Fellow Douglas County Republicans,

The Democrats have rammed their extreme agenda through the Colorado House and Senate, and their legislative proposals are about to infringe on our 2nd Amendment rights.  Our Republican state senators and representatives have fought hard for us, but it's going to come down to Governor Hickenlooper.  He will either sign these bills into law, or he can veto them.

If you've already reached out to state senators and representatives, I am grateful for your effort.  But now I need to ask you to express your views to Governor Hickenlooper.  If possible, please write an old-fashioned letter, fax him, or give his office a call.  Alternatively, you may contact him via his website--but at this point the first three approaches would probably carry more weight.

Please be concise and respectful.  A long treatise on the history of the 2nd Amendment will not be persuasive and probably won't be read.  Just a few sentences in which you indicate which bills you want him to veto, that you're watching, that you're a citizen of Colorado, and that you vote.  If--like me--you want him to veto all the gun bills, please list each of the bill numbers individually.

The objectionable bills are:

HB13-1224: This bill would ban magazines with a capacity greater than 15 rounds, or that can be readily modified to hold more than 15 rounds.  There is no evidence or reason to believe that this ban on normal capacity magazines would reduce crime.

HB13-1228: Requires that direct and indirect costs associated with the CBI background check for firearm purchases be paid by the person exercising his constitutionally protected fundamental right.  Indirect costs are notoriously nebulous and can often be subject to interpretation.

HB13-1229: This universal background check bill is unenforceable without universal gun registration.

SB13-197: This bill is being promoted as keeping guns out of the hands of serious domestic abusers, but it is something else entirely.  Our courts give out Temporary Restraining Orders (TRO) like candy on Halloween.  This bill sounds reasonable until you talk to an attorney who is familiar with the way TROs are given out.

Please contact the governor at:

Snail mail: Governor John W Hickenlooper, 136 State Capitol, Denver, CO 80203-1792
Phone: (303) 866-2471
Fax: (303) 866-2003
Online: http://www.colorado.gov/govhdir/

I know that I've been asking you repeatedly to contact elected officials to encourage them to oppose these bills--and I thank you for all the time you've already invested in this effort.  But, please, take a few moments now to reach out to the governor and let him know what you think of these bills.  

Thank you for all that you do, and for your work in this effort.

Sincerely,
Craig Steiner, Chairman
Douglas County Republicans