Some Dems gun-shy limiting firearms

Lawmakers cite their upbringing, feedback from constituents.

Rep. Ed Vigil grew up with guns in the San Luis Valley, hunting for meat that got the family through the winter, so it didn’t come as a surprise at the start of the session when he told fellow Democrats he wasn’t with them on most gun bills.

Vigil said he’s received more than 500 e-mails from constituents asking him to support the Second Amendment— and that was before Democrats onTuesday unveiled their package of gun bills.

The most-talked about proposal: the “AssaultWeapon Responsibility Act,” which would create strict liability for the transfer, sale or manufacture of those firearms.

“That’s crazy, that’s absolutely nuts,” said Vigil, a Fort Garland Democrat.

And he’s not the only Democratwho admits to being a little gun-shy about the proposal.

“I’m always hesitant when you impose liability on someone who is not directly responsible,” said Rep. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City.

Democrats, who control the Senate and the House, knew they would find little Republican support for some bills in their gun package, but it’s unclear at this point how many Democrats will peel off.

The liability bill is sponsored by Senate President John Morse, a former Colorado Springs police officer and former Fountain police chief, and Rep. Beth McCann, who oversaw Denver’s Department of Public Safety during the socalled “Summer of Violence” in 1993.

Some Democratic senators said eyes widened when Morse explained the bill to his caucus.

“It’s clear there’s a lot of work left to do on it,” said Sen. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver. “It’s a work in progress.”

Most Democrats, including Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, who is known as a strong Second Amendment advocate, said they would reserve comment until they had actually read the bill, which has yet to be introduced.

“It’s an interesting concept,” said Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette, a prosecutor. “I’d like to seewhat it looks like on paper.”

Dudley Brown, president of the strident gun-rights group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, said the issue shows there are fights within the Democratic Party, just like there are splits in the Republican Party.

“They’re fighting it out right now,” he said, “to see whether the far left side of the party is going to win this or not.”

As for Vigil, the 63-year-old lawmaker believes the recent surge in gun sales is the result of his own party’s insistence on tightening gun regulations.

“The problem?” he said. “I’m not sure how many of these (proposed) laws will save lives.”