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01-25-2013, 18:34
http://kdvr.com/2013/01/25/udall-bennet-say-they-still-want-assault-weapons-ban/
DENVER — Colorado’s two Democratic senators are pushing back at a Denver Post story Thursday that reported they are waffling on supporting legislation to ban assault weapons due to political concerns.
In December, roughly a week after the Newtown shooting that killed 20 first-graders, Sen. Mark Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet told (http://kdvr.com/2012/12/20/udall-comes-out-in-favor-of-reinstating-assault-weapons-ban/) FOX31 Denver that they wanted to see a new ban on assault weapons.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that military style weapons really don’t have any place in our society,” Udall said. “We ought to reinstate the assault weapons ban that served us well for 10 years from 1994 to 2004.”
Bennet followed suit the same day with a statement of his own calling for a comprehensive approach.
“The shooters in Aurora and Newtown should not have had access to the guns or magazines they used,” Bennet’s statement read. “I believe a combination of improved access to mental health services, restrictions on certain weapons intended for the battlefield, and elimination of the gun show loophole are sensible steps that can reduce our children’s risk.”
On Thursday, a few hours after Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, rolled out her revamped legislation to ban assault weapons, the Denver Post’s Allison Sherry tried to find out if Udall and Bennet were on board.
Both senators addressed (http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22444143/colorados-sens-udall-and-bennet-uncommitted-assault-weapons) the need to find a balance that also works for sportsmen and stopped well short of saying they will support the specific legislation, which would permanently outlaw more weapons than the 1994 ban, which, unlike the new proposal, had a sunset provision that took affect 10 years later.
Sherry termed the apparent change in position as “confounding”.
But both staffers for both Udall and Bennet insisted Friday that they are simply looking over the specific legislation introduced Thursday, and that, while they are indeed “uncommitted” on Feinstein’s bill, their position in favor of a general ban on assault weapons has not changed.
“First and foremost, Sen. Bennet’s concern is that we find solutions that will be effective,” said the senator’s spokesman, Adam Bozzi, on Friday. “He has already called for an assault weapons ban. He’s going to take a serious look at this specific bill, which was introduced yesterday — as he will with other bills when they are proposed — before he decides which he’ll support.
More At Link (http://kdvr.com/2013/01/25/udall-bennet-say-they-still-want-assault-weapons-ban/)
DENVER — Colorado’s two Democratic senators are pushing back at a Denver Post story Thursday that reported they are waffling on supporting legislation to ban assault weapons due to political concerns.
In December, roughly a week after the Newtown shooting that killed 20 first-graders, Sen. Mark Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet told (http://kdvr.com/2012/12/20/udall-comes-out-in-favor-of-reinstating-assault-weapons-ban/) FOX31 Denver that they wanted to see a new ban on assault weapons.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that military style weapons really don’t have any place in our society,” Udall said. “We ought to reinstate the assault weapons ban that served us well for 10 years from 1994 to 2004.”
Bennet followed suit the same day with a statement of his own calling for a comprehensive approach.
“The shooters in Aurora and Newtown should not have had access to the guns or magazines they used,” Bennet’s statement read. “I believe a combination of improved access to mental health services, restrictions on certain weapons intended for the battlefield, and elimination of the gun show loophole are sensible steps that can reduce our children’s risk.”
On Thursday, a few hours after Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, rolled out her revamped legislation to ban assault weapons, the Denver Post’s Allison Sherry tried to find out if Udall and Bennet were on board.
Both senators addressed (http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22444143/colorados-sens-udall-and-bennet-uncommitted-assault-weapons) the need to find a balance that also works for sportsmen and stopped well short of saying they will support the specific legislation, which would permanently outlaw more weapons than the 1994 ban, which, unlike the new proposal, had a sunset provision that took affect 10 years later.
Sherry termed the apparent change in position as “confounding”.
But both staffers for both Udall and Bennet insisted Friday that they are simply looking over the specific legislation introduced Thursday, and that, while they are indeed “uncommitted” on Feinstein’s bill, their position in favor of a general ban on assault weapons has not changed.
“First and foremost, Sen. Bennet’s concern is that we find solutions that will be effective,” said the senator’s spokesman, Adam Bozzi, on Friday. “He has already called for an assault weapons ban. He’s going to take a serious look at this specific bill, which was introduced yesterday — as he will with other bills when they are proposed — before he decides which he’ll support.
More At Link (http://kdvr.com/2013/01/25/udall-bennet-say-they-still-want-assault-weapons-ban/)