Date: 04/13/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1168

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Postpone House Bill 15-1168 indefinitely. The moti
Refer House Bill 15-1168 to the Committee on Appro		PASS
FAIL



04:41 PM -- HB15-1168

Representative Neville, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1168. This bill removes the restriction that exists under current law which prohibits a person with a concealed carry permit from carrying a concealed weapon on the property of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school. He showed stacks of petitions signed by people in support of his bill.

04:44 PM -- Melanie Foster, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Foster spoke about her experience as a teacher and asked for the ability to carry a firearm in her classroom to protect her students.

04:49 PM -- Ken Toltz, representing Safe Campus Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Toltz spoke about accidents related to guns that occur daily. He provided statistics about gun deaths attributable to concealed carry permit holders.

04:53 PM -- Larry Wieda, representing Northern Colorado Crimestoppers, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Wieda discussed a program called Scholastic Crimestoppers. He expressed that having a well-trained, armed individual on campus will enhance school safety. He responded to questions from the committee about the practical effect of the bill.

05:01 PM -- Daniel Intolubbe-Chamil, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Intolubbe-Chamil expressed his opinion that armed school staff and administrators open the door to a number of dangerous situations that will not keep children safe.

05:04 PM -- James Bardwell, representing Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Bardwell stated that "the only solution to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." He stated that concealed carry permit holders are well vetted by law enforcement and should be allowed to carry firearms into schools to protect children. He responded to questions from the committee about the practical effect of the bill.

05:20 PM -- Rita Marquez, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Marquez spoke about her experience as a teacher and expressed her concern with arming teachers. She responded to questions from the committee.

05:23 PM -- Lily Tang Williams, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Williams stated her opinion that gun-free zones are advertisements to criminals. She also expressed her support for Senate Bill 15-175. She discussed communism and tyranny.

05:27 PM -- Patricia Taylor, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Taylor expressed her opinion that arming teachers and administrators would not have limited the deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

05:29 PM -- Debra Irvine, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Irvine discussed the need to be proactive about the protection of children. She indicated that she would like to be able to carry a firearm on airplanes to defend herself. She responded to questions from the committee.

05:34 PM -- Michael McGuire, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. McGuire discussed the adequate training of armed individuals in schools. He talked about the risks inherent in arming school staff and administrators.

05:37 PM -- Tom Bjorklund, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Bjorklund expressed his opinion that teachers should be trained to protect children with guns in emergency situations. He responded to questions from the committee.

05:48 PM -- Jennifer Hope, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Hope spoke about Colorado's frontier history. She spoke about incidents of gun violence in Colorado and about being a professor at Metropolitan State University.

05:51 PM -- Commander Paul Gregory, representing himself, testified in support of the bill and SB 15-175. Commander Gregory spoke about his experience with the Adams County Sheriff's Office. He responded to questions from the committee.

06:06 PM -- Dawn Reinfeld, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Reinfeld expressed her opinion that current law already allows trained security officers to keep schools safe. She responded to questions from the committee.

06:12 PM -- Jess Loban, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Loban spoke about his right as a parent to protect his children and those in community. He discussed his constitutional rights and proper training.

06:16 PM -- Kathleen Visovatti, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Visovatti discussed high school students to whom she has spoken about this issue and indicated that none of them supported bringing more guns into schools.

06:21 PM -- Ronald Dietz, representing himself, testified in support of the bill and SB 15-175. Mr. Dietz expressed his opinion that antidepressants cause dangerous side effects that lead to school shootings.

06:25 PM -- Jane Dougherty, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Dougherty spoke about her sister, who was a victim of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. She expressed her opinion that the idea of arming school staff and administrators is dangerous and delusional. Ms. Dougherty and the committee discussed the surveys displayed by Representative Neville.

06:34 PM -- Matt Allner, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Allner spoke about his family and professional experience as an educator. He discussed the potential for manipulating data to make it say whatever you want it to say. He responded to questions from the committee. He also expressed support for SB 15-175.

06:47 PM -- Jean Grattet, representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Grattet expressed her opinion that a concealed carry permit does not guarantee that someone is a good person. She discussed incidents of gun discharges in schools in 2014.

06:49 PM -- Robert Edmiston, representing the Firearms Coalition of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Edmiston referred to Attachment A in discussing gun control research.

06:53 PM -- John Putnam, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Putnam spoke about his experience with school violence. He expressed his opinion that individuals who have experienced violent crime will be traumatized by the presence of a firearm.

06:56 PM -- Kirk Fry, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Fry spoke about the time it takes emergency responders to arrive at an emergency situation. He stated that firearms are just tools. He discussed the innate right to self-preservation.

07:00 PM -- Myra Isenhart, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Isenhart discussed the bill from her perspective as an elementary school volunteer. She also expressed opposition to SB 15-175.

07:06 PM -- Phil Ross, representing himself, testified in support of the bill and House Bill 15-1152. Mr. Ross spoke about his constitutional rights. He reiterated the testimony of a number of prior witnesses.

07:14 PM -- Jennifer Bauer Steuck, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Bauer Steuck spoke about her experience as a teacher and as the parent of a student at Columbine High School. She discussed lockdown drills. She talked about mental health problems that arise in a climate of fear.

07:20 PM -- James Winchester, representing himself, testified in support of the bill and SB 15-175. Mr. Winchester spoke about his professional background in the area of law enforcement. He discussed his experience with concealed carry laws. He indicated that K-12 education was excluded from Colorado's concealed carry law because of the Columbine shootings. He discussed better ways to solve the problem of gun violence in Colorado. He talked about the recall elections in 2013. He read from the U.S. Constitution. He responded to questions from the committee.


07:36 PM

Discussion continued between the committee and Mr. Winchester about constitutional law.


07:42 PM

The constitutional law discussion continued.

07:45 PM -- Marilyn Hughes, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Hughes spoke about the bill from the perspective of a former teacher.

07:48 PM -- Tom Mauser, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Mauser discussed specific school shootings. He expressed frustration about the hindsight related to Columbine, where his son was killed. He stated that children deserve to have trained professionals protecting them.

07:53 PM -- Josie Brady, Jane Stewart, and Julian Cary, representing Colorado Ceasefire Youth, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Brady stated that 79 percent of 330 East High School students surveyed indicated that they would oppose allowing guns on campus. Ms. Stewart commented that school violence is a real and terrifying problem, but that arming more people is not the answer. Mr. Cary discussed gun violence from the perspective of an African American male. He expressed his opinion that guns should not come into his school, where he feels safe. The committee discussed the bill with the three witnesses.


08:05 PM

The discussion continued.

08:18 PM -- Eileen McCarron, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. McCarron stated that the United States has more guns per capita than any other developed nation. She spoke about gun violence and her experience as a teacher.

08:22 PM -- Jacqui Shumway, representing Colorado Ceasefire, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Shumway distributed information from the Federal Emergency Management Administration about mitigating school and workplace gun violence scenarios (Attachment C). She discussed the information in the handout. She responded to questions from the committee.

15HouseState0413AttachC.pdf15HouseState0413AttachC.pdf

08:31 PM -- Julie Meyers, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.

08:33 PM -- Deronn Turner, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Turner stated her opinion that school is a safe haven for many children, and introducing guns into that environment could damage that feeling of safety.


08:38 PM

Representative Neville wrapped up his presentation of the bill and asked for a favorable recommendation.
BILL:HB15-1168
TIME: 08:43:15 PM
MOVED:Neville P.
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1168 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a vote of 4-7.
SECONDED:Humphrey
VOTE
Foote
No
Humphrey
Yes
Lontine
No
Neville P.
Yes
Primavera
No
Tate
Yes
Thurlow
No
Tyler
No
Willett
Yes
Salazar
No
Ryden
No
YES: 4 NO: 7 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:HB15-1168
TIME: 08:44:11 PM
MOVED:Salazar
MOTION:Postpone House Bill 15-1168 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 7-4.
SECONDED:Foote
VOTE
Foote
Yes
Humphrey
No
Lontine
Yes
Neville P.
No
Primavera
Yes
Tate
No
Thurlow
Yes
Tyler
Yes
Willett
No
Salazar
Yes
Ryden
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS