A Colorado Call

Hello, all, bluesun here. I asked North if he would post this and instead he gave me an invitation to do it myself.  So here goes. I've already posted this on my blog but it needs a wider audience.  As you know Colorado has been deluged with anti-gun legislation in the past month.  And due to a Democrat majority in both houses and outside influence (Biden and Bloomberg) four bills have already passed the house and are going to the senate.  However, there is an outside chance of influencing enough Democrat senators into jumping.  The reasons for why they might ranging from being term limited and so they have nothing to loose,  appealing to the ones who are already in politically weak situations, or just hoping to beat in some common sense to senators who seem more sensible than the rest (slim chance, I know).

I have a friend who worked as a staffer for a Republican a while back who still has contacts and who has a slightly more inside view on where everyone is at.  He put together a list for me on the Senators that Coloradans (and hey, if you live in another state and were planning a ski vacation, say, but now you don't want to visit because of these laws, maybe they'd listen to you too, if you know what I mean) should focus some extra attention on.  With his permission to share it and North's permission to share it here, well, I guess here's a good place to share it:

As the gun debate switches to the Colorado State Senate our focus should be on trying to get three Democratic senators to defect. I have broken down the potential targets into three groups. We must keep up the barrage not only on them, but Governor Hickenlooper as well. In include this explanation in case this gets into the hands of someone else and they think I am planning harm against these people. This is intended to be a guide for political action and feedback, not violence. It is to add pressure to these public servants to let them know that if they ignore us there will be electoral consequences. 

Top Priority Targets 

Lois Tochtrop (D-Adams) 303-866-4863 lotochtrop@aol.com
Stated public sympathy for 2nd Amendment rights and has also stated some doubts about some of the legislation being proposed. Term limited. 

Cheri Jahn (D-Jefferson) 303-866-4856 cheri.jahn.senate@state.co.us
Senator Jahn is a Democrat who has traditionally been sympathetic to 2nd Amendment rights. She represents suburban Denver and is up for reelection in 2014. 

Secondary Targets 

John Morse (D-El Paso) 303-866-6364 john.morse.senate@state.co.us
Already publicly stated that he does not believe measures will reduce gun violence. The President of the Senate who is not going to vote against, but he cannot afford to ignore an overwhelming response. 

John Kefalas (D-Larimer) 303-866-4841 john.kefalas.senate@state.co.us
Dedicated public servant to Health issues, Senator Kefalas leans towards gun prohibition. He is a freshman, but if you make the appeal that the measures now proposed are symbolic measures and that we need to focus on mental health issues, that might sway him. 

Gail Schwartz (D-Gunnison) 303-866-4871 gail.schwartz.senate@gmail.com
Majority Whip, Liberal, but unpredictable. Senator Schwartz represents a rural district and has just survived a bruising campaign. Overwhelming her with responses may get her to jump. 

Contact Them 

Jessie Ulibarri (D-Adams) 303-866-4857 jessie.ulibarri.senate@state.co.us
Aurora is in Adams County so do not hope to get him on your side. As a freshman though he could be impressionable and he has shown a tendency to work with House Republicans on bills. Contact him, but do not hold out hope. 

Morgan Carroll (D-Arapahoe) 303-866-4879 morgan.carroll.senate@state.co.us
Liberal as the day is long, but she is rumored to be eyeing a run at Mike Coffman’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the Majority Leader and her defection would mean a lot. Bombard her with responses at the very least so that she cannot make the argument that this is the work of the “gun lobby.” 

Also contact Senator Steve King. Give him enough feedback to go up there and speak for us. 

The list will evolve as the debate rages in the Senate. 

 In case you were wondering, Steve King is my local Republican senator, who has already emailed me saying "I will do everything in my power to stand up for your 2nd amendment right.  I will fight the good fight."  Perhaps an encouraging thank you to him  ( Steve.King.House@state.co.us ) would be appreciated.

Governor Hickenlooper can be contacted at the state website here. While he was a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns as mayor of Denver, he has been fiscally conservative as Governor, and so I had the idea that if he would veto these bills as they reached his desk, he could probably ride that political coup straight to the presidency.  Who knows?  Flood his contact sheet with that thought, too.

This is a Colorado thing, but it is also a 2nd Amendment thing.  Freedom lovers everywhere should be concerned for how the fight in this state goes.  And these 4 bills are only the beginning.  Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, one of the local gun rights organizations, has a bill watch page up where you can keep track of them all.

So even if you are not a Coloradan, there are ways to help.  At the very least, pass this on.  Do you have a blog of your own? Perhaps you have some relatives in Colorado?  Maybe you're a member of a gun forum?  Pass this on.  At this point, we only need three Democrat senators to jump off the gun control bandwagon.  Only three.  Flood their inboxes, mailboxes, and voicemail boxes.  At the very least let them know that they may just have some consequences coming the next time elections come around.

Thank you for your time, and for your help.