Countdown to 2020: John Hickenlooper on Gun Safety

• July 26, 2019

 In 2018, voters elected a wave of candidates who prioritized gun safety like never before. No longer a third rail of politics, gun violence prevention is now a top issue heading into the 2020 presidential election. In this regular series, we delve into the gun safety platforms of Democratic presidential candidates who have released initial policy plans to address this issue. While not an endorsement of any candidate or their platform, each post looks at a candidate’s record, explains their proposals, and shares our analysis. 

John Hickenlooper’s Record on Gun Safety

John Hickenlooper was less than halfway through his first term as governor of Colorado in 2012 when a shooter walked into a movie theater in Aurora and murdered 11 innocent people. A few months after the tragedy, Hicklenlooper called on the state legislature to strengthen Colorado’s gun laws, arguing that respect for the Second Amendment could be coupled with measures to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals. Following a fierce battle with the NRA, Hickenlooper ultimately signed universal background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines into law.

Hickenlooper was on the ballot for reelection in 2014, and despite strong opposition from the NRA, he did not back down from his support for stronger gun laws. He won a second term and continued to serve as an advocate for commonsense gun safety measures until the end of his second term in 2018, when term limits forbade him from running for re-election.

John Hickenlooper’s Plan to Address Gun Violence

With a proven track record of enacting gun safety laws in a swing state, Hickenlooper has made gun violence prevention a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. He travelled to Newtown in May to meet with Sandy Hook survivors and share his comprehensive plan for gun violence prevention, which includes universal background checks, funding gun violence research, and much more. We break down a few of its other key elements below.

Gun Licensing

Hickenlooper envisions an America in which a comprehensive gun licensing system replaces the current patchwork of state laws laws which allow dangerous individuals to get their hands on firearms. Just as you must pass a written and driving exam to obtain a driver’s license, Hickenlooper would require individuals to complete a gun safety and training course as part of receiving a gun license. Current gun owners would be grandfathered into the training requirement and only need to pass a background check to receive their license.

Limiting Magazine Size

A ban on high-capacity magazines—like the 100 round drum which the Aurora shooter attached to his assault rifle—was one of the two major pieces of gun safety legislation Governor Hickenlooper signed into law in Colorado. Limiting magazine size is important because it forces mass shooters to take time to pause and reload—time that can be critical for allowing law enforcement or bystanders to intervene. Hickenlooper’s plan calls for taking Colorado’s ban on high-capacity magazines to the federal level.

Banning Ghost Guns

Ghost guns—firearms that can be made at home with either parts ordered online or a 3D printer— pose a very real threat to America’s public safety. These guns—which, according to ATF account for nearly a third of all firearms recovered in California —allow criminals, domestic abusers, and anyone with access to the internet to assemble a firearm without passing a background check. They are also untraceable, which takes away a critical tool to help law enforcement solve gun crimes. Hickenlooper’s plan prioritizes banning the production of ghost guns by unlicensed individuals to help ensure that untraceable guns do not fall into the wrong hands.

Our Take

John Hickenlooper is all too familiar with the pain of gun violence, from mass tragedies like the 2012 shooting at an Aurora movie theater, to everyday gun violence like firearm suicides, which Colorado experiences at higher rates than much of the nation. We need a president who will prioritize the will of the American people over gun lobby profits, someone who knows that leadership on this issue means having the courage to get things done.

In a crowded Democratic field, candidates must demonstrate to voters that they take the safety of Americans seriously, and that they understand that the right to bear arms comes with responsibilities. As governor, Hickenlooper didn’t stand idly by in the face of our nation’s gun violence epidemic—he took decisive action. We must elect a president who will do the same.