February 10, 2012 01:03 AM UTC

It's Good To Be House Majority Leader

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• by: Colorado Pols

A press release we just got from the House Majority Press Office:

Stephens Protects Second Amendment Rights

DENVER-The House Judiciary Committee will hear three bills to protect Second Amendment rights today, including House Bill 1064.

House Majority Leader Amy Stephens is sponsoring HB 1064 to prevent the seizure of firearms during a declared state of emergency.

“Our Second Amendment rights are the ultimate and final safeguard against violence to ourselves, our families and our property,” said Stephens, R-Monument. “The right to bear arms must not be compromised during an emergency situation for law-abiding citizens. I’d like to thank the National Rifle Association for bringing this bill to my attention.”

We talked last month about primary-embattled Majority Leader Amy Stephens’ sponsorship of this sure-to-die bill, HB12-1064, and its likely true purpose as a credibility booster for Stephens ahead of her campaign against Rep. Marsha Looper to remain in the House. Now, if you accept that this bill is intended to reinforce Stephens in her primary above any other realistic purpose, then you should ask the next question–why is the House Majority Press Office going out of its way to publicize it? It’s a fair question: the press release goes on to mention other gun bills sponsored by Reps. Mark Waller and Kevin Priola being debated today, but Stephens is the only one mentioned in the headline as “protecting Second Amendment Rights.”

Shouldn’t it at least be titled “Republicans Protect Second Amendment Rights,” since the release is about more than just Majority Leader Stephens’ bill?

Of course, the first problem with this latest Republican push to pass multiple bills loosening gun laws is that Republicans began the session allegedly focused on jobs. So this fixation on bills to gratify the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, while creating precisely zero jobs, doesn’t look good.

But it’s even worse if they’re just posturing against each other on state time.