Gun rights advocates have lost Colorado’s elections — but they may win the legal war
Just a decade ago, gun control debates at the state capitol have come with high drama — long days of passionate testimony and loud protests.
But this year, as the statehouse's majority Democrats pushed through yet another slate of tougher gun laws, the hearings were relatively quiet, and the opponents who came to testify were fewer than they’ve ever been in years past.
“We knew that we didn't have the votes,” said Taylor Rhodes, the head of the gun rights advocacy group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.
Rhodes said he didn’t monitor the bills’ progress or lobby lawmakers at the state capitol on a daily basis like he has in past years. And while he did organize a grassroots effort for people to call and email their representatives, he didn’t encourage members of his organization to show up in droves to testify and put pressure on lawmakers.