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 NRA's 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
Stand and Fight Colorado