud NRA sellout" Adam Putnam and his Republican party would rather give guns to people who shouldn't have them than enact comprehensive gun control policies. The Republican Party's dependence on the NRA for money is why they refuse to enact policies that a majority of Floridians support. Unlike Republicans, Democrats support banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and a 3-day waiting period for gun sales. Democrats realize that this isn't about taking away the rights of responsible, law abiding gun-owners. This is about making our state safer so that there isn't another shooting in Parkland, Pulse, or anywhere else in Florida. Florida has endured 4 mass shootings in 18 months because of Republicans' refusal to implement common sense gun reform. Let's make sure there isn't a 5th.

Georgia

Georgia Democrats don't seem to have adopted a party platform since 2011. It is probably for this reason that their platform makes no reference to firearms or "gun violence" (sic).  The only real item I could find is a 2013 press release supporting then President Obama's efforts at gun control post-Newtown including magazines bans and assault weapon (sic) bans.

I will have to assume that they will support the gun control platform of Stacey Abrams who is their nominee for governor.

As Governor, Stacey will:

1. Fight for common-sense gun reforms including universal background checks, repeal of campus carry, and extreme-risk protection orders
2. Support protections and services for victims of domestic violence
3. Invest in mental health services
4. Support community and hospital programs to stop the cycle of gun violence

Stacey’s Record:

1. Opposed legislation which required that guns confiscated in crimes be returned to the street
2. Opposed campus carry
3. Received only Ds and Fs from the National Rifle Association
4. Endorsed by Moms Demand Action and Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence

Boulder City Council Sued In Federal Court

Tuesday, May 15th, the Boulder City Council unanimously passed a ban on semi-automatic rifles with cosmetics they didn't like, a ban on standard capacity magazines, and bump fire stocks.

As the Denver Post reported:

The ordinance prohibits the sale and possession of assault weapons, as defined by the city. Also outlawed are magazines with high-capacity magazines and bump stocks.

Owners of the latter two items will have until July 15 to dispose of or sell them. Assault weapons will be grandfathered in; those in possession of such firearms have until the end of the year to receive a certificate proving prior ownership.

The grandfather clause was an olive branch to gun owners, said Councilman Sam Weaver, as was the abandonment of an early proposal to establish a registration system for assault weapons in the city.

Colorado has a state firearms preemption law that, on the face of it, forbids cities from adopting regulations which "prohibits the sale, purchase, or possession of a firearm that a person may lawfully sell, purchase, or possess under state or federal law." Firearms law is considered a matter of state concern. Denver, so far, is the only city in the state whose firearm regulations were upheld because it was considered a "special case" due to its size.

At the meeting where the Boulder City Council adopted their ban, representatives from the Mountain States Legal Foundation vowed that they would oppose the measure in court. They have kept their word.

In a release sent out late last night, the Mountain States Legal Foundation announced that they had filed suit in US District Court for the District of Colorado. The lead plaintiff is Jon Caldara who is a member of the Boulder Rifle Club. In addition, Caldara is the president of the Independence Institute, a libertarian think tank, based in Denver.

More on the lawsuit including a link to the complaint is below:

May 16, 2018 – DENVER, CO.  A group of Boulder residents who face heavy fines and jail time for the mere possession of firearms that are legal throughout Colorado and the United States filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging the Boulder City Council’s actions.  Represented by Mountain States Legal Foundation, the plaintiffs are taking a stand against the city council’s unconstitutional passage of a broad-sweeping ban of the most popular and widely-owned firearms and magazines in America.  In a blatant act of discrimination against a political minority, the city council also unconstitutionally raised the minimum age for firearm possession in Boulder city limits to twenty-one.  The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Denver, Colorado.

Jon Caldara, a well-known, pillar of the community; the Boulder Rifle Club, which has been in existence since 1889; Bison Tactical, a small business in Boulder city limits; and Tyler Faye, a member of the University of Colorado Shooting Team, all seek to defend their rights and the rights of their fellow Boulder residents against the illegal, unconstitutional, and discriminatory actions of the City of Boulder.

“This ban is tantamount to Boulder attempting to stop drunk driving by banning Subarus,” said Cody J. Wisniewski, attorney with Mountain States Legal Foundation representing the plaintiffs.  “It accomplishes nothing other than making criminals of law-abiding citizens.”

“The West wasn’t won with a registered gun,” said William Perry Pendley, Mountain States Legal Foundation’s president.  “Colorado is not California; these laws have no place here.”

On May 15, 2018, the Boulder City Council passed Ordinance 8245, amending the Boulder Revised Code to ban many rifles, shotguns, pistols, and standard-capacity magazines, as well as raising the minimum age for firearm possession to twenty-one, within Boulder city limits. The ordinance was passed by a unanimous vote despite an overwhelming number of public comments, telephone calls, and emails expressing concerns with and opposition to the ordinance.  Mountain States Legal Foundation will be seeking a preliminary injunction to suspend enforcement of the ordinance pending the outcome of the litigation.  Without such an injunction, Boulder residents may be subject to up to $1,000 in fines and ninety (90) days in jail per violation.

Mountain States Legal Foundation, founded in 1977, is a nonprofit, public-interest legal foundation dedicated to individual liberty, the right to own and use property, limited and ethical government, and the free enterprise system. In 2012, Mountain States Legal Foundation, on behalf of its clients, prevailed in the Colorado Supreme Court in Regents of the University of Colorado v. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. The Court’s unanimous decision in that case confirmed the right of concealed carry permit holders to possess concealed firearms on the public university’s campus.

For more information:  Caldara v. City of Boulder

FASTER Program In Colorado

My friend Laura Carno helped bring the FASTER program to Colorado in an effort to protect students there. Kelsey Harkness of The Daily Signal traveled to Colorado to find out more about their program. She produced a video of what she found out with interviews with Laura, a SWAT commander, and a charter school founder. I think it is a great overview of what they are doing in Colorado to protect students where school boards will allow it.

Shockingly, Gov. Hickenlooper Does The Right Thing

I have been very critical of Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) aka John Hickenstupid over the years when it comes to Second Amendment issues. Yesterday, he did something right when it comes to the Second Amendment if you bear in mind that the Second Amendment applies to not just firearms but all arms or weapons (in common use). He signed into law the bill that repealed the Colorado ban on switchblades and gravity knives.

The repeal of this ban was supported by not only groups like Knife Rights but the ACLU, the ACLU of Colorado, and the County Sheriffs of Colorado.

As the note from Knife Rights below makes clear, the effective date of the ban repeal will be on or about August 9, 2017. Up until that time, switchblades and gravity knives will still be illegal in the state of Colorado.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper on Thursday signed SB 17-008, the bill to repeal Colorado's switchblade and gravity knife ban. Congratulations to sponsors Sen. Owen Hill and Rep. Steve Lebsock for their effective leadership in moving this bipartisan bill thorough the legislature with overwhelming votes in both houses. Thanks to everyone who called or emailed the Governor urging him to sign the bill.

Knife Rights was pleased to be able to assist the sponsors in moving this bill through the legislature. Knife Rights' Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, traveled to Denver to lobby the bill at the invitation of the sponsors, overcoming objections raised by some legislators. We'd also like to thank Sen. Hill's constituent, retired Air Force Master Sgt. John Bloodgood, whose request was the inspiration for this bill and who did a great job supporting the bill in testimony at the hearings.

We'd also like to thank the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Colorado and County Sheriffs of Colorado for supporting this important criminal justice reform bill.

Note that the repeal does not become effective until 90 days after the current legislative session ends. That would make enactment approximately August 9, 2017. We will let you know the actual enactment date once the session ends. Until enactment, possession of automatic and gravity knives remains illegal in Colorado. Also worth noting is that once enacted and the ban is repealed, automatic knives will be subject to Colorado's concealed carry blade length limitation of 3.5 inches or less.

Colorado is the twelfth switchblade ban repeal passed since Knife Rights passed the nation's first repeal of a switchblade (automatic) knife ban in 2010 in New Hampshire. Since then we have passed repeals of switchblade bans and repealed other knife restrictions in Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and now Colorado's ban is repealed as well.

Now if only Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) would show similar intelligence when such a bill is presented to him again repealing New York's ban on gravity knives. He vetoed the first attempt even though groups such as the NAACP and the ACLU were in full support of the bill.

Colorado Bill To Repeal Standard Cap Mag Ban Fails

Earlier this month, the Colorado State Senate passed SB16-113 which would have repealed the ban on standard capacity magazines and would have repealed the requirement that standard capacity magazines manufactured in Colorado have a date stamp on them.

The vote to pass the bill in the Senate was 20 aye and 12 nay with two excused. It had previously passed out of committee on a 3-2 party line vote.

While the Senate is controlled by the Republicans, the House is the domain of the Democrats. While there was some hope that the Democrats might allow the bill out of committee, that hope was dashed last night.

The House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee voted on the bill last night. The first vote was on a motion to send the bill to the House floor for consideration by the full House. This was defeated on a party line 4-5 vote. Then the committee voted 5-4 to postpone consideration of the bill indefinitely. This means the bill is dead for all practical purposes.

Coloradans can thank Committee Chair and House Majority Whip Su Ryden (D-Arapahoe), Rep. Mike Foote (D-Boulder), Rep. Dianne Primavera (D-Boulder/Broomfield), Rep. Max Tyler (D-Jefferson), and Rep. Susan Lontine (D-Denver) for this bill's defeat. These five were good little minions for Mike Bloomberg and did as they were told. I'm sure the criminal element, especially home invasion specialists, were pleased with this result. As to your average, law-abiding, tax-paying Colorado gun owner, that is another story.

I want to thank my friend Laura Carno as well as attorney David Kopel for taking the time to testify in favor of the bill before the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee when it held hearings.



H/T Jenna Meek

A More Congenial Home For Magpul

It is always nicer to be where you are appreciated. So it is with Magpul and their relocation of their production facilities from Erie, Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming. I'm sure the people in Erie appreciated Magpul and the jobs that they provided. However, the then-powers that be in the Colorado legislature didn't nor did Gov. John Hickenlooper when they passed their restrictions on standard capacity magazines.

With their move a mere 80 miles north on Interstate 25, Magpul is in a city and a state that not only appreciates their jobs but their product. This is very evident in the news report from Cheyenne's CBS 5 News Channel.

Hey, Mike! About Those Roadless Areas In Colorado

The arrogance of former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg knows no bounds. Of course, we in the gun culture have known that for a long time. Now he has just reconfirmed it in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine with comments about Colorado which are making Democrats like Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) squirm.

In Colorado, we got a law passed. The NRA went after two or three state Senators in a part of Colorado where I don't think there's roads. It's as far rural as you can get. And, yes, they lost recall elections. I'm sorry for that. We tried to help 'em. But the bottom line is, the law is on the books, and being enforced. You can get depressed about the progress, but on the other hand, you're saving a lot of lives.

Those (former) state senators to whom Bloomberg refers would be (former) Senate President John Morse (D-Colorado Springs), (former) St. Sen Angela Giron (D-Pueblo), and (former) St. Sen. Evie Hudak (D-Arvada-Jefferson County). The first two were recalled and Hudak resigned just before she was recalled.

Morse represented Colorado Springs (pop.  439,886) which is the state's second largest city. Bloomberg might be surprised to find out that Colorado Springs has a streets department to take care of their roadless areas.

We seek to render cost effective and competent services to the citizens of Colorado Springs, striving to ensure public safety for the citizens by providing quality maintenance and rehabilitation of public streets and drainage ways being responsive to the citizen's requests and concerns and to handle them in a timely manner.

Colorado Springs is almost as large as New York City's fifth borough Staten Island.  But, I guess I should note, that Staten Island - the hometown of my mother - is also known as the forgotten borough.

Pueblo (pop. 108,249), which was represented by Ms. Giron, is considerably smaller. Still even they have a street maintenance division. According to City of Pueblo's website, this division of the Public Works Department has "32 full-time, dedicated employees" whose primary focus is "to ensure that pavement surfaces are maintained adequately." Pavement? How can you have pavement if it is roadless?

Finally, Colorado Senate District 19 was represented by Mrs. Hudak until she abruptly resigned. That district is centered on Jefferson County (pop. 551,798) which calls itself "The Gateway to the Rockies". Anyplace called "the Rockies" must be roadless. But wait, the county's Road and Bridge Division maintains over 2,900 miles of paved roads. Hudak's district was centered on Arvada (pop. 108,249) which, according to the city's website, has over 1,400 lane miles of streets within the city limits.

Bloomberg is as misinformed about Colorado as he is about firearms. Moreover, he has no hesitation about tossing politicians under the bus after he gets what he wants. Both Udall and Hickenlooper should have thought of that before they took his money.

Magpul Says Adios, Colorado; Hola, Wyoming And Texas

Magpul Industries has made it official. Their company's new home will be in both Wyoming and Texas.  Back in February, Magpul drew their line in the sand and said they would be leaving Colorado if House Bill 1224 which limited magazine size passed the State Legislature and was signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO). The Democrats passed the bill, Hickenlooper signed it, and Magpul is making good on their intention to move all their operations out of the state.

Magpul will be moving their manufacturing and distribution facilities to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Their company headquarters will be to one of three North Central Texas sites under consideration. Both the states of Wyoming and Texas have put together grant and tax relief packages to lure Magpul to their states. Moreover, both Gov. Matt Mead (R-WY) and Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) were involved in the pursuit of Magpul.

HiViz Sights moved to the Laramie area earlier this year. Alfred Manufacturing and Lawrence Tool & Molding, both of whom are suppliers to Magpul, had announced their intention to leave Colorado along with Magpul.  I cannot find any news on whether they plan to move their facilities to Wyoming along with Magpul.

Magpul's official announcement is below:

Magpul Industries announced today that it is relocating its operations to Wyoming and Texas.

The company is relocating manufacturing, distribution and shipping operations to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Magpul is leasing a 58,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility during the construction of a 100,000 square foot build-to-suit facility in the Cheyenne Business Parkway. The Wyoming relocation is being completed with support from Governor Matt Mead, the Wyoming Business Council and Cheyenne LEADS.

Magpul is moving its corporate headquarters to Texas. Three North Central Texas sites are under final consideration, and the transition to the Texas headquarters will begin as soon as the facility is selected. The Texas relocation is being accomplished with support from Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Economic Development Corporation.

“Magpul made the decision to relocate in March 2013 and has proceeded on an aggressive but deliberate path” says Doug Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Magpul Industries. “These dual moves will be carried out in a manner that ensures our operations and supply chain will not be interrupted and our loyal customers will not be affected.”

The company began a nationwide search for a new base of operations after legislation was enacted in Colorado that dramatically limits the sale of firearms accessories – the core of Magpul’s business. Magpul plans on initially transitioning 92% of its current workforce outside of Colorado within 12-16 months and will maintain only limited operations in Colorado.

"Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,” says Richard Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer for Magpul Industries. “This relocation will also improve business operations and logistics as we utilize the strengths of Texas and Wyoming in our expansion.”

Times Editorial Is Laughably Inaccurate

The editorial board of the New York Times wouldn't know the difference between actual grass roots efforts and astroturfing if it bit them on their privileged asses. They show their ignorance in an unsigned editorial about the Colorado recall elections titled, "The Gun Lobby Takes Vengeful Aim."

The ink was barely dry, however, before the National Rifle Association was vindictively pressing for recall votes against two supporters of the stronger law, the State Senate president, John Morse, of Colorado Springs, and State Senator Angela Giron of Pueblo.

The recall vote, set for Sept. 10, could hardly be more important as a barometer of whether the public, which repeatedly registers support for tougher gun controls in surveys, will show up at the ballot to defend politicians who bucked the gun lobby.

If by gun lobby the New York Times means gun owning constituents, then they might be correct. However, this is not what they mean and we all know it. Unlike the gun controls measures which were written and lobbied for by Mayor Michael Bloomberg with the threat of money to primary opponents of any Democrat who didn't support them, the recall efforts have been actual grassroots efforts led by Coloradans.

The Basic Freedom Defense Fund was set up in February of this year to fight the gun control measures being financed by Bloomberg. After those measures were rammed through by Democrats, the Fund decided to start recall efforts against four Democrats. While the Times only mentions Morse and Giron, the recall effort also targeted State Sen. Mike McLachlan (D-Durango) and State Sen. Evie Hudak (D-Westminister). They were unsuccessful in getting enough signatures in the time allotted to force the recall of McLachlan and Hudak.

These politicians were targeted for two basic reasons. First, they were considered vulnerable due to close past elections. Second, they had ignored their constituents. Chris Wiggins of Shooter Ready Radio who lives in Pueblo told me over 1,000 constituents had turned up for a townhall meeting regarding gun control with State Sen. Angela Giron. Of these, less than two dozen spoke in support of gun control while the rest were adamantly opposed to the proposed measures which Giron ultimately supported.

Senate President John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) you may remember famously told his Democrat colleagues in the State Senate to ignore all the phone calls, emails, and letters from constituents and to vote for the gun control measures. This is the same Morse that the Times editorial calls "a respected Second Amendment proponent" and who states "Recalls are for unethical behavior, and not disagreements." I would agree with Morse but would go on to say that his behavior has been unethical and that a recall for him is right and proper.

The Times editorial concludes by saying this is an opportunity to rebuff the NRA and the gun industry.

For all the message of risk for politicians embodied in the vengeful recall attempt, there is a parallel opportunity for the public to rebuff the gun industry. But enough voters must show up in defense of two lawmakers who conscientiously stood for public safety.

The gun lobby’s defeat in Colorado would send a stirring message to statehouses across the nation that the public must not be denied in demanding better gun safety.

What they really mean is that the gun owning peons in Colorado should sit down, shut up, and kow-tow to their "betters" who know whats best for them. I hate to tell the Times editorial board this but we fought a revolution over 200 years ago over similar attitudes. The rabble won against the world's greatest army then and the rabble (aka the grassroots) will win again against Mayor Bloomberg and his bought and paid for minions in Colorado.

A Welcome Unintended Consequence Of Colorado's New Laws

The new Bloomberg-backed background checks law in Colorado has had an unintended and welcome side effect: it prevented a gun buyback. Together Colorado had planned a gun buyback for August 4th in the People's Republic of Boulder. They had to call it off at the request of Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle.

Organizers have canceled a gun buyback at the request of Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, who said Colorado's new gun laws would make the Aug. 4 event nearly impossible to stage.

"The bottom line is what we anticipated doing would still be legal -- but procedurally we can't follow through with it at this time," Pelle said Tuesday.

A stricter law that went into effect July 1 requires buyers to go to a licensed firearms dealer and undergo a background check. The InstaCheck systems used in the checks are not mobile, which means they couldn't be used at the sheriff's compound where the buyback was planned.

"It's not a portable system," Pelle said. "It can't be done at the site."

Essentially, for the event to work, Pelle said the group would have to find a licensed firearms dealer to host the event and then pay the dealer per transaction, "which becomes very unproductive," he said.

That is just too bad for both Together Colorado and Sheriff Pelle who gave the event his full support.

It is also really too back for Boulder metalworking artist Jessica Adams who was to be given parts of the destroyed firearms to make a sculpture "creating gun violence (sic) awareness."

The Recall Elections In Colorado Are A Go!

Colorado District Court Judge Robert Hyatt ruled that the petitions submitted for the recall of State Senate President John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) and Sen. Angela Giron (D-Pueblo) are valid and the recall election is a go.

Judge Hyatt said in his oral decision as reported by the Denver Post:

"The petitions here substantially comply with law," Judge Robert Hyatt said...

"Recalls are a fundamental right of Colorado citizens," Hyatt said in his oral decision from the bench...

The judge in his ruling pointed out that the templates used by petitioners date back several years and span Democratic and Republican secretaries of state.

"The form used not only fully complied with secretary of state, but in the court's opinion it complied with the Colorado constitution," Hyatt ruled.

"The court does give great weight that petitioners made a good-faith effort to comply with law. The court finds the proponents did not in any way consciously mean to mislead the public."

Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) set September 10th as the date for the recall elections.

It is expected that Morse and Giron will appeal this decision to the Colorado Supreme Court. That said, as Sebastian Bitter rightly noted, the longer these two and their supporters fight to delay the recall election, the more negative sentiment they generate from voters in their districts.

It will also give the Republicans more time to vet the candidates who will face Morse and Giron. The importance of this vetting has already become evident as one of the announced candidates in Colorado Springs - Jaxine Bubis - writes erotica under the pen name Jaxine Daniels. You can imagine the field day that John Morse would have with this tidbit if it had come out during the final days of the campaign.

Fortunately, the El Paso County Republican Committee chose former Colorado Spring City Councilman Bernie Herpin to face Morse in the election. Herpin and Bubis had a prior agreement to abide by the decision of the Republican committee as to which one of them would be the nominee.

The Farewell To Arms Festival

The group Free Colorado is holding an event on Saturday in Glendale, Colorado called The Farewell to Arms Festival. Free Colorado's mission is to engage in targeted actions to reverse Colorado laws that imperil the rights of law-abiding firearm owners; and ensure that no other State passes such reckless government regulation.

The event is meant to highlight the July 1st start of Colorado's ban on standard capacity magazines. The first 1,500 attendees will receive "a free Magpul Gen M2 MOE 30rd magazine featuring either the Free Colorado or Boulder Airlift design, courtesy of Magpul Industries."

There will be live music and an appearance by conservative talk show host Dana Loesch.


If you are in the Denver area and support gun rights, you ought to take advantage of this. More details are in the flyer below.

It's Come To This

Thanks to Bloomberg's money and the anti-gun focus of the Democrats in the Colorado legislature, companies such as Magpul and HiViz sights are leaving that state.

Thus when I read this story today about Trumark Slingshots expanding their operations in Boulder, it hit me. The gun prohibitionists want us reduced to using slingshots for our personal defense.

Now don't get me wrong - a slingshot in the right hands, can be and is a deadly weapon. However, there are the limitations. To be accurate with one takes a lot of practice, it has a limited range, it is a one-shot weapon, and it is hard or impossible to use if you are weak, disabled, or maimed.

There are a lot of uses for a slingshot but being your primary self-defense tool isn't one of them.

UPDATE: Dennis at Dragon Leatherworks sent me a correction about the legality of slingshots in New York.  Dennis is a refugee from New York and its draconian gun laws now living in the gun friendly state of Tennessee. Dennis told me he was happy to embarrass NY any time he had a chance.

In NY, slingshots are illegal. So the Bloomberg prohibitionists don't want us even reduced to slingshots.

Look it up. (As a former denizen of that state I can tell you that they are illegal)

New York Penal Code Section 265.01, para (1) & (2) state:

"A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree when:
(1) He or she possesses any firearm, electronic dart gun, electronic stun gun, gravity knife, switchblade knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, cane sword, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, chuka stick, sand bag, sandclub, wrist-brace type slingshot or slungshot, shirken or "Kung Fu star"; or
(2) He possesses any dagger, dangerous knife, dirk, razor, stiletto, imitation pistol, or any other dangerous or deadly instrument or weapon with intent to use the same unlawfully against another; "

CO Secretary Of State Confirms Enough Signatures For Recall Of Morse

The Colorado Secretary of State's Office has confirmed that the backers of a recall election for Senate President John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) submitted more than enough signatures to force a recall.

The Denver Post reports that the El Paso Freedom Defense Committee obtained 10,137 valid signatures out of over 16,000 submitted. They only needed 7,178 verified signatures to force the recall.

Morse supporters are trying to say that the recall petition had "improper language" and should be tossed out.

A Whole Lot of People for John Morse, the group backing him, said Tuesday its protest "would nullify the purported sufficiency of the signatures."

They argued the organizers failed to use proper language as defined by the Colorado Constitution requiring petitions "expressly include a demand for the election of a successor to the recalled official."

Mark Grueskin, a prominent election lawyer who is representing a Morse constituent who filed the legal challenge with the secretary of state Tuesday, said, "The constitution is clear, just as the courts are clear: No recall petition is valid without this specific language."

In a recall election, the ballot asks two questions: Should "so and so" be recalled, and "if so, then who should" be the successor.

Grueskin said organizers failed to use such wording in their petition language that notifies signers that a recall is a two-part process.

The legal counsel for the Colorado Republican Party dismisses this argument saying that the state constitution protects the people's right to call for a recall election. 

Second Anti-Gun Colorado Senator May Be Recalled

The Denver Post is reporting that more than 13,500 signatures have been submitted to the Colorado Secretary of State in an effort to force a recall of Sen. Angela Giron (D-Pueblo). The number needed to trigger a recall election in her district is 11,285.

Giron joins State Senate President John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) as the second anti-gun Democrat for whom opponents have potentially gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall. The Secretary of State's office must verify that there are enough valid signatures. After that, both Giron and Morse each have 15 days to challenge any signature. If there are still enough valid signatures remaining after the appeals, then an election date is set that is between 45 and 75 days afterwards.

Both Giron and Morse could resign in which case a "vacancy committee" would pick a successor to serve the remainder of their terms. The replacement would be a Democrat. However, both Giron and Morse have said they don't plan to resign.

Political analyst Eric Sondermann says it's hard for him to see Morse, or any Democrat for that matter, resigning when faced with a recall.

"If he resigns because he thinks he can't win, then that says it's likely in 2014 another Democrat isn't going to win either," Sondermann said.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that Giron doesn't regret her vote and doesn't plan to resign.

A second Colorado Democrat who is facing possible recall over gun control says she wouldn't change her votes and has no plans to resign.

Sen. Angela Giron of Pueblo says she'll fight for her seat and that most constituents support the measures she backed. Giron oversees the Senate committee that first approved a measure to require background checks on most private and online gun sales.

Giron's district is heavily Democratic whereas Morse's district is evenly split between Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliateds. 

UPDATE: The Colorado conservative blog, Colorado Peak Politics, is speculating that Senate President John Morse will resign rather than fight the recall battle. They point to comments made by Kjersten Forseth saying they are evaluating options. They liken Forseth as equivalent for Morse as Karl Rove was to Pres. George W. Bush. In other words, his chief political strategist and advisor. Forseth has a deep background in union and leftist politics in Colorado.

Lawsuit Filed In Colorado By 55 Sheriffs And Others

54 55 out of the 62 sheriffs in the state of Colorado filed suit in US District Court for the District of Colorado challenging the state's recently enacted gun control laws. Joining the 54 55 sheriffs were the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Magpul, and a whole number of individuals, gun stores, and organizations.

From the NSSF release on the lawsuit:

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, has joined with 54 county sheriffs, Magpul Industries, the Colorado Outfitters Association, several firearms retailers, disabled individuals and other parties in a federal lawsuit brought today in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado in what is a broad-based challenge to Colorado's recently enacted gun-control laws.

"In addition to Constitutional infringements and unenforceable requirements regarding magazine capacity, as the sheriffs have pointed out, we believe it will be impossible for citizens to comply with mandated firearms 'transfers' through federally licensed retailers," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. "Colorado's federally-licensed firearms retailers are being asked to process these transfers as if they were selling from their own inventory and to monitor both seller and buyer through a state-administered check process that can take hours or even days. They will not be able to recoup the actual cost of providing the service, which is capped at $10, but they will be liable for paperwork errors and subject to license revocation. Not surprisingly, we expect few, if any licensed retailers will step forward to provide this service."

"For this reason and the many others detailed in our joint action with our fellow plaintiffs, these laws need to be struck down," Keane said.

 From the Independence Institute's release published in The Outdoor Wire this morning:

Colorado Sheriffs to File Suit This Morning Against Colorado Anti-Gun Laws

Photo, Video, and Interview opportunities with plaintiffs, including Sheriffs, Disabled gun owners, Women gun owners
Legal challenge to Colorado's new anti-gun laws begins in earnest tomorrow morning in Federal Court
Copies of the legal Complaint will be available

Contact Mary MacFarlane, 303-279-6536 x102, mary@i2i.org

Friday morning, May 17, at 10 a.m., Colorado Sheriffs and other plaintiffs will hold a press conference detailing the filing earlier that day of their federal civil rights lawsuit against House Bill 1224 (magazine ban) and 1229 (sales and temporary transfers of firearms).

The press conference will be held at the Independence Institute, 727 East 16th Ave., Denver.

The press conference will have broadcast live on KFKA radio, 1310 AM, Greeley, www.1310kfka.com

A full video will be uploaded to http://www.youtube.com/user/davekopel shortly after the conclusion of the press conference.

Sheriffs are coming from as far away as the Western Slope to participate in the press conference. Also at the press conference will be disabled citizens in wheelchairs, and representatives of Women for Concealed Carry.

After approximately 15 minutes of prepared statements by the Plaintiffs, the Plaintiffs, as well as Sheriffs' attorney David Kopel, will take questions from the media. There will be photo and video opportunities. Plaintiffs will be available for interviews.

The complaint is not yet up on the District Court's Pacer site. I'll post a link when it is available.

Dave Workman has more here as does Michael Bane here.

UPDATE:  The complaint that has been filed US District Court for the District of Colorado can be found here. The case is 54 55 Sheriffs et al v. John W. Hickenlooper. The list of plaintiffs in the case runs for two pages!

The case is being brought on 2nd and 14 Amendment grounds as well as under the Americans with Disability Act. They are asking for declaratory and injunctive relief.

The press conference video is up on YouTube. I have embedded it below. Bitter at Shall Not Be Questioned has an earlier video of lead attorney Dave Kopel being interviewed about the case.

Is This The New Colorado?

Let me get this straight. You are working as a park ranger in Trinidad Lake State Park - a law enforcement position - and you poach a trophy mule deer by jacklighting it after hours. Your penalty - a fine and a demotion but you still keep your job with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Rick Cables, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told The Denver Post on Tuesday the punishment for the incident was adequate but acknowledged some employees who were unhappy the ranger wasn't fired.

I with those unhappy employees. The guy violated his oath and his position.

Mr. Cables goes on to say that Travis McKay was stripped of his law enforcement status and demoted to a park technician at another state park.

"We changed this individual's life with these actions," Cables said. "We feel the actions were appropriate."

While McKay made "a big mistake," the ranger who stopped and investigated poaching did "everything right," Cables said.

We changed this individual's life?

I knew Colorado was aspiring to be the new Chicago with its gun laws but I didn't think they'd be adopting the same attitude towards malfeasance by its employees as that of Chicago.



H/T Outdoor Pressroom

HiViz Sights Chooses Wyoming

At the beginning of April, HiViz Shooting Systems of Fort Collins, Colorado announced that they would be leaving Colorado due to the passage of the new gun control laws. They have now settled on where they will be relocating. It is to Laramie, Wyoming which is about a hour's drive from their old location. As their release below notes, this will allow their current employees to commute to the new plant while they decide on whether to relocate or not.

From their release:

Fort Collins, CO- HiViz Shooting Systems President and CEO Phillip Howe is pleased to announce that Laramie, Wyoming has been selected as the new home for HiViz Shooting Systems.Mr. Howe said the move will be structured over a period of time to ensure uninterrupted service to the HiViz customer base. Building plans are being developed with the city of Laramie and state of Wyoming and construction could begin as soon as the summer of 2013.

“Wyoming has long been an ideal location for the outdoor products industries, including the shooting sports manufacturing arm of the industry,” said Bob Jensen, CEO of the Wyoming Business Council. “We welcome Mr. Howe and the HiViz family to our state and we look forward to having HiViz products being produced in Wyoming.”

According to Howe, HiViz selected Laramie not only because of its strong support of the shooting sports manufacturing and supply chain industries, but also because of its close proximity to the present HiViz facility in Fort Collins, Colo., providing current employees the opportunity of a short commute while evaluating relocation.

The company also considered Wyoming’s tax advantages for the business and its employees, the various resources available through the University of Wyoming and a favorable location with a beautiful view of the Snowy Range mountains to the west.

“We are very excited about this announcement and what it means not only for Laramie and Wyoming, but for HiViz as well,” said Laramie Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) chair Megan Overmann Goetz. “LEDC and our partners at the Business Council have been working with Phil and his team on the best solution. We are happy that solution is having HiViz in Laramie conducting business in one of our LEDC business parks.”

“The decision to relocate the company was difficult and choosing the proper location was essential to our continued growth within the industry,” said Howe. “The fine people with the Wyoming Business Council and the LEDC worked diligently to accommodate our needs and make us feel welcome. We look forward to settling into our new home in the firearm friendly state of Wyoming.”

The relocation is rooted in Colorado’s recent tightening of its gun control laws, and the company announced April 1, 2013 that it would pursue a new location more supportive of its products and customers.

HiViz Shooting Systems manufactures light-gathering sights, recoil pads and accessories for the shooting industry. For more information, contact Jeff Maust, Marketing Director at (970) 484-8242 orjlmaust@frii.com.

 In contrast with Colorado where Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) had no trouble screwing both gun owners and those in the gun industry, the governor of Wyoming welcomed HiViz with open arms.

“We are happy to welcome HiViz to Wyoming. Our culture and people make Wyoming a great fit for the company. I thank Phil Howe and all of the employees of HiViz for choosing Wyoming as their next home,” Governor Mead said. “I believe this state has so much to offer all citizens and businesses, but moving is never easy. I want to assure HiViz and its customers that we will work diligently to make sure this transition is a smooth one.”

“I believe the great companies of Wyoming can attest to Wyoming’s climate for growth that should benefit HiViz,” Governor Mead said. “We have the most business friendly tax structure in the country and we combine that with an unparalleled quality of life.”

Now the question becomes where will Magpul end up. It could very well be Wyoming as well. That was what was suggested to me by Chris Wiggins of Pueblo, Colorado based Shooter Ready Radio whom I met at the NRA Meeting. He noted that at least one of their suppliers has moved to Wyoming. Of course, until Magpul reveals their decision, this is only informed speculation.

A Load Of Bovine Excrement

I just read Mayor Bloomberg's response to the defeat of Manchin-Toomey. If you need some organic fertilizer for your garden, there is a lot of it here.

"Today's vote is a damning indictment of the stranglehold that special interests have on Washington. More than 40 U.S. senators would rather turn their backs on the 90 percent of Americans who support comprehensive background checks than buck the increasingly extremist wing of the gun lobby. Democrats - who are so quick to blame Republicans for our broken gun laws - could not stand united. And Republicans - who are so quick to blame Democrats for not being tough enough on crime - handed criminals a huge victory, by preserving their ability to buy guns illegally at gun shows and online and keeping the illegal trafficking market well-fed. Senators Manchin and Toomey - as well as Majority Leader Reid and Senators Schumer, Kirk, Collins, McCain and others - deserve real credit for coming together around a compromise bill that struck a fair balance, and President Obama and Vice-President Biden deserve credit for their leadership since the Sandy Hook massacre. But even with some bi-partisan support, a common-sense public safety reform died in the U.S. Senate at the hands of those who are more interested in attempting to protect their own political careers - or some false sense of ideological purity - than protecting the lives of innocent Americans. The only silver lining is that we now know who refuses to stand with the 90 percent of Americans - and in 2014, our ever-expanding coalition of supporters will work to make sure that voters don't forget."

At least he blames both Democrats and Republicans alike for the failure of the bill. I'll give him that.

What I find interesting is his ideological blindness bordering on hypocrisy. If you rewrote the first two sentences and substituted Colorado for Washington and US, you'd have exactly what just happened in Colorado. To say that most Coloradans were in favor of those gun control bills would be a lie. Moreover, the Democrats in the Colorado House and Senate were told by their leaders (and Bloomberg's lobbyists) to ignore what their constituents were saying. If that isn't turning their back on Coloradans, what is?

Another Company Leaving Colorado

In the lead story in both the Outdoor and Shooting Wires, it is reported that HiViz Shooting Systems is leaving Ft. Collins, Colorado due to the new gun control laws recently signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO). HiViz makes fiber optic sights for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. The President and CEO of HiViz, Phillip Howe, said they were in discussions with officials in an undisclosed neighboring state to move operations to that state.

Mr. Howe comments, "I make this announcement with mixed emotions. Colorado is a beautiful state with great people, but we cannot in clear conscience support with our taxes a state that has proven through recent legislation a willingness to infringe upon the constitutional rights of our customer base." Mr. Howe notes that prior to the changes in law in Colorado, he made several attempts to persuade state officials via emails and telephone calls to proceed slowly with gun control legislation that would impact individual shooters and the shooting industry as a whole.

HiViz will move their corporate headquarters first and then their other operations.

In the same issue of the Shooting Wire, it was announced that the Rocky Mountain Western States Regional IDPA Championship scheduled to be held in Montrose, Colorado in July was cancelled. The cancellation comes due, like the HiViz move, to the new Colorado gun control laws.

This is the second major shooting competition to be either cancelled or moved from Colorado. The 2013 Ruger Rimfire Challenge World Championship was scheduled to be held at the Colorado Rifle Club in Byers in July. It is being rescheduled and will be relocated to another state.

If I were a Colorado resident or even a potential Colorado visitor, I'd be reminding Gov. Hickenlooper that actions have consequences. Here is a link to his email page.