Irene Aguilar

Doctor in Denver, Colorado

Subsequently Rocky Mountain Gun Owners led a successful recall of Democratic Senate President John Morse and Democrat Angela Giron from Pueblo. In 2014 the Democrats lost the majority in the Senate. Since that time Republican legislators in the House and Senate have introduced numerous bills to reverse the magazine limits, undermine the background check law, allow concealed weapons to be carried without a permit and to bring guns into schools.

In February of 2017 President Trump rescinded regulation aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of some severely mentally ill people.

I tell you this by way of background because it is important to know that in order to make public policy advances in the arena of gun violence prevention, including enacting ERPO laws, we would need a Democratic majority in our state senate, house and governorship. It is unfortunate that a topic as important to the safety of Coloradans, and Americans in general, is so politically divisive. Much of this can be blamed on the strong lobbying of the National Rifle Association and the presence of money in politics.

Because of term limits, this is my last session in the legislature. The deadline for bill introductions for me, as a member of the minority party in the Senate, has passed. I would encourage you to identify and request that your state Representative introduce legislation on this important topic. I think it is essential that we at least have the discussion and begin to build public will to seriously address this critical public health crisis. Hopefully, with enough public pressure, we can pass common sense reform through the Republican controlled senate. If not, it further emphasizes the need to ensure we have Democratic control of the state house, senate and governors office.