This morning, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners submitted a letter to the Colorado Senate in opposition to House Bill 19-1177, also known as the “Red Flag” bill.
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The letter states:
"Our Board, by Resolution, fully supports the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which states that: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” House Bill 19-1177 is disguised as an effort to get firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill; however, it does not require a person with mental health issues to seek assistance. Instead, it mandates that law enforcement take possession of their firearms, which is an undue burden and safety risk to our law enforcement professionals.
While we do not disagree that there are people suffering from mental health issues, House Bill 19-1177 is not the solution needed to address these issues. Members of the Legislature should have stakeholder meetings in Mesa County and throughout the state, our Board welcomes a stakeholder meeting on such topic and additional funding appropriated by the Legislature to deal with mental health issues in our community.
Our Board supports our Sheriff, law enforcement professionals, and our citizens and we will not allow the enforcement in Mesa County of any unlawful and unconstitutional statutes, as determined by the courts, and are expressly preempted by the United States Supreme Court rulings on the right of an individual to keep and bear arms.
Let us come up with real solutions to address mental health issues together. House Bill 19-1177 is not the answer. Our Board strongly opposes House Bill 19-1177, and we respectfully request that the Senate vote against House Bill 19-1177."
The letter states:
"Our Board, by Resolution, fully supports the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which states that: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” House Bill 19-1177 is disguised as an effort to get firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill; however, it does not require a person with mental health issues to seek assistance. Instead, it mandates that law enforcement take possession of their firearms, which is an undue burden and safety risk to our law enforcement professionals.
While we do not disagree that there are people suffering from mental health issues, House Bill 19-1177 is not the solution needed to address these issues. Members of the Legislature should have stakeholder meetings in Mesa County and throughout the state, our Board welcomes a stakeholder meeting on such topic and additional funding appropriated by the Legislature to deal with mental health issues in our community.
Our Board supports our Sheriff, law enforcement professionals, and our citizens and we will not allow the enforcement in Mesa County of any unlawful and unconstitutional statutes, as determined by the courts, and are expressly preempted by the United States Supreme Court rulings on the right of an individual to keep and bear arms.
Let us come up with real solutions to address mental health issues together. House Bill 19-1177 is not the answer. Our Board strongly opposes House Bill 19-1177, and we respectfully request that the Senate vote against House Bill 19-1177."