Colorado Senate President John Morse said the 2013 legislative session has been about guns, “but it was not planned that way.”
“It was forced upon us by two horrific massacres in one year, one in our own back yard,” said Morse, referring to mass murders at an Aurora theater and a Newtown, Conn., elementary school.
Morse was among the Democratic lawmakers who briefly spoke at a news conference after Gov. Hickenlooper signed three gun bills into law today. All were sponsored by Democrats, who control the House and the Senate.
“Let’s be clear, zero of these laws take guns from law-abiding citizens,” Morse said. ” … Yes, some criminals will find ways around these laws, but that doesn’t mean we should throw our hands up in the air and surrender to them. We must try to save lives.”
Rep. Rhonda Fields, who son was murdered in 2005 and whose district includes the Aurora movie theater, also spoke.
“We are here today because after Aurora and Newtown to do nothing would be an injustice to the victims, the families, the communities impacted by these tragic acts of violence,” she said.
But Republicans and gun activists watching from the sidelines had a different view.
“The Democrats have just handed me a sledgehammer and I get to walk through their china shop in the 2014 election,” said Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.
Here are Morse and Fields’ prepared remarks:
Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs:
This legislative session became about guns, it was not planned that way. It was forced upon us by two horrific massacres in one year, one in our own back yard.It has been an exhausting, emotionally draining session and on the day we should be celebrating the passage of three bills to make our communities safer, I am mourning the loss of yet one more person to this senseless, despicable violence that is plaguing our state.
I am a numbers person. Numbers reveal truths. So, today, I would like to go over the numbers.
Two earth rattling massacres this past year. Twelve killed in the Aurora during a screening of Batman. Fifty-eight others wounded. One-hundred, the number of bullets in the large-capacity magazine drum that James Holmes purportedly used.
Or how about these numbers?
Twenty-six, the number of victims at Sandy Hook Elementary. Thirty, the number of bullets held in the assault weapon magazine that Adam Lanza purportedly used. Six, the number of children that managed to escape when his magazine jammed.
So in the wake of these massacres and everyday gun violence, today three gun safety bills were signed into law.
And let’s be clear, zero of these laws take guns from law-abiding citizens.
These are laws that the majority of Coloradans want. They view them as reasonable.
As leaders, we need to make tough decisions. Yes, some criminals will find ways around these laws, but that doesn’t mean we should throw our hands up in the air and surrender to them. We must try to save lives.
And I believe these laws take significant strides toward that goal.
Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora
Today is a great day as we sign important measures to help improve the public safety of Colorado.Gun violence is a problem nationwide, and sadly Colorado has been at the forefront of such tragedies.
We are here today because, after Aurora and Newtown, to do nothing would be an injustice to the victims, the families, the communities impacted by these tragic acts of violence.
Thank you, governor, for signing bills that are common-sense solutions that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic violence offenders and the seriously mentally ill, without infringing on our Second Amendment rights.
While we cannot prevent every act of violence, we must do what we can to reduce the frequency and impact of these horrible events, and I am proud of the work we did and are doing to make Colorado safer.
We are here today because, after Aurora and Newtown, to do nothing would be an injustice to the victims, the families, the communities impacted by these tragic acts of violence.