El Paso County Town Hall Meeting on Pending State Gun Laws TONIGHT (3/14)!

[O2HeN2]

Tonight! (3/14)

http://news.elpasoco.com/Pages/default.a...aseID=877#

If you go, just remember that these people are just the messengers, save your anger for Morse's recall.

O2

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Sheriff Terry Maketa to Answer Citizens Questions

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa will join County Commissioner Peggy Littleton for a “town hall” public meeting this Thursday to answer citizens’ questions about legislation under consideration in Denver and Washington which would impose additional regulations on the ownership and sale of firearms and ammunition. Earlier this year the Board of El Paso County Commissioners unanimously adopted a Resolution in support of second amendment rights and urging both federal and state lawmakers to reject new legislation which would seek to limit those rights.

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa also issued statement in support of second amendment rights and indicating that the Sheriff’s Office would not support the enforcement of Presidential orders or similar rules of administrative agencies which would be in conflict with second amendment constitutional guarantees.

Commissioner Peggy Littleton says, “There is a lot of talk new gun restrictions in Denver and in Washington and we have been getting questions from El Paso County residents who want to know more about what’s being proposed and what these proposed restrictions would mean here in El Paso County. Sheriff Maketa will be there to answer citizens' questions about local enforcement requirements.”

The public meeting will be held Thursday night, March 14, 2013 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Commissioners Hearing Room at Centennial Hall, 200 South Cascade Avenue. Free parking is available in the El Paso County parking garage on Sawatch Avenue directly west of Centennial Hall.

Contact: Dave Rose
Public Information Officer
Phone: 520-6540 Cell: 337-9239
DaveRose@elpasoco.com

Ps. Searched on "Centennial", "Maketa", "news.elpaso" and other keywords. If this is a dup, blame the search engine, not me.

[Zundfolge]

Nothing worse than finding out about a meeting that goes from 6 to 8 at 7:56

[T.rexford]

So what was the verdict?

[hammer03]

Also interested in hearing what was said. A coworker was able to go, so I'll hopefully get the basics tomorrow. He said a video was/should be/will be on youtube with the footage of the meeting.

[Sharpienads]

The news is reporting Sheriff Maketa said he won't be obeying HB 1226. That's good.

[kidicarus13]

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa told an angry crowd Thursday he would stand firm against Democrat-sponsored gun bills that will almost certainly become law July 1.

Maketa, who received several standing ovations during a two-hour public meeting about gun legislation, said the proposed laws were hastily crafted and at least one would be unenforceable.

“One of the reasons a vast, vast majority of sheriffs around this state are opposing these bills and all aspects of these bills is because they are concerned that this is a stepping stone to registration” of gun owners, he said.

“We will not tolerate that kind of intrusion on our personal property rights,” he said, generating loud applause from the standing-room-only crowd of more than 300.

Maketa urged the group to mobilize before the next election, and to support a proposed recall of Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, over Morse’s support of gun control legislation. Maketa and Morse have traded barbs over whether opposition from County Sheriffs of Colorado to gun bills was linked to lack of support for a pay increase for sheriffs.

At one point during Thursday’s meeting, held at Centennial Hall downtown, Maketa imitated Morse, drawing laughter from the audience. When Maketa first mentioned Morse, the crowd started to boo, and Maketa raised his arms and encouraged more booing.

Maketa said he’s working with attorneys to see what can be done to overturn the bills if they become law.

“I’ve been talking to people about bringing litigation against the state of Colorado,” he said.

Maketa said he would have to enforce bills signed into law to prevent exposing the county and taxpayers to liability. However, he said he would willfully ignore the ban on high-capacity magazines.

“I don’t know when you bought them. Do you see what I’m saying?” he said. “I can’t tell you when those were sold, bought and purchased. As far as I’m concerned, they were all pre-July 1 if the governor does sign this bill.”

That bill fails to recognize that there are “hundreds of thousands of those magazines floating around,” he said.

“It’s sold to the state and the citizens as a big lie and will not save lives,” he said.

The audience peppered Maketa with questions, including whether he would run for a seat on the state Legislature or for governor.

“I don’t have any plan to run for governor, for senate, for house,” he said. “I say that knowing full well things can change.”

Another audience member asked whether the sheriff’s office maintained a database of gun owners. Maketa said his office keeps records of every concealed carry permit holder in the county but that he would never share it.

“I was asked this question: ‘What if the state passed a law that required you had to turn over all of your database information to the state?’ I’ll tell you what my answer would be: ‘What database? I no longer have one,’” he said.

The meeting was sponsored by county Commissioner Peggy Littleton, who kicked it off by reading a resolution adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in January.

The resolution states, among other things, that the county will not “enforce any statutes, edicts, Presidential Directives, or other regulations and proclamations which conflict — and are expressly preempted by — the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings” on Second Amendment questions.

When asked if his office would intervene if “government agents” started arresting county residents for exercising their Second Amendment rights, Maketa said he would.

“I would step in the way if federal law enforcement was acting under some directive and seizing weapons without a lawfully signed warrant,” he said, adding that he’s not worried about that because he’s received emails of support from federal law enforcement agencies.

“I think they would turn first, quit and join me before following something as ludicrous as that,” he said.

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[sellersm]

Major props to our Sheriff!!

[kidicarus13]

My favorite part, " “I can’t tell you when those were sold, bought and purchased. As far as I’m concerned, they were all pre-July 1 if the governor does sign this bill.”

[sellersm]

"What database?"

[Epyon]

Maketa for governor!