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Four Colorado lawmakers could face recalls after helping pass sweeping gun laws designed to restrict weapon use. The Associated Press reports that gun-rights groups will seek to oust Democratic state Senate President John Morse, Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster), Senator Angela Giron (D-Pueblo), and Representative Mike McLachlan (D-Durango). While Morse is clearly the big fish in the potential recall, the other three were singled out because they live in areas that are considered friendlier to a political takeover. While recall support in at least two of the four cases seems limited, the effort against Morse could be much more successful. To put Morse’s recall on a ballot would take fewer than 7,200 valid signatures from his Colorado Springs district, the lowest threshold among the four.
The recall effort is a major signal that gun-rights leaders are prepared to challenge legislation they think will hinder gun ownership in the state and send a message to legislators nationwide who might support stricter gun measures in their states. As the AP reports, Colorado was the only state outside the East Coast that adopted major statewide gun restrictions this year.
Morse told the AP the effort against him seems to be about gun-rights groups making noise nationally. “That’s what’s going on here,” Morse told the AP. “They want to take out the senate president.”
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