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April 3, 2014
50 cents Adams County, Colorado | Volume 50, Issue 33 A publication of
northglenn-thorntonsentinel.com
Gun legislation lawsuit trial begins Judge’s ruling could impact recently-enacted laws By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Colorado’s new gun laws are “burdensome” and “a symbolic gesture that does not improve public safety,” a lawyer said on the first day of testimony of a trial that takes on the legislation passed in 2013. But a state’s attorney said that the laws do nothing to take away guns from law-abiding citizens and that the motivation behind the legislation is to curb mass shootings like the ones that occurred at Columbine High School and from inside an Aurora movie theater. “In response to these events, Colorado’s elected representatives made a policy decision to pass two pieces of legislation that appropriately balances the state’s public safety concerns with the respect of the Second Amendment rights of citizens,” Deputy Attorney General Matthew Grove said.
The lawyers’ arguments opened a twoweek trial over a lawsuit filed against the state and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper that alleges that two recently enacted gun laws violate gun owners’ Second Amendment right to bear arms. Report At question are laws that expand background checks on gun sales in Colorado and limit the number of rounds that an ammunition magazine can hold to 15. The lawsuit is being brought by gun rights groups and is being heard in a Denver U.S. District Court by Judge Marcia Kreiger. A successful effort by the plaintiffs could put the new laws — which were signed by Hickenlooper last year — in jeopardy. Debate on the bills last year caused highly-charged partisan rancor at the Capitol between Democrats who backed the efforts and Republicans who uniformly voted against them. The bills also led to last year’s
Capitol
recall elections, where three Democratic lawmakers either lost or resigned their seats. The new background checks law expands a previous statute that requires gun shops to conduct a criminal history prior to the sale of any firearm. The updated law expands that to all sales and transfers, regardless of where or how they occur. Plaintiffs’ attorney Richard Westfall argued that the new background checks law is unreasonable and unenforceable. He took particular issue with a part of the law that prohibits the transfer of guns among friends and family members, without having background checks conducted. “There is no justification for such a burden, particularly because this statute doesn’t even work,” Westfall said. Westfall also took on the magazine limit ban, which bans new sales and transfers of high-capacity ammunition magazines. The law does not apply to existing magazines that may already be in a person’s possession. Westfall argued that the law is unenforceable because “tens of millions of magazines over 15 rounds exist.” He also said the Leg-
islature was “moved by high-profile mass shootings” and that the laws are “a symbolic gesture that do not improve public safety.” “The question is whether the magazine ban will have any positive impact on public safety at any level,” he said. But Grove pushed back against those arguments. He contends that expanding background checks to all potential gun buyers “makes it more difficult for a prohibited person from acquiring firearms.” In defending the new magazine limit, Grove said that restricting the number of rounds that a killer can hold limits the damage that he or she can inflict. “Reloading creates a crucial window of opportunity for a victim to escape or to disarm a gunman,” Grove said. And Grove said that the laws are not aimed at limiting the possession of guns by a law-abiding citizen. “It does not take these items away from people who already own them. It does not restrict their lawful use. It does not limit the choices of firearms Coloradans can carry,” Grove said.
BUSINESS, ART and HISTORY
Pieces decorate the Adams County Government Center By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@colorado communitymedia.com
“Wellspring” is the third piece of art placed at the Adams County Government Center by the Adams County Visual Arts Commission. It is situated outside the Clerk and Recorder’s entrance. Photos by Tammy Kranz
T
he Adams County Government Center in Brighton offers more than a place for the commissioners to hold their meetings or residents to take care of business with the Clerk and Recorder and Public Trustee offices. It also offers its own art gallery spread throughout the 333,000-square-foot, five-story building, featuring 13 sculptures, one large mural, four smaller murals, two large multi-person oil portraits and more than 200 photographs. “If you go through the building, the artwork is highlighting Adams County and what’s in Adams County,” Board of Commissioners Chair Charles “Chaz” Tedesco said. He added that the art draws from all that the county represents from the annual fair to the historical leaders to its roots in agriculture. The Adams County Visual Arts Commission was created in 2009 by the board of commissioners and is a group of volunteer citizens who are charged with placing public art in county facilities. The original funding for the arts commission came from .5 percent of the construction budget for the new govern-
POSTAL ADDRESS
Bob Grant, chairman of the Adams County Visual Arts Commission, admires a section of the “History Wall,” one of the newer art installation at the Adams County Government Center, 4430 S. Adams County Parkway in Brighton. ment center, which opened in 2011. That amounted to $425,000, said Bob Grant, chair of the commission. For 2014, there is $40,000 set aside in the county budget for art. Tedesco said the county tries to use annual funding in a productive manner to leverage for other funding, such as grants with the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.
With approximately $160,000 in SCFD grants, and additional annual budget funds from the county, Grant said, total public art budget over the past six years exceeds $700,000. There have been six art projects at the Government Center, which include 13 sculptures, murals and photographs. “Thus far we have expended over
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$440,000 on these projects, the majority paid to local artists,” Grant said. “To me the purpose of public art is to uplift the spirit and provide food for thought. We hope this uplifts the spirit and reminds people the history and depth of beauty of Adams County.” The commission is currently receiving applications for a $120,000 sculpture for the entrance lobby of the Government Center. While many of the projects have focused on the county’s past, the commission wants the newest piece at the Center to have a contemporary feel and focus. After this newest piece is installed, which Grant said could be next spring, the commission will be branching out to another county property. “Our next area of concentration for public art will likely be placing sculptures at the Adams County Regional Park,” Grant said. Art continues on Page 10
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