Gov. John Hickenlooper said Colorado could soon consider new laws meant to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, but he has more questions than answers about what those laws might look like.
Statehouse conversations have been ongoing since last Friday’s shooting that killed three and wounded nine at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic.
“I think it’s time to talk about: Have we looked everywhere?” he said in an interview with The Denver Post on Thursday. “Is there nothing else we could do? What about how we use information and are able to share it? Is there a different way of approaching mental health making sure people who really shouldn’t have guns don’t have guns?”
But he said he’s having private conversations with people previously opposed to any changes to gun laws “who are now saying, ‘I’m in. Let’s figure out what to do.’ “
Hickenlooper added, “But there’s no immediate answer that’s apparent to me.”
His support will depend on what the proposed solutions look like, he said.
The standard for his backing would be whether the proposal would actually make a difference and whether it would be reasonable, Hickenlooper said.
“But I do believe there are more and more people who may not know what should be done, but they’re reaching a level of frustration that’s going to push them into action,” he said.
Gun rights advocates often point to mental health as a bigger cause than access to guns. The Colorado legislature put $30 million into mental health services during the last session. Next year, lawmakers must in the approximately $27 billion budget, which could make additional investments in mental health servers a tough sale, the governor conceded.
“We’re trying to look (at it) in terms of each of these shootings,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re going to suggest a solution that would have made a difference.”
Gun control has been a politically explosive issue in Colorado. In 2013, when Democrats controlled the state House and Senate, to require universal background checks on gun sales and limit the size of ammunition magazines to 15 rounds. As a result, two state senators were recalled by voters, and than face a recall election.
The White House on Thursday renewed calls for national universal background checks, closing a loophole that allows people in many states to buy guns at gun shows without a background check. Colorado closed that loophole after Columbine. President Barack Obama signaled he’s ready to do it by executive order that killed 14 people and left 21 wounded.
Hickenlooper thinks national checks would help Colorado.
“I do think a national universal background checks would be better,” Hickenlooper said. “It would help make sure someone doesn’t bring guns in from other states, who, again, should not have guns.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or @joeybunch
