Free Republic

Steve Neal, Chicago's premiere political columnist for decades, famous for his encyclopedic knowledge of history and political lore, for endlessly swapping stories with political junkies and for his books that ranged from a biography of Wendell Wilkie to the correspondence between Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman, died Wednesday at his Hinsdale home. He was 54 and had been hospitalized overnight this week at Northwestern Hospital for a heart problem, his family said. Hinsdale police said they responded to a “carbon monoxide alarm’’ Wednesday afternoon at the home. Mr. Neal was among the city's most savvy political analysts, but unlike many...

On Friday, May 17, fifty-four Colorado Sheriffs filed a civil rights lawsuit in Federal District Court in Denver, against two anti-gun bills passed by the Colorado legislature in March. Joining the Sheriffs as Plaintiffs are the Colorado Farm Bureau, disabled persons, Outdoor Buddies (an organization that helps disabled persons participate in outdoor sports), the Colorado Outfitters Association (the trade association for hunting guides), the National Shooting Sports Foundation (the trade association for the firearms industry), magazine manufacturer Magpul, federally-licensed firearms dealers, the state’s largest shooting range, the Colorado State Shooting Association (governing body for the shooting sports in Colorado), and...

DENVER (AP) — A group of Colorado sheriffs unhappy with recent gun control laws are planning to file a lawsuit to block them.

Internal Revenue Service to investigate conservative groups? Was the IRS to read between the lines of his request? A keen observation by View from a Height blogger Joshua Sharf may have tied Colorado’s Democratic U.S. Senator Bennet, who now chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to the most recent Internal Revenue Service scandal. Late last week, the IRS came under scrutiny for targeting conservative groups, such as the Richmond Tea Party, for inappropriate intrusion into their business dealings. According to the DailyMail, the Richmond Tea Party received a letter in January 2012 asking that they complete a 55-question document that...

With the frequency of flailing attacks left-wing Colorado Pols has been throwing out lately against the impending recall campaigns of Democratic Senators Hudak and Morse and Representative McLachlan, you might begin to wonder if they doth protest too much. (Note to Michele Bachmann — it’s not “protestest too much“) It makes you wonder if some on the left have polled the issue and are beginning to worry that a low-turnout recall election is more than just a minor annoyance. Should any of the petition drives succeed, a recall election would likely be very low turnout, which would favor the highly...

Magpul Industries, the Erie-based ammunition magazine maker that pledged to leave Colorado after gun control legislation was signed into law in March, is for the first time manufacturing its weapons accessories out of state. The company revealed the news in a Facebook reply late Monday night to a customer who expressed frustration with the lack of information about where Magpul planned to move its operations. “You have lots of people interested in this, might as well satisfy the masses and come out with it already,” Daniel Wooldridge wrote. This morning, the company provided a little more detail about what it...

Craig — Craig resident Craig Rummel appeared before the Craig City Council on Tuesday night with a unique proposal. Citing years of attacks by the Colorado General Assembly on the industries that drive Craig and Moffat County’s economy — namely coal, power and hunting — Rummel asked City Council members to consider passing an ordinance requiring heads of households within Craig city limits to maintain a modern sporting rifle capable of accepting high-capacity magazines. A draft of Rummel’s proposal included exemptions for those not physically or mentally capable of operating a firearm; financially unable to afford purchasing a firearm; who...

Source: SUMMARY OF COLORADO'S NEW GUN CONTROL LAWS. House Bill 13-1224 prohibits the sale, transfer, or possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines or feeding devices, which includes: 1. a fixed or detachable magazine, box, drum, feed strip, or similar device capable of accepting, or that is designed to be readily converted to accept, more than 15 rounds of ammunition . . . Penalties for simple possession of large-capacity magazines are: First-time violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor with a $250-$1,000 fine and 3-12 months in prison. Violation after a conviction for a prior violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor with...

Colorado Springs police arrested an alleged robber Wednesday with the help of a resident, who they say held the man at gunpoint until officers arrived. The robber walked into a business in the 2800 block of East Platte Avenue about 4:30 p.m., demanded money and indicated he possibly had a gun in his pocket, police said. A man from a nearby business followed the alleged robber after he fled with an undetermined amount of money and held him at gunpoint until officers arrived two minutes later, police said.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -- A man accused of stealing a Jeep last week may have taken much more than that. Anthony Loveridge, 19, was arrested after theft victim Joseph Bateman found Loveridge sleeping in his stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee on Friday. When Bateman stumbled upon his vehicle, he held Loveridge at gun point until police arrived. Bateman first reported a break-in on April 3 when he returned home from North Dakota, according to a Mesa County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit. Dozens of items were stolen, including TVs, gaming systems, phones, five guns, thousands of ammunition rounds and his 1998...

This weekend, an email written by Ron Trowbridge, the undersheriff of Prowers County, Colorado, started sweeping some of the viral corners of the internet. It alleges that a Colorado State Police training encouraged law enforcement officials to look at Bible-believing Christians with intense skepticism. At first glance, the startling allegations in the letter, which was first posted on the conservative site Red Statements, were seemingly unbelievable. But TheBlaze reached out to Trowbridge to confirm that he wrote the note and to speak further about its contents. In sum, the undersheriff said that he, indeed, wrote it and that the version...

If Colorado wants to be the new California, businesses will flee it, just like they do California: HiViz Shooting Systems intends to leave Colorado in the wake of new state gun control legislation signed into law last month, according to the Northern Colorado Business Report. The Fort Collins company, which makes sights, recoil pads and other accessories, started in 1996. But like Magpul Industries Inc. of Boulder County, HiViz said it’s not happy with the gun control measures approved by the Colorado Legislature and signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper. Magpul Industries announced last month it will be leaving...

Mother Theresia Bonzel. Courtesy of the Sisters of St. Francis. Colorado Springs, Colo., Apr 3, 2013 / 04:03 am (CNA).- The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration are thrilled at the approved beatification of their German founder, Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, after a Vatican-recognized miracle in Colorado. “We are enthusiastically surprised,� Sister Clarice Gentrup, the congregation's vicar general, told CNA April 2. “After all these years, we’re coming closer and closer to beatification and canonization, possibly.� Pope Francis approved the 19th century nun's beatification on March 27. The ceremony will be celebrated at the Catholic cathedral in Paderborn,...

Pastor who defended his RV in Walmart parking lot The pastor, wakened by the racket of heavy footsteps on top of the RV, grabbed his shotgun and yelled, "Get off the roof or I will shoot through it!" The would be robber jumped off the roof, onto the hood. Somwhere in this process, the windsheild of the RV was broken. RV whose windshield was broken. Notice handicapped symbol and large vent. As the perpetrator ran toward a confederate in a waiting car, the pastor grabbed his pants and started the RV. He was able to use the RV to pin...

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila attended the dedication of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Littleton, CO on March 23, 2013. Credit: OLMC Parish. Denver, Colo., Mar 29, 2013 / 02:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a parish of the Denver Archdiocese, recently dedicated its new church building which local Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila has described as “beautiful.� “The beauty of it... speaks to the gift of our faith, and that this is a place where the Lord is truly present and dwells,� the archbishop told CNA shortly after the dedication Mass on March 23. Our Lady...

During this period of high demand, and with the reality of Colorado state legislation, we at Magpul are taking steps to ensure that responsible Colorado residents who want to own standard capacity magazines have the opportunity to do so. To meet this need, we have set up a process for CO residents to purchase limited quantities of magazines from our website. In order to participate in this program, go to: http://store.magpul.com/member_register Create your login account with your Colorado address and click the “Register” button to submit. Create your login account with your Colorado address and click the “Register” button to...

Recall Mike McLachlan Official grievance against Mike McLachlan: "Representative McLachlan campaigned as a defender of the 2nd Amendment. Yet he said on the House floor “I believe there is no doubt that the overwhelming support of the people that were there were opposed to any restriction whatsoever…. No constitutional right, not even the 2nd Amendment is absolute.” He voted for these bills despite acknowledging overwhelming opposition to these bills from his constituency. Representative McLachlan campaigned to be “a representative that carries Southwest Colorado’s common sense values to our State legislature." Instead he introduced a 15 round magazine limit, an arbitrary...

Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County, Colorado has been out front in his opposition to the new gun control laws in that state. He led a delegation of sheriffs in testifying against the bills before the Colorado legislature earlier this month. Now he has announced that he doesn't plan to enforce the new laws - and he is within the letter of the law. "Why put the effort into enforcing a law that is unenforceable?" Cooke told The Denver Post on Monday. "With all of the other crimes that are going on, I don't have the manpower, the resources or...

DENVER (AP) — A landmark expansion of background checks on firearm purchases was approved Friday by lawmakers in Colorado, a politically moderate state that was the site of last year's mass shooting at a suburban Denver movie theater. The bill previously passed the state Senate and now heads to Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, who is expected to sign it into law within two weeks. Earlier this week, Colorado lawmakers approved a 15-round limit on ammunition magazines. It is also awaiting the expected approval of the governor. The bill passed Friday expands cases when a $10 criminal background check would be...

There is a poll at the Denver Post on the proposed magazine ban. It is about 1/3 the way down on the right hand side. Be careful about the questions. The first response is "for" to overturn the ban. Link to the Poll

YouTube: VIDEO: CO mag ban could eliminate usage of many more guns than anticipated The video is one minute long, and loaded easily on medium network connection.

Last month, Bill exposed Colorado Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino (D) as the man responsible for killing Jessica’s Law in that state. On February 22nd he interviewed Mark Lunsford, father of Jessica Lunsford, and Republican Rep. Libby Szabo, the sponsor of Jessica’s Law in the House. Bill explained that Ferrandino’s priorities, instead of protecting the children of Colorado from sexual predators, were pot legalization and civil unions, reporting that Ferrandino is Colorado’s “first openly gay House Speaker.” But Curtis Hubbard, editorial page editor of the Denver Post, called Bill a bigot...

I’m now convinced. Colorado is the Colorado of the Rocky Mountains. A once great state has been completely hijacked by vile leftists and turned the state into a leftist cesspool. Forget Joe Salazar ‘use a call box’ for rape protection for a second. How about Democrat state senator Mary Hodge claiming that veterans shouldn't be allowed to have access to high capacity magazines because ‘some have mental health problems.’

DENVER- A TV host is speaking out against Colorado's gun proposals. If passed, he plans on moving all productions out of Colorado. Michael Bane is an Executive Producer and host for the Outdoor Channel which currently has four series in production, including the popular show Gun Stories. In an email to Republican Senator Steve King, Bane says if the Democrat-sponsored bills pass, Colorado will become known as unfriendly to sportsmen and will force other producers across the country to consider other states. The host says he's already cancelled a scheduled filming session for late this month.

A new poll measuring public opinion of gun control measures being considered in Colorado finds the issue could be politically dangerous for Democrats. And most don’t think “sweeping gun control measures will make them any safer,” according to the pollster. “[W]hile opinions on this issue fall predictably along party and ideological lines, there are some political perils that Democratic leaders should be cognizant of,” writes pollster Rob Autry, of Public Opinion Strategies, in a memo detailing the poll’s findings. “Democratic legislators also have to be mindful that even members of their own partisan coalition are conflicted about this proposed legislation....

Move over, Joe Salazar. Stand aside, Evie Hudak. It’s time for Colorado State Representative Claire Levy (D) to step into the spotlight. Watch and learn: "I make no assertion that this bill will either increase or reduce violent crime. That is not the premise of the bill." Not so fast, wingnuts. Sure, a state ban on guns on college campuses won’t reduce violent crime, but it won’t increase it either. So, what’s the big deal about passing it? Who says laws need to have some sort of purpose? Who says lawmakers have to justify themselves to the people who elected...

Six far-reaching Democrat sponsored gun control bills are scheduled to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the State Affairs Committee on MONDAY, MARCH 4th. If these bills pass, we will lose our rights, reduce our safety, and we will watch multiple companies close their doors, fire their employees and move out of Colorado. Have your voice heard. Come to the Capitol Monday, March 4th to tell your Senator to put the rights of law-abiding citizens before out-of-state special interests. It is imperative that Coloradans make their voices heard, now! Committees will begin at 10:30 AM on the second...

Gun owners rallied at the Capitol last month, part of a growing backlash against gun regulations that now include an expanding industry boycott. Credits: Dave Workman Saturday saw small but significant rallies of armed citizens in several states including Washington, as more firearms industry companies are joining a boycott of New York and other jurisdictions that adopt gun laws restricting the rights of citizens. The big names in guns, including Smith & Wesson, Glock, Sig Sauer, Sturm Ruger and other have not yet announced their intentions, but there clearly is a backlash in the works. For gun prohibitionists, it is...

The controversy over the Public Safety attack-prevention tips list highlights the broader debate at the state level concerning the right to carry a concealed weapon on college campuses. Everyone from Sean Hannity to Cosmopolitan recognized the tips as impractical, ridiculous and demeaning. And it would be equally demeaning to limit a woman’s options when it comes to deterring attackers, namely taking away her right to carry a weapon. Women should not have to resort to physical self-deprecation or focus on making themselves feel less “attractive” in order to protect themselves. After all, the attacker is the one who should be...

We’re hearing from the family of a man whose home is at the center of a scary late-night encounter with a total stranger. Police say a man was so intoxicated he thought he was trying to get into his home, which is actually a block away. But the elderly homeowner thought he was a burglar, so he fired a warning shot through his front door. It happened around 1 a.m. Saturday off West Platte Ave in Colorado Springs. A drunken man mistook the house for his. Knocking on the door turned into pounding, then running charges as he tried to...

Colorado – -(Ammoland.com)- Mesa County Colorado has passed a far sweeping resolution concerning protecting and following and supporting the 2nd amendment of the United States. MESA COUNTY RESOLUTION NO. MCM 2013-009 A RESOLUTION TO PRESERVE AND DEFEND THE SECOND AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MESA COUNTY, COLORADO WHEREAS, the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America 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”; and WHEREAS, the...

The NRA Range Development & Operations Conference is designed to educate potential and current range owners and operators in identifying potential problems associated with range development, environmental issues, and safety. Attendees will receive a multidisciplinary perspective on major topics such as:

After two years of failing to pass a bill in Colorado that would have allowed illegal immigrants to pay tuition lower than out-of-state rates but higher than in-state rates, Democrats — now in control of both chambers — are pushing new legislation to allow the students to go to college at the in-state rate. "What we're looking at is a simpler, more equitable approach to tuition," said state Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver, one of the lawmakers leading the effort. Johnston and state Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, are are holding a press conference Tuesday with supporters of the bill.

Dear..., Thank you for contacting me regarding Second Amendment rights. I appreciate that you took the time to write on this important topic. Responsible gun ownership is an integral part of our Western heritage. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for an individual right, and I am dedicated to protecting the rights of citizens to own firearms for personal protection, hunting, collecting or for other legal purposes. We can all agree that the shootings at Columbine High School; Virginia Tech; in Aurora; Tucson, AZ; Newtown, CT and other instances in which terrible crimes have been committed with guns...

The House Democrats (Diana DeGette, D-CO) are submitting a bill in the next few days to Congress to ban any magazine over 10 rounds in capacity. We must act now to stop this erosion of our 2nd Amendment rights! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXrAt7-ij2k 11:32

NEWTOWN, Conn. (CBS Connecticut/AP) — CBS News is reporting that 27 people are dead, including 18 students, after a mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The gunman is among the dead. CBS News’ John Miller reports there is preliminary information that the gunman was the father of one of the students. Miller additionally reports the gunman is 20 years old and is from New Jersey. The shooter was killed and apparently had two guns, a person with knowledge of the shooting said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way....

Drillers in Utah and Colorado are poking into a massive shale deposit trying to find a way to unlock oil reserves that are so vast they would swamp OPEC. A recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that if half of the oil bound up in the rock of the Green River Formation could be recovered it would be "equal to the entire world's proven oil reserves." Both the GAO and private industry estimate the amount of oil recoverable to be 3 trillion barrels. "In the past 100 years — in all of human history -- we have...

AURORA, Colo. - Campus police are investigating an accidental shooting in which two people suffered minor injuries at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in Aurora. The shooting happened Friday in a staff member's office at the dental school on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Campus Police Chief Doug Abraham said in a Monday statement. Two people in the office received minor injuries and were not hospitalized, the chief said. The staff member who possessed the gun had a concealed carry permit for it. That staff member is on administrative leave, Abraham said.

Colorado --(Ammoland.com)- There’s no doubt about it, the upcoming elections will have a greater impact on our Second Amendment rights than any other election in our lifetime. That’s why everyone is glued to the news for the latest updates on the presidential race. Despite the national distractions, we have candidates right here in Colorado who can make a huge difference in securing our Second Amendment rights. Many of the strongest pro-Second Amendment candidates in the state have found themselves in the gun-grabbers’ cross hairs. The anti-gun crowd is trying to send good candidates a FALSE message — that in the...

Just an old photo from Phish packing Red Rocks a cpl years.....err no this is tonight's Romney rally?!?! http://t.co/YQTl6xOE— Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 24, 2012 Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan held a rally at a packed Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo., tonight. It was a sight to behold:(Picture by @Timodc)And from the top of the venue:(Photo by @dmitchell624)Red Rocks officially holds almost 9,500 people. There were just a few more ticket holders than could be accommodated: According to CBS, 25,000 tix were requested for Mitt Romney's appearance at Red Rocks. The Pepsi Center holds around 20,000—...

Native American Indians from western United States found to have genetic mutation typical of Ashkenazi Jews; connection may date back to time of Christopher Columbus A population of Native American Indians from the US state of Colorado has been found to have a genetic mutation typical of Ashkenazi Jews. The finding suggests the presence of common roots that date back to the days of Christopher Columbus. According to RT news, the so-called “Ashkenazi mutation” is a deleterious modification in BRCA1 gene which increases risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Researchers from the Sheba (Tel Hashomer) Medical Center in Israel...

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The Mesa County District Attorney's Office is deferring prosecution after a 65-year-old man signed a contract promising to take a gun safety class after causing a panic at Grand Junction High School while carrying a gun on his hip.

Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway endorsed Mitt Romney ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Colorado. “Governor Romney is a proven leader with the experience and background to turn around our struggling economy,” Elway said in a statement. “In these tough economic times, we need a president who understands how to get America working again – by standing on the side of taxpayers and small-business owners who do the real job creating. I am endorsing Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan for President and Vice President because I know having the courage to make decisions and tackle challenges is what leads...

Rocky Mountain State University at Durango is the safest college campus in America, according to pro-gun group Students for Concealed Carry. Rocky Mountain State University at Durango has embraced this endorsement and is busy getting the word out about how safe students are on its campus. “We are proud to be recognized by an organization that knows how important guns are in keeping students safe on college campuses,” said Parsons Wyatt, the Dean of Admissions at Rocky Mountain State University at Durango. The school is so proud of being ranked as the safest college in America that the new glossy...

Like the rest of the nation, all of us at the NRA were shocked and saddened by the tragedy in Aurora, Colo., this past July. We quickly issued a statement that our thoughts and prayers were with the victims, their families and the community, then we respectfully declined any further comment during the time of national mourning. However, opponents of the Second Amendment were not nearly so reserved. Their outrageous but predictable response was to exploit the tragedy before the police had finished collecting evidence. The Brady Campaign’s new president bragged that “Within 48 hours of the terrible tragedy in...

A state lawmaker from Boulder plans to bring forward a bill in the next legislative session that would allow universities to create their own gun policies. Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder, will hold a forum this week with University of Colorado faculty members to discuss a legislative strategy that could give the regents the authority to ban guns on CU campuses. The Colorado Supreme Court in March overturned CU's longstanding gun ban when it ruled the university cannot prohibit those with concealed-weapons permits from bringing their firearms on campus. Last week, the board voted to amend the university policy to comply...

With 12 dead and 58 wounded, the July 20th shooting at the Cinemark Century 16 Theater in Aurora, Colorado was sure to result in a lawsuit. On Friday, the first suit was announced, claiming Cinemark has “primary responsibility.” The theater did have responsibility for the attack, but not for the reasons that the lawyers bringing the case think. The lawyer bringing the suit, Attorney Marc Bern, with the New York city law firm of Napoli, Bern, Ripka and Scholonik, suggested the theater should have had security guards the night of the attack. Yet, checking bags or metal detectors at the...

THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) – Charges will not be filed against a man who brought a gun into a movie theater in Thornton. James Mapes was arrested at the Cinebarre Theater one week after the theater shootings in Aurora. The Adams County district attorney determined Mapes has a concealed carry permit and did not make any threatening moves with the weapon. The district attorney says Mapes did not violate any laws. Mapes told CBS4 he’s happy to hear the news and knew he was innocent all along.

A burglary didn't go as planned for one intruder Thursday morning. Around 3:00 a.m., KJCT News 8 received reports that a man in the 13 hundred block of 24th Street woke up to a man he didn't know standing at his door. The resident says he told the intruder to leave, and when the intruder didn't, the resident shot at him. Law enforcement was told by the resident that the intruder left out the back door. Police say there was no blood trail or description of the intruder.

In light of the kerfuffle surrounding concealed carry, the University of Colorado has posted a page on their website: 14 Basic Questions on concealed carry at CU-Boulder. Most of it is, indeed, basic. Have a permit, don’t brandish, return your tray tables to their original upright and locked position, that sort of thing. And then there’s the bit where CU addresses the question from the perspective of an employee, one of whom (Professor Jerry Peterson) said he’d turf any student who dared carry in his class. “Can a student who legally possesses a concealed handgun be excluded from the classroom...