Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, left, serving as moderator in a debate on gun violence hosted by CELL, the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab, listens as University of Colorado law professor and panelist David Kopel speaks against gun control legislation in Denver, Tuesday Feb. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

DENVER | Guns are a part of Colorado’s heritage, but the state should also lead efforts to curb gun violence, Gov. John Hickenlooper said Tuesday as he moderated a panel of Democrats and Republicans talking about the issue.

“We are in a different place in the West. Our heritage with guns is rich,” said Hickenlooper, a Democrat. More than a third of Coloradans own at least one firearm, he said.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, left, serving as moderator in a debate on gun violence hosted by CELL, the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab, listens as University of Colorado law professor and panelist David Kopel speaks against gun control legislation in Denver, Tuesday Feb. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, left, serving as moderator in a debate on gun violence hosted by CELL, the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab, listens as University of Colorado law professor and panelist David Kopel speaks against gun control legislation in Denver, Tuesday Feb. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

“At the same time, two of the worst shootings in history have taken place in Colorado,” the governor said, referring to the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School and last summer’s Aurora theater shooting.

Hickenlooper has called for expanded background checks, a measure that has cleared the state House and awaits a vote in the Senate.

Panelists included Colorado Senate President John Morse and state Rep. Rhonda Fields, who sponsored expanded background checks and a bill to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 15 rounds.

Morser and Fields clashed with Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn and Republican Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck.

Lamborn argued that gun bans violate the 2nd Amendment and that mass shootings can’t be prevented by limiting guns.

Citing recent mass shootings, Lamborn argued, “if some of these laws were in effect, it would’ve made no difference, unfortunately.”

Battling a cough, the governor weighed in infrequently Tuesday. He did spar with Buck, who argued that criminals wouldn’t be screened by expanded background checks.

“It doesn’t catch all the crooks, but it catches the dumb ones,” Hickenlooper argued.

The governor didn’t indicate what he thinks of another gun control measure passed by the House this week — a ban on concealed weapons on public college campuses. The campus gun bill has proven one of the most divisive measures in the Democrats’ gun package, and Hickenlooper said last week he hasn’t decided whether he’d sign it into law.

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Kristen Wyatt can be reached at https://www.twitter.com/APkristenwyatt .

3 replies on “Hickenlooper leads panel on gun violence”

  1. What still amazes me is that democrats are the ones pushing this agenda across the nation. Supposedly the party that is not racist, bigoted, or against any religion. Yet who are the first to get massacred or enslaved after a society removes guns; the minorities, homosexuals, and minority religions. Seems to me democrats would want to be more pro gun the republicans to protect their constituents from the tyranny of the majority.

    Those that don’t think that massacres can happen her in the US may want to look up Wounded Knee (150 dead indians), Lawrence Massacre(200 civilians killed), Colfax Massacre(100+ blacks killed), Tulsa Race riots (300 blacks dead) etc etc.

    Here in Colorado:
    -there is the Ludlow Masacre where 20-25 striking minors where killed by Colorado national guardsmen in 1914
    -Sand Creek Massacre of 1863. 70-160 Indian men women and children killed.
    -Columbine Mine Massacre where 6 striking miners were machine gunned down by state police.

    -1879 Meeker massacre where 11 whites were killed by Ute Indians.

    And this list goes on.

    Lets not forget our infamous history of internment camps where we rounded up our own citizens of Japanese heritage, stole their belongings and put them in camps not fit for humans

    Does anyone else see the need to have the ability to defend ourselves of atrocities from every direction? The right to life is fundamental.

  2. I am concerned with the mental motivation of the anti-gun groups. Do they really believe or are they being used by a party or someone else who leads them? I suspect that many of the anti’s do not know zip about weapons. Additionally, why is gun control a political party thing? I know some democrats who own guns and I don’t believe they want to give them up. Women, elderly, and the infirm, who make prime targets should be adamant about having concealed carry, or any type of carry for that matter. I’ve never owned an M15, but lately I’ve been thinking I should get one. I consider the .223 a weak cartridge, especially for anything over 300 yards, but because someone labeled them “scary” and “assault rifles”, and someone is trying to tell me I can’t have one, I want one more.

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