Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the recently introduced gun bills here at the State Legislature.
It is hard to ignore the heavy media coverage of past mass shootings in this country. It is all too easy to ignore or miss the daily gun violence.
These add up to an average of 17 Americans daily dying from gun violence.
While it is important that we work to decrease gun violence, we need to do so within the bounds of our 2
nd Amendment right to own firearms.
Our nation has a rich history of responsible gun ownership and extensive rights for gun owners, and we at the legislature are working to find a
balance that works for all the citizens of Colorado.
Many of my constituents have written or called asking me to work on sensible gun safety legislation. Others have told me that any restrictions,
including background checks, are an infringement on their 2
nd Amendment rights. I would note that the Supreme Court has held that this right,
like all constitutional rights, is
not unlimited. Justice Scalia has noted that the 2
nd Amendment does not prohibit laws restricting possession
by certain individuals, such as felons and the mentally ill. Nor does it interfere with weapons bans in sensitive locations such as schools. These
constraints have been upheld on the grounds that they do not infringe on the core purpose of the 2
nd Amendment, which is self-defense.
There is no one solution to gun violence and it is vital that we approach this problem from every angle. I support the Governor’s recommendations to
strengthen our mental health safety net, improved reporting on individuals barred from gun ownership due to mental health holds and criminal records,
and closing the loopholes in background checks. I recognize and support the rights of law abiding citizens to own guns. None of these common sense
proposals violates the 2
nd Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court, which I support.
Thank you again for contacting me with your concerns.
Sincerely,
Senator Irene Aguilar, MD
Chair, Senate Health and Human Services Committee
The Office of Senator Irene Aguilar, M.D.State Capitol, Room 266
303-866-4852
