Protesters demand Colorado Governor to ban all guns and enforce mandatory buyback.
Gathering for Gun Control: Activists Push for Ban in Colorado
A group of gun control activists has gathered at the Colorado state capitol in Denver in a long-shot bid to convince Democratic Gov. Jared Polis to ban all guns in the state for at least 30 days.
The group, known as Here 4 The Kids, organized an all-day sit-in with the stated goal of getting Polis to adopt an executive order they’d already drafted for him. The draft executive order would have Polis issue a disaster declaration over gun violence and “ban the use, loading, possession or carrying of all firearms in Colorado, including but not limited to firearms for personal protection, hunting, law enforcement or any otherwise lawful purpose for as long as this Executive Order shall remain in effect.”
The proposed executive order also calls for a “comprehensive, mandatory buyback program” and prohibits firearms from being moved to neighboring states except for the purpose of their destruction. The order directs that the gun buyback program will be administered “at minimum by each sheriff’s office in an unarmed capacity but may include other unarmed government offices and entities as appropriate and necessary.”
The order also calls for establishing a “Governor’s Expert Gun Violence Disaster Response Committee” which will oversee the gun buyback program and come up with penalties for the continued possession, transport, or use of a firearm, which “may include confiscation of real property or other assets, or criminal citations and fees and fines.”
The executive order is written to last for 30 days unless Polis decides to extend it further.
Activists Speak Out
Activist Saira Rao, a former Democratic congressional candidate who helped organize the Here 4 The Kids sit-in, told Colorado Public Radio she doesn’t believe the group’s proposed executive order would survive a legal challenge and would likely require action through the constitutional amendment process.
“This obviously flies in the face of the Constitution—of the Second Amendment,” she said. “We would like to see the 28th Amendment repealing the Second Amendment. So yes, we are not morons. We are very well aware that this is unconstitutional, and this is how change happens.”
Polis’s Response
Polis rejected the proposed executive order in a statement shared by his office on Monday.
“These individuals’ calls to improve safety and prevent gun violence through their specific requests for an executive order banning all guns would simply be unconstitutional,” Polis’ office said.
The governor’s office said they had met with the gun control protest organizers prior to their sit-in and expressed their concerns about the proposed executive order.
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