Outcry over the Red Flag bill

by Sandia Belgrade An overflow crowd filled the courtroom and greeted the Saguache County Commissioners (BOCC) in their second meeting in April. Most of them were there to argue against the Red Flag Law which Gov. Jared Polis has signed into law. This controversial bill, House Bill 1177, or the Extreme Risk Protection Orders law as it’s formally known, is set to take effect Jan. 1. It would make Colorado the 15th state to adopt a “Red Flag” law. The legislation would give judges the authority to issue an order to temporarily seize firearms from a person considered a significant risk to themselves or others. In 1999, Connecticut was the first to enact a Red Flag Law, following a rampage shooting at the Connecticut Lottery. The states that have already enacted a Red Flag Law see it as a gun violence prevention law that permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves. The law has created strange bedfellows. Since the Parkland School shooting in Florida when 17 people were gunned down, more and more elected officials from both parties are embracing common-sense gun laws such as the Red Flag Laws. Prominent Republicans including Govs. John Kasich (OH), Rick Snyder (MI) andPhil Scott(VT) have indicated a new openness to supporting Red Flag Laws, which are also referred to as Extreme Risk Protection Orders. And the Republican legislature in Florida passed a Red Flag bill that the governor signed into law. With gun safety groups and elected officials from both major parties backing Red Flag legislation, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been facing intense public pressure and found itself increasingly isolated. The NRA has voiced conditional support for Red

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