Responses from CO Legislators Thread

[butnewa]

Received the following replies...

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From: Larry Crowder
I am and will be a staunch supporter of the 2nd amendment. I took an oath to uphold the constitution, and I take seriously and will stand by this I hope to hear more from you in the future. All gun bills still have to come before the Senate. Also, I am not towing a line with a party, As a veteran I actually believe what I say in this e-mail
Larry Crowder
State Senator
Republican

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From: Senator Greg Brophy
Thank you for taking the time to write. We are swamped with emails right now, but yours is important to me and I try to read all of them, especially the shorter ones.

I will vote against any bill that infringes on the Second Amendment, including 1224, 1226, 1228 and 1229, and will support any bill that expands rights for law abiding gun owners.

I am very worried about the negative impacts of these bills to individual liberty, safety and jobs in Colorado. I cannot believe that we are even this close to passing them.

I want you to remember who has been pushing these bills that infringe upon our Second Amendment. No Republican will vote for any of these bills. These bills are supported only by Democrats; even the few Democrats who voted against them in the House voted to enable Democrat Leadership to ram these bills through.

Never forget that. Make sure that you hold them accountable in the next election cycle.

Greg

[bogie]

Received the following replies...

--
From: Larry Crowder
I am and will be a staunch supporter of the 2nd amendment. I took an oath to uphold the constitution, and I take seriously and will stand by this I hope to hear more from you in the future. All gun bills still have to come before the Senate. Also, I am not towing a line with a party, As a veteran I actually believe what I say in this e-mail
Larry Crowder
State Senator
Republican

--

From: Senator Greg Brophy
Thank you for taking the time to write. We are swamped with emails right now, but yours is important to me and I try to read all of them, especially the shorter ones.

I will vote against any bill that infringes on the Second Amendment, including 1224, 1226, 1228 and 1229, and will support any bill that expands rights for law abiding gun owners.

I am very worried about the negative impacts of these bills to individual liberty, safety and jobs in Colorado. I cannot believe that we are even this close to passing them.

I want you to remember who has been pushing these bills that infringe upon our Second Amendment. No Republican will vote for any of these bills. These bills are supported only by Democrats; even the few Democrats who voted against them in the House voted to enable Democrat Leadership to ram these bills through.

Never forget that. Make sure that you hold them accountable in the next election cycle.

Greg

Post 66 verbatim. I understand they can't write thousands of custom emails. At least they are working for their electorate and salaries.

[Fmedges]

At least they give you responses. I have yet to hear from a (D)

[firecrackerktm]

My letter:

I write to urge you yet again to consider the impact of the current
gun control issues set before the state. Consider your voters and the
impact these bills will have on LAW ABIDING CITIZENS' Constitutional
rights. Consider that no magazine limit, unenforceable "universal
background check" or "safe zone" is going to prevent a criminal from
committing an illegal act.

These bills have repercussions that can cost people's lives.

I am a female, a full time college student with some night classes,
and a rape victim. HB 13-1226 would make it a crime for me to defend
my personal safety on campus. The parking lot is poorly lit and the
campus police do not patrol the area - they are posted just outside
the front doors only. Would they be able to hear and respond in time
to a whistle, from their post on the other side of the building? Do
you think that preventing ordinary, law-abiding adults with concealed
carry permits from exercising their rights will cause criminals to
view college campuses as anything other than ripe hunting grounds?

HB 1224, 1228 and 1229 are equally ineffective and poorly thought out,
with no facts to support similar bans have worked in the past. They
are also costly and difficult to attempt to enforce--unless further
infringements on citizens' rights are also brought forth.
Do you really think that criminals will run to turn in 30-round magazines?
That would-be rapists and muggers will shy away from college campuses
because they are safe zones?
That a potential criminal will take the used gun he is buying from a
private owner into a gun store so he can pay for a background check?
The only result will be making it expensive and criminal for law
abiding citizens to defend themselves and pursue their hobbies.

Vote no on the gun control legislation in front of you. Colorado
doesn't need pointless, unenforceable, unConstitutional regulations.

Responses:

Charlotte,


Thanks for your heartfelt email. I did not speak out on any bill during the gun debate until HB 1226 came up. I am sure that you are disappointed that I voted in favor of it. If you would like to speak in more detail let me know. We can meet at the Capitol or on your campus. The thing that bothered me most about the bill was that many of the State Reps. did not actually take the time to ASK the students in their district how they felt this bill would affect them. Here is the email I sent people who wrote to me about HB 1226.


This may in fact have been the toughest vote for me. I truly believe that campus students, faculty and staff should have a say in their own campus life. The courts took that voice away when they permitted concealed carry essentially everywhere on campus.
Fear was the common thread among students I met with on this issue. Students for the bill were afraid that they could not freely disagree with their classmates without fear of violent reprisal. Students against the bill were afraid to walk home alone at night without some way to
protect themselves. The outpouring of phone calls, text messages and emails from constituents and students across the state in favor of this bill put me in the YES column at the 11th Hour. We still have a responsibility to those students who fear for their well-being.
While I believe that those that would carry concealed are a minority, they are not an insignificant portion of the population and they have every right to feel as safe as any student. Since we at the Capitol made this decision on their behalf, it is now our responsibility to work with
them to find new solutions.I know that I haven't necessarily made a lot of friends throughout this debate, but I hope we can continue this discourse respectfully and without our ideologies blinding us to the real fear, passion, and desire to build a better, freer, safer Colorado.

Best,
Rep. Singer

You're right, I am disappointed. If you truly feel that concealed
carry owners like me are likely to lash out violently in college
classes because someone disagrees, there is nothing I can do to
counter that kind of logic.
The state will take away that same right to have a say in campus life
by outlawing the OTHER group.
What's your new solution? A whistle and a "safe zone"?

[Caithford]

I sent a request to the Democrats to not vote for these bills, and a thank you letter to the Republicans. I received a nice, personal reply from Sen. Brophy. See below.

Thanks for taking the time to write. I hope that at least a few of the Democrats will vote against these bills. I want you to remember who has pushed these bills; do not vote for a Democrat in


Colorado again. Even if one votes against any of these bills, they still support the leaders who are pushing these infringements.






You can count on me to do everything possible to defeat any and all gun control measures.



Greg B.
Spelling errors are Apple's fault, I own the grammar.

On Feb 19, 2013, at 9:15 PM, wrote:

Dear Senator,


I would like to personally thank you for your support of our Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. Thank you for working to defeat these bills. I truly appreciate your stance on this matter, and will remember in the future.


Very Respectfully,


Me

[TFOGGER]

My letter:



Responses:

Hard Statistics from Texas : CCW holders are as a group 13 times less likely to commit ANY misdemeanor or felony crime, and over 20 times less likely to commit a violent crime.

The number of permits revocations is typically small.^[5][9][10] The grounds for revocation in most states, other than expiration of a time-limited permit without renewal, is typically the commission of a gross misdemeanor or felony by the permit holder. While these crimes are often firearm-related (including unlawful carry), a 3-year study of Texas crime statistics immediately following passage of CHL legislation found that the most common crime committed by CHL holders that would be grounds for revocation was actually DUI, followed by unlawful carry and then aggravated assault. The same study concluded that Texas CHL holders were always less likely to commit any particular type of crime than the general population, and overall were 13 times less likely to commit any crime.^[11]

These are the types of statistics that can help refute the irrational fears that are driving the Democrats. Singer is an idiot, parroting the garbage the party is feeding to the House and Senate.

[firecrackerktm]

Thank you for writing to me on an issue of such importance to Colorado.

I agree that we must do everything possible to protect our second amendment rights. In light of recent tragedies in our own state as well as Connecticut, it is understandable that gun control has taken such precedence in our national dialogue. However, restricting access to firearms and ammunition from law-abiding citizens will not make our streets safer. My colleagues and I will do everything in our power to protect your constitutional right to bear arms for the purposes of recreation and the protection of your family.

I voted against four of the gun control bills proposed by the Democrats, but House Republicans were out numbered and the bills passed. These bills now move to the Senate. To follow House Bills 1224, 1226, 1228, and 1229 visit www.leg.state.co.us

Thank you again for sharing your concerns. Please keep in touch with me regarding issues that are important to you and our state.

Sincerely,


House Minority Leader Mark Waller

Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to the gun
control bills passed by the Democrat majority in the Colorado House of
Representatives. I appreciate hearing from you on this important
matter.

The measures passed by House Democrats do nothing to enhance public
safety and place severe constraints on law abiding gun owners. They
also endanger jobs in this state. I adamantly opposed these measures
and voted against them when they came to a vote in the House. I will
continue to oppose any other misguided attempts to limit our Second
Amendment rights.

Should you have any additional questions or comments, please never
hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Dan Nordberg
Colorado State House of Representatives District 14

I have voted no on the four gun laws in the General Assembly. I will be supporting your 2nd Amendment rights and working hard to oppose any legislation that violates your liberties and rights.

Thanks for your email and please stay involved in this important public policy process.


Blessings,


TIM DORE

[Birddog1911]

This is what Sen. Aguilar, or should I say one of her aides, wrote to me today:

First and foremost I want to assure you that NONE of the bills will result in restriction of the constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms. These bills have not yet been referred to the Senate. When they do come to the Senate, I will look at all sides before I make any decisions.


Please feel free to contact me again with any further concerns.


Sincerely,

Senator Irene Aguilar, MD


And this was my response:


Honestly, Senator, I cannot believe that you, or one of your aides, managed to write that with a straight face. What is it about "shall not be infringed" do you not understand? How can you possibly tell me that by criminalizing the act of transfering a firearm to my own brother does not restrict my rights?

How can you tell me that by restricting the amount of rounds that I am allowed to have in a magazine is not restricting my rights? As anyone with an ounce of common sense can tell you, violent home invasions are on the rise, and criminals are resorting to multiple assailants entering during a home invasion. But you're going to try and tell me that I can only have a 15 round magazine, while those same criminals do not give a damn about your ridiculous law. How is it that you so easily cannot see the fact that criminals do not obey laws, by their very nature, or is it that you have so much contempt for law abiding citizens that you willingly ignore facts and logic?

Be forewarned, Senator, that the law abiding citizens of Colorado are watching, and we will take measure of who votes for these horrendous laws, and those who choose to vote for them will reap what they sow. They will be recalled, they will be voted out of office, and they will understand that We The People are sick of being ignored!

Birddog1911
Citizen, Peyton, Colorado

[sniper7]

Response from Mary Hodge:

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me regarding your concerns around gun violence legislation. I believe there is a way to honor the 2 nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and do a better job of keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. In seeking to reduce the gun violence that has troubled our communities in recent months, I also firmly believe that we must explore all of the issues that contribute to such violent incidents. This includes examining our state’s mental healthcare system, ensuring law enforcement has the tools necessary to protect our communities, and reflecting on the values of our society’s culture.

The House has passed a comprehensive package of legislation to prevent dangerous people from buying firearms, restrict sales of some weapons accessories, and bolster Colorado’s mental health system. The gun safety plan strikes a balance between securing our neighborhoods and protecting the right to bear arms.

·The Firearm Background Check Modernization Act, HB13-1229, will require background checks for all gun buyers, regardless of how they acquire their guns.The bill also includes provisions to enhance the real-time sharing of mental health data between state and federal agencies; and a provision to allow individuals denied access to firearms to appeal those denials.

·The High-Capacity Magazine Ban, HB13-1224, will ban the sale or transfer of all ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 15 rounds. Large-capacity magazines were used in the Aurora, Sandy Hook, Tucson, Virginia Tech, and Fort Hood massacres, and a recent poll found that 61% of Colorado voters support a ban on those magazines.

·HB13-1226, which prohibits concealed carry of a weapon on a college campus, puts us in line with 21 other states that do the same. Another 23 states allow colleges to prohibit concealed carry themselves, a policy Colorado had until very recently.

·HB13-1228 will help reduce the backlog in the CBI InstaCheck program and return us to the policy we had in the 1990s of requiring people who want to buy firearms to pay for the expense of the InstaCheck, just as teachers, real estate brokers, attorneys and doctors do currently.

All 4 bills have passed the Colorado House. Changes were made to HB13-1224, increasing the magazine capacity allowed to 15 rounds. The bill, as it stands, will not prohibit the manufacture of high-capacity magazines, such as those at made by Magpul Industries. Thanks again for contacting me and sharing your input. If you have any further concerns, please feel free to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Senator Mary Hodge

Senate District 25 State Capitol Legislative Services Building 200 E Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80203 303-866-4855 senmaryhodge@gmail.com www.maryhodge.com

If you would like more information, sign up for my email newsletter HODGE PODGE at www.maryhodge.com.

[sniper7]

Response from Linda Newell

Thank you for taking the time to reach out about possible gun safety legislation and community violence prevention. Your input helps so much in our legislative process.

It is clear that we need to have an ongoing public conversation about gun safety, mental health, and prevention of violence. I will review the specifics of proposed legislation and weigh all the options. As of right now, no bills related to gun safety have come before me. When this time comes, I will keep your thoughts in mind.

Together, we need to find reasonable solutions that protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, while keeping guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous people and finding a more comprehensive approach to dealing with all factors that could contribute to violence, including mental illness and managing conflict. And most importantly, I believe we need to continue to practice treating each other with kindness, compassion, tolerance and civility.

Thank you again for your input.

Sincerely,

Linda Newell State Senator, District 26