CO Governor Hickenlooper’s Moment of Truth: Is He a Gun Control Zealot, or a Pro Business Moderate? (Video)

Last week, the Dem majority in the Colorado legislature passed an extreme gun bill that would essentially ban all guns.  Since convertible magazines are being banned, this would have the effect of banning almost ALL guns in Colorado because almost all gun mags are convertible.  The bill now sits on Governor Hickenlooper’s desk, and notably, he did NOT sign it last Friday, as was expected, (because it would have taken the news story into the weekend which would have gotten it less attention.) This already unpopular legislation has become even more unpopular in recent days.

Last week,  Kyle Clark and Brandon Rittiman of  KUSA-TV exposed the  gaping F-ups in the magazine ban.

Clark has long been the worst nightmare of the unprepared politico. Now he and sidekick Rittiman are the worst nightmare of ill-conceived legislation also.

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The idea that Hickenlooper will for certain sign this legislation is now a thing of the past. Watch that 9News report and tell us how Hickenlooper can sign that bill. Even before Clark’s report, the DC talking heads had started talking about how Hickenlooper was losing his moderate ju ju. Polling shows the public mood has turned against gun control.That was before the public and the DC writers knew that the big bad bill at the center of this controversy banned every damn magazine in Colorado.Can John Hickenlooper really sign a bill that bans every damn magazine in Colorado?As Senator Brophy (R-Wray) said in a press release:

“How far do the Democrats want to go pushing gun control in Colorado? This is the moment we find out who Governor Hickenlooper really is. Is he the gun control Governor or is he really the pro-business moderate he claims to be?”

Colorado Sheriffs are refusing to enforce the new law if it is passed:

 Weld County Sheriff John Cooke, however, says that he would be violating his sworn duties if he enforced these laws. In a statement he made while surrounded by fellow sheriffs and deputies, he explained that he couldn’t enforce the laws because the Democrats in the legislature were so uninformed when they enacted them that the laws are impossible to enforce and functionally dangerous

They’re feel-good, knee-jerk reactions that are unenforceable. *** Criminals are still going to get their guns.”

Moreover, said Cooke, he “won’t bother enforcing” the laws because it’s impossible to monitor whether Coloradans are complying with either the magazine limit or the background check law.

Cooke’s refusal to enforce unreasonable and ineffective laws was joined by El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa, who calmed an angry gun-rights crowd in Colorado Springs. Said Maketa:

I can’t tell you when those were sold, bought and purchased. As far as I’m concerned, they were all pre-July 1 if the governor does sign this bill.

Many Colorado sheriffs are also concerned that the background check-law amounts in practice to a gun registration law. While Maketa does have records of every person in his county who has a concealed-carry licensed, that information is confidential. So confidential, he said, that he would destroy the database if he had reason to believe that the government was planning on arresting people peacefully exercising their Second Amendment rights.

In this Revealing politics video, Colorado State Senator Kevin Lundberg (R-Berthoud) explained to the Colorado Senate why the “high capacity magazine magazine ban”  would actually render almost every magazine, even those manufactured to hold 15 or fewer rounds, banned under the law. Video from Colorado Channel Friday, March 8, 2013:

Will Governor Hickenlooper, who has claimed to be pro 2nd Amendment,  bow to pressure and sign this anti-gun bill, or will he do the sane thing and kill it? It’s high noon in Colorado.

UPDATE:

It appears Hickenlooper has not chosen wisely:

Weasel Zippers: Report: Colorado Dem Governor To Sign Anti-Gun Bills Into Law On Wednesday…

Magpul Confirms Plan To Leave Colorado “Almost Immediately” Once Dem Governor Signs Magazine Limit Bill…

Heck of a job, Loopie.