Northern Colorado Gazette

by Peter Grady –

A gun control group has released its annual state rankings and many may be surprised to learn Colorado is the 13^th most restrictive state when it comes to gun control.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released its annual “Brady State Gun Law” scorecard recently and it has ranked Colorado as being 13^th out of 50 regarding the strength of our gun laws.

California made the number one slot and also received a “4 star rating” from the group for its restrictive gun laws. The score card ranks states by points with a maximum score of 100. California received 81 points.

The group lists criteria for the rankings including what it called “extra credit” and “demerits.” To receive extra credit a state has to have law enforcement actively match firearms purchase records with prohibited persons. Demerits are given for states that prohibit doctors from asking patients and children questions such as how many and what types of guns are in the house. They also give demerits to states such as Wyoming and Arizona that do not require permits to carry a concealed weapon.

Colorado is number 13 on the list where it is tied with Oregon and Washington with 15 points, earning it a one star rating. Thirty one states do not have a star rating. Alaska, Arizona and Utah are last on the list.

The group describes a one star rating as “having weak gun laws that help feed the illegal gun market and allows the sale of guns without background checks and put children at risk.”

It is unclear what rating the federal government would obtain for telling gun dealers to sell firearms to known drug cartel members in Operation Fast and Furious.

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