Volunteers with Colorado Demand Action, Gun Violence Survivors, Present Rep. Coffman with More Than 400 Postcards from His Constituents, Urging Him to Oppose “Concealed Carry Reciprocity”
AURORA, Colo. – Today, volunteers with the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, held a press conference outside the Aurora district office of Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) and discussed Rep. Coffman’s support for H.R. 38, dangerous NRA-supported “Concealed Carry Reciprocity” legislation that would gut Colorado’s gun laws and make Coloradans less safe. Volunteers and gun violence survivors presented Coffman’s staff with more than 400 postcards from his constituents, urging him to oppose “Concealed Carry Reciprocity” and not “gut our gun laws.”
“‘Concealed Carry Reciprocity’ would do nothing to make Colorado any safer,” said Tom Sullivan, a Colorado member of the Everytown Survivor network, whose son, Alex, was shot and killed on his 27th birthday at the Aurora movie theater on July 20, 2012. “After what my family has been through, the last thing I want is irresponsible people carrying hidden, loaded handguns across the country and into Colorado, yet that is exactly what this legislation would do. Congressman Coffman, your vote on ‘Concealed Carry Reciprocity’ won’t be a vote we can overlook or forget about.”
“We came to Congressman Coffman’s office today to deliver a clear message: We hope Congressman Coffman will rethink his support for this dangerous legislation. And if he doesn’t, we hope he knows that we won’t forget,” said Lynn Barta, volunteer with the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Coloradans support our common-sense gun laws. We know that gun rights and sensible gun laws go hand-in-hand, and we know that all of us – no matter where you are on the political spectrum – are safer because of our state’s strong standards. Congressman Coffman, it’s not too late to stand up for our safety. As your constituents, we’re watching closely.”
Earlier this year, Colorado state legislators considered a bill – supported by the gun lobby – that would have brought dangerous permitless carry policy to Colorado. Many members of the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America spoke out urging legislators not to take away Colorado’s common-sense permit requirement. Colorado legislators listened, and they defeated the permitless carry proposal, leaving Colorado’s permit requirement firmly in place.
“Concealed Carry Reciprocity,” the NRA’s longtime top policy priority, does not create a national standard for who can carry guns in public across our country. To the contrary, it would gut each state’s gun laws and make Coloradans less safe by forcing Colorado to accept the concealed carry permitting standards of every other state, even if that state has much weaker or no standards at all. It would effectively turn the weakest state’s laws into nationwide laws, making the weakest link the law of the land.
Read more about “Concealed Carry Reciprocity” legislation here.
