Coincidentally, Aurora’s annual day at the state Capitol March 8 was timed the same day as the Colorado Senate was set to debate a package of gun-control bills aimed at curbing gun violence.
The gun proposals, some of which were spurred by Aurora lawmakers in the wake of the July 20 theater massacre, will likely be discussed until the late evening.
None of the Aurora lawmakers made mention of the coincidence at Aurora Day at the Capitol, but some lawmakers did bring up the Aurora tragedy.
State Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, publicly thanked Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan and Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates for their leadership after the shooting.
“No one can really be prepared for that, so we always have to be prepared to lead under any kind of situation,” she said.
Fields is sponsoring a bill that would require universal background checks for gun buyers and a bill that would limit high-capacity magazines.
“Our focus (in the House) continues to be on public safety,” she said.
State Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, also alluded to the shootings and praised Aurora City Council members and officials for their response.
“I’m very proud of Aurora as a community,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot and we’ve had incredible leadership.”
State Sen. David Balmer, R-Centennial, said he’s getting between 750 and 800 emails and about 40 phone calls daily from constituents about the gun bills.
Aurora Day at the Capitol is an annual event open to the public, where Aurora employees, residents and city government workers can chat with state lawmakers and learn about legislative issues.
About 100 people attended the event.