Colorado has an impressive history of holding anti-gun politicians accountable for infringements against gun owners’ rights. In post-Sandy Hook 2013, backed by millions of Bloombucks shipped in from New York, the state rammed through a magazine capacity limit law, universal background checks and a new background check fee. Because do something. That led to Magpul pulling out of the state.
In response, Coloradans initiated recall campaigns against the state legislators most closely associated with the new laws.
Despite even more Bloombucks pumped in to fight the effort, Senate President John Morse was recalled. So was Sen. Angela Giron. It was the first time Coloradans had ever recalled elected officials. And rather than face what polls showed would be sure defeat, Senator Evie Hudak resigned before the election. Opponents failed to get enough signatures to get the recall of Rep Mike McLachlin on the ballot. Still, three outta four ain’t bad.
Now Colorado has enacted one of the most sweeping “red flag” laws in the country (that allows virtually anyone — not just relatives and those close to a target — to initiate a confiscation order against anyone who poses a “significant risk”).
In response, a recall effort has been initiated against Rep. Tom Sullivan of Aurora who sponsored the bill.
“Rep. Tom Sullivan needs to be recalled because, like the rest of the Democrats in the legislature this session, he did not represent the families of Colorado,” said Kristi Burton Brown, an attorney and the vice-chair of the Colorado Republican Party. She filed the request with the secretary of state.
“Colorado moms were shut down again and again when they came to testify, and Rep. Sullivan continually voted against our families’ interests. The Democrat overreach this session was simply too far,” Brown said.
Sullivan’s son was murdered in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting and he has made stricter gun control laws his signature issue.
Sullivan was the main sponsor of Colorado’s so-called “red flag” gun law, which allows courts to temporarily remove firearms from people considered a danger to themselves or others. He stands by his bill.
“I won’t be bullied by the gun lobby and I will always keep my promises to my community and my constituents,” Sullivan said in a statement responding to the recall effort.
The effort has been certified by Colorado’s secretary of state. Now recall proponents will start the process of collecting a little more than 10 thousand signatures needed to get the recall measure on the next ballot.
Look for the Civilian Disarmament Industrial Complex to marshal all of its forces (out-of-state billionaires, moms in red t-shirts, the state’s editorial boards) to oppose the recall campaign. Just as they did last time. Stay tuned.
