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Recall Petition Against Giron Deemed Sufficient

DENVER (AP) - A recall petition against a second Democrat who supported Colorado gun control measures has been deemed sufficient, Secretary of State Scott Gessler said Monday.

Opponents of Sen. Angela Giron, of Pueblo, turned in nearly 13,000 valid signatures to prompt a recall election, topping the 11,285 signatures they were required to collect, Gessler said.

The governor will set a date for the recall election unless someone challenges the validity of the petition.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Senate President John Morse are fighting a recall effort against the Democrat, saying petitions were improperly worded and were, therefore, invalid. A hearing to address the protest against the petition against Morse is set for Thursday.

Gun rights supporters have been unhappy with new state laws that will expand background checks for gun purchases and limit the size of ammunition magazines, starting next month. The laws were passed with Democrats controlling both chambers of the state Legislature and the governor's office.

Recall efforts against two other Democratic lawmakers who supported the gun control measures fizzled.

Around the country, gun-rights activists have vowed to defeat Democrats who steered through laws that made Colorado the first state outside the East Coast to curb gun rights following deadly mass shootings at a movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora and an elementary school in Connecticut.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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