NRA President Meets With State House Leadership To Discuss Gun Control
DENVER (CBS4)- The president of the National Rifle Association is calling many of the gun control proposals in the state Capitol "feel good measures."
NRA President David Keene spent Thursday at the state Capitol meeting with state Senate President John Morse and Gov. John Hickenlooper, both Democrats.
Hickenlooper favors expanded background checks. Morse has proposed a new liability law to make weapons producers legally liable for damage caused by their guns.
Colorado Republicans say expanding background checks to private purchases would require a full registry of gun owners. They say the gun-liability measure would effectively eliminate certain weapons from being sold.
"They have every right to be here and they have members in this state and so I'm glad they came out and were able to meet with them and talk with them," said Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino, a Democrat.
Keene has said the NRA is generally supportive of stronger background checks. Keene says more attention is needed on mental health, which is also subject of the Colorado Democrats' gun proposals.
The discussion did not include bans on high-capacity magazines or assault rifles.
"We think that going back on that is a feel-good measure that is probably not going to do any good," said Keene.
Senate President John Morse said Keene's visit won't alter legislation, "We're absolutely interested in their ideas but they didn't have any today that they offered us."
