Colorado Democratic lawmakers face recall efforts for votes on gun control Published May 08, 2013
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- FILE: March, 20, 2013: Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signs gun control bills into law in his office at the state capitol in Denver, Colo. (REUTERS)
Colorado Democratic lawmakers who recently helped pass some of the toughest gun-control laws in the country now face the political backlash of recall efforts.
Two groups are targeting state Rep. Mike McLachlan and state Sens. Angela Giron, Evie Hudak and John Morse.
The Democrat-controlled legislature passed bills that ban magazines holding more than 15 rounds and require background checks for all gun transfers. They were signed into law in March by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Morse, the Senate president, pushed a more far-reaching proposal that called for holding owners, sellers and makers of assault-type weapons liable for havoc inflicted by their guns.
He pulled the bill upon realizing he didn’t have enough votes. But his efforts have still drawn the ire of the groups.
The petition drives are being organized by the organizations Pueblo Freedom and Rights Group. They will need signatures from 25 percent of the vote in each lawmaker’s district to trigger a special election.
The signature deadline is May 21. Colorado’s Secretary of State office confirmed with FoxNew.com that it has approved the forms for the petition drives.
The legislature also passed a bill before adjourning Friday that prohibits domestic-violence offenders from owning guns.And Hickenlooper is also expected to sign that legislation.
Morse is getting help from a group called "A Whole Lot of People for John Morse," which is collecting money and petition signatures to fight the recall effort. The group has so far raised $23,050, according to The Daily Caller.
Connecticut, Maryland and New York also have passed tighter gun-control measures following the Dec. 2012 mass shooting at a Connecticut school in which 20 first-graders and six adults were killed. However, there are no indications of organized recall efforts in those Democratic-leaning states.
Hudak angered gun-rights advocates and others, beyond her support for tighter firearms control, because of a comment to a rape victim testifying against a bill that would have banned concealed weapons on college campuses.
She suggested the attacker might have used the gun on the woman had she been carrying a concealed weapon, saying “statistics are not on your side even if you had a gun.”
The bill was pulled and Hudak apologized.
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