The Colorado Senate appropriations committee passed 3 bills to the senate floor. This will come as a shock, but the three bills all passed on party line votes. The other four bills didn't have to go through appropriations so they landed straight on the senate's calender. The appropriations committee was just a formality with almost zero chance of them halting any of those bills. So on Friday March 8th the Colorado senate will have a 2nd reading, debate and voice vote on all seven gun owner control bills. If any of the bills pass a voice vote, it will then be scheduled for a recorded vote in the senate, presumably next week, possibly on Monday.
I say if. Those that know me will testify that I'm not an optimist; I really think there's a chance of stopping at least some if not all of these bills. If the repubs hold the line we only need three dems to vote no to stop any one of these bills. Already, we have two dems expressing opposition to the magazine capacity bill, the ban on carry at college, and the "assault weapons" liability bill.
"Democrats Cheri Jahn of Wheat Ridge and Lois Tochtrop of Thornton, are opposed to all three. If another senator votes 'no,' those bills are dead."
Those senators need to be called, thanked and encouraged to continue their expressed opposition to those bills. If they could be swayed on the other anti gun owner bills that'd be cool too, but if ya can, take a minute to write or call and let them know you appreciate them opposing these bills that intrude upon your Rights and safety. Here's Senator Jahn's website, and here's Senator Tochtrop's page. You know damn skippy that Bloomie will be wagging his credit card at them to get them to fall back in line, so all the moral support they can get, they'll need.
Those on the fence about some of the bills include Senator Angela Giron (who also has a blog), Senator Andy Kerr, and Senator Linda Newell.
Michael Bane has a list of his own of senators to contact (complete with contact and social media links as well as phone numbers). Mr Bane (in another post) lists another senator to contact and explains why he thinks said senator could be persuaded. Billll has a list of his own. I'd suggest contacting everyone, including the governor.
And try to persuade everyone you know to contact these folks as well. The reality is there's a slim chance any lengthy emails will be read verbatim to any of the senators; a staffer will simply note how many emails are for or against something, and give those totals to their boss. By all means write eloquently and at length if you desire and your email might be read by the congresscritter you're trying to reach, but don't be disappointed if you receive a canned reply, or no reply at all. The reason to write is that quantity has a quality all its' own. The more people who reach out to these folks, the more of a chance they'll not be as susceptible to the pressure of a petty little billionaire a few thousand miles away.
Also, RMGO has printable post cards to mail to folks. And while you're there visit their home page, which has a tally of the votes in the senate committees this week, and a chance to win a pack of 10 PMags.
I'm not an optimist. Neither am I a pessimist (I find pessimism interferes with my cynicism). I'm a realist, and I think we have a realistic chance at stopping at least a few if not all of the gun owner control bills. So if you're in Colorado send an email or twelve, make a few phone calls, mail a postcard to get your 20th century activism on, send a carrier pigeon if'n ya have to. But let them know you oppose these gun owner control bills and so should they. If you're from out of state, let them know you'd like to spend your vacation and/or business dollars in Colorado, but you won't if these gun owner control bills become law. (And remember, if this works in Colorado, Bloomie and crew will try the same thing in your state sooner or later.)
Things don't look great, but they've looked worse. We still have a chance if we just keep fighting. What was it that Churchill said?
"If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."
Posted by Publicola at March 7, 2013 08:20 AM | TrackBack