For January and February, the 2012 and 2013 don't show much difference. In March, they skyrocketed, from 3,500 in 2012 to 7,600 for 2013. April showed a more modest increase, but in May the numbers jumped from 2,600 in 2012 to 6,800 in 2013, and in June, they more than tripled, from 2,000 in 2012 to 6,700 in 2013.
Those consulted by the Post as to causes of the increase don't see a connection to the passage of gun control laws. I think it's pretty obvious.
The Colorado legislature passed, and Gov. Hickenlooper signed into law, three new gun control measures in March 20, 2013. A number of Colorado sheriffs banded together and announced they were feel-good measures and they wouldn't enforce them. Since then, 55 state sheriffs have sued to overturn the laws.
The most ardent gun rights supporters probably had concealed weapons permits before the legislation passed. It may have just taken a month for the message behind the new legislation to sink in among the general public. When it did, it May, the surge in permit applications grew by leaps and bounds and continued through June.
To get an idea of how angry gun rights advocates became after the new legislation passed, consider that for the first time in the 137 year history of Colorado's legislature, a grass roots state-wide recall effort succeeded. On September 10, two Senate Democrats, Senate President John Morse and Angela Giron from Pueblo, a strong Democratic county, face recall elections.
What's astonishing about the success of the recall, it that it was spearheaded by three Republican plumbers in Pueblo with no political connections. What they did have, was an iPhone, tablets and access to the state website, GovoteColorado, where they could instantly check that those signing the petitions were registered voters.
“It’s unbelievable. How do these guys get 13,000 people to sign the petition, and [roughly] 12,000 of them are good?” Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli asked. “It’s a miracle. And it shows the passion here in Colorado behind this issue.”
..A tattooed 28-year-old “backflow specialist” who works in the family plumbing business, Victor Head helped launch Pueblo Freedom and Rights in March, shortly after the Democrat-dominated state legislature approved three bills restricting access to firearms and ammunition.
The petition signing plan went flawlessly. They created an organization, Pueblo Freedom and Rights, and submitted only 13,466 signatures. More than 11,000 were vailid due to their cross-checking with ColoradoGoVote. None of the signatures has been challenged.
Morse made his own bed, as far as i can tell, when he went on the Rachel Maddow and gave advice to other legislators getting tons of e-mails: Ignore them. Don't even bother to read them. I wonder if those organizing his recall responded by saying, "Fine, we'll move to Twitter, where the whole world can see our messages to you."
As to for Angie Giron, check out her record on her website. Except for the gun control issues, her votes have been pretty progressive on social issues, so I don't think she should be recalled. She's hardly the only Dem to go nuts on guns this year.
The New York Times has more on the plumbers and the recall.
