Blue state GOP rep forced to remove 2A sticker from laptop: 'Offensive'
"I had to cover up this, they couldn't stand my sticker," Colorado Republican state Rep. Ken DeGraaf said during remarks on the state's House floor, pointing to paper covering up a sticker in support of the Second Amendment on a laptop he carried with him to the chamber.
"It said 'shall not be infringed' and signed '2-A' and that was considered offensive, which I understand would be offensive to this bill," he continued.
The remarks come as Colorado lawmakers debate a controversial gun control bill that would limit the sale of some semiautomatic firearms that rely on detachable magazines, such as the popular AR-15 platform.
The legislation, Colorado Senate Bill 25-003, would be one of the strictest gun control measures in the country, something the state's Democratic lawmakers argue is necessary to keep citizens safe.
"Preventing gun violence is one of the most effective ways that we can make our communities safer and save lives. Semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines are uniquely lethal and dangerous," state Rep. Meg Froelich, a Democatric sponsor of the bill, told KKTV. "This bill is a commonsense solution to ensure that people receive effective training and meet the requirements under state and federal firearm laws before purchasing the most lethal weapons on the market. From background checks and waiting periods to limits on high-capacity magazines, Colorado Democrats have enacted multiple laws to protect Coloradans from future gun violence."
The bill has passed the state's Senate and a second reading in the House, according to the KTTV report, which noted that lawmakers largely expect the legislation to be ready for a final vote in the coming week.
The bill has faced stiff resistance from Republicans such as DeGraaf, who argue the legislation would run afoul of the U.S. Constitution.
DeGraaf accused his Democratic colleagues of being offended by the Constitution during his remarks on the House floor, pointing to the forced removal as an example.
As DeGraaf lamented the covering of the sticker, he was informed that the only reason for the request was because such displays are banned in the "well" of the chamber, which sits between the chamber's front desk and the first row of member seats.
"So OK, no displays of the Constitution in the well, got it," DeGraaf quipped back.
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