COLORADO EMERGENCY!

UPDATE FROM MAGPUL

In addition to the national battle to protect our firearms rights, many states are currently engaged in their own fights. Here in CO, a state with a strong heritage of firearm and other personal freedoms, we are facing some extreme challenges to firearms rights. We have been engaged in dialogue with legislators here presenting our arguments to stop legislation from even being introduced, but our efforts did not deter those of extreme views. 

After the NRAs visit last week, several anti-freedom bills were introduced by CO legislators, and a very aggressive timeline has been set forth in moving these bills forward. 

The bills include:

HB 1229, Background checks for Gun Transfers–a measure to prohibit private sales between CO residents, and instead require a full FFL transfer, including a 4473.

HB 1228, Payment for Background Checks for Gun Transfers– a measure that would require CO residents to pay for the back logged state-run CBI system (currently taking 3 times the federally mandated wait time for checks to occur) instead of using the free federal NICS checks. 

And finally, HB 1224, Prohibiting Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines–a measure that bans the possession, sale, or transfer of magazines over 10 round capacity. The measures and stipulations in this bill would deprive CO residents of the value of their private property by prohibiting the sale or transfer of all magazines over 10 rounds. This bill would also prohibit manufacture of magazines greater than 10 rounds for commercial sale out of the state, and place restrictions on the manufacture of military and law enforcement magazines that would cripple production.

We’d like to ask all CO residents to please contact your state legislators and the members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to kill these measures in committee, and to vote NO if they reach the floor. 

We also ask you to show your support for the 2nd Amendment at the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb 12, for the magazine ban committee hearing and Wednesday, Feb 13, for the hearing on the other measures. 

Due to the highly restrictive language in HB 1224, if passed, and we remained here, this measure would require us to cease PMAG production on July 1, 2013. In short, Magpul would be unable to remain in business as a CO company, and the over 200 jobs for direct employees and nearly 700 jobs at our subcontractors and suppliers would pick up and leave CO. 

Due to the structure of our operations, this would be entirely possible, hopefully without significant disruption to production. The legislators drafting these measures do so in spite of the fact that nothing they are proposing will do anything to even marginally improve public safety in CO, and in fact, will leave law-abiding CO residents less able to defend themselves, strip away rights and property from residents who have done nothing wrong, and send nearly 1000 jobs and millions in tax revenue out of the state.

We like CO, we want to continue to operate in CO, but most of all, we want CO to remain FREE. Please help us in this fight, and let your voices be heard! We have included the contact information for the House Judiciary committee for your convenience: 

House Judiciary Committee Rep. Daniel Kagan, Chair: 303-866-2921, repkagan@gmail.com 
Rep. Pete Lee, Vice Chair: 303-866-2932, pete.lee.house@state.co.us 
Rep. John Buckner: 303-866-2944, john.buckner.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Lois Court: 303-866-2967, lois.court.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Bob Gardner, 303-866-2191, bob.gardner.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Polly Lawrence, 303-866-2935, polly.lawrence.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Mike McLachlan, 303-866-2914, mike.mclachlan.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Rep Carole Murray, 303-866-2948, murrayhouse45@gmail.com 
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, 303-866-2939, brittany.pettersen.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Joseph Salazar, 303-866-2918, joseph.salazar.house@state.co.us 
Rep. Jared Wright, 303-866-2583, jared.wright.house@state.co.us

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I wish I had better news...after a day at the Colorado Legislature, with a short break to address the pro-Second Amendment demonstration on the Capitol steps, I can only report that we are in desperate fight for our Second Amendment rights — a fight we may well lose!

The 4 bills revealed last week — you can read them here — sole purpose is to trip up or punish law-abiding gun owners. Even the President of the Colorado Senate, Democrat John Morse from Colorado Springs, said in an interview 2 weeks ago that:

...Senate President John Morse (D-Colo. Springs) proclaimed his belief that additional background checks and a ban on high capacity magazines would do little to limit gun violence, stepping on a key message coming from supporters of gun control in his own party. “How does a limit on high-capacity magazines reduce violence?” Morse asked rhetorically in the interview...

The purpose of the bills is nothing more than a flat out attack on the Second Amendment by making it nearly impossible for normal citizens not to violate some aspect of the proposed legislation.

Consider the magazine capacity law proposed by Rep. Rhonda Fields (D, Aurora) even changes the very nature of American law...instead of "innocent until proven guilty," the presumption of innocence, a gun owner found to be in possession of a magazine with a capacity greater than 10 is presumed to be guilty and must provide evidence proving he or she is not guilty, that is, was in possession of the magazine prior to the date of the legislation. There are maybe 10-15 million magazines with a capacity greater than 10 legally in the hands of Colorado gun owners right now...how many of us have kept meticulous records on those magazines? Why should we have...they are legal products!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW: WRITE YOUR STATE CONGRESSPEOPLE, EVEN IF THEY ARE ANTIGUN ZEALOTS! 

I say "write" as in "on paper," then fax the letters to their offices. If you do not have access to a fax machine, email the letter, then send the printed copy by US Mail. If you can, call the offices of your representatives and them them to OPPOSE this attack on our rights!

See the NRA ILA alert from this weekend...these bills are being fast-tracked through committee, trying to get them on the floor and voted into law before Coloradans have a chance to make their opposition known. If you can be in Denver next week, please join my Sweetie and I in testifying against these nightmare laws.

It's time to stand, people!

Here is the NRA-ILA Action Alert from Saturday:

We need you to come to the state Capitol on Tuesday, February 12 and Wednesday, February 13 to show your opposition and speak against the following anti-gun bills: 

On Tuesday, February 12, House Bill 13-1224 and House Bill 13-1229 are scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee in the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol upon adjournment of the House. HB13-1224, sponsored by state Representative Rhonda Fields (D-42), would ban magazines that hold more than ten rounds. HB13-1229, sponsored by state Representatives Rhonda Fields and Beth McCann (D-8), would prohibit and criminalize the private transfer of firearms.  

On Wednesday, February 13 House Bill 13-1226 will be heard by the House Education Committee upon adjournment in the Old Supreme Court Chamber, and House Bill 13-1228 will be heard by the House Finance Committee at 1:30 pm in the Old Supreme Court Chamber. HB13-1226, sponsored by state Representative Clare Levy (D-13), would repeal the current right to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense on a college or university campus. HB13-1228, sponsored by state Representative Lois Court (D-6), would require law-abiding citizens to pay a fee (or gun tax) for a background check when purchasing a firearm. 

We need you to come to the state Capitol on Tuesday, February 12 and Wednesday, February 13 to tell state legislators, especially those serving on these committees, to vote NO on HB13-1224, HB13-1226, HB13-1228 and HB13-1229. Without your direct help this next week, these anti-gun legislators will steal away your Second Amendment rights! Please come to the state Capitol in Denver no later than 9:00 am to respectfully protect your rights. 

For more information about testifying at the state Capitol, please click here. If you are unable to attend these important public hearings, it is imperative that you contact your state legislators TODAY and express your opposition to these anti-gun measures. For help identifying your elected state officials and their contact information, please click here.

IMPORTANT UPDATE! 

NSSF has sent out an alert on the capacity cap bill that will be before the House Judiciary Committee:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is urging all sportsmen, hunters and gun owners to attend Tuesday's public hearing to be held at the State Capitol building in the Old Supreme Court Chambers which could be adjourned as early as 9 am. NSSF urges Colorado citizens to contact their state representative, senator and all members of the House Judiciary Committee immediately, urging them to oppose this magazine ban.  

This Tuesday might be the only chance for your voice to be heard before legislators push through legislation that will seriously affect not only your Second Amendment rights, but also the magazines you use in your rifles and handguns. Colorado manufacturers will be directly affected, as well, resulting in the loss of good paying jobs and badly needed tax revenue to the state.

The NSSF alert also lists the names and email addresses of all the legislators on the Judiciary Committee...if you can't be there, these people need to hear from you NOW! I would urge you to give special attention to Vice Chair Rep. Pete Lee and Rep. Mike McLachian.