Colorado Democrats Want Another Expansion to State’s ‘Red Flag’ Law

January 27, 2026
2:25 pm

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Colorado Democrats are at it again, scheming to supercharge the state's already intrusive Red Flag law—formally known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO)—with yet another expansion that reeks of gun-grabber overreach. The push, led by a cadre of anti-2A lawmakers, aims to broaden who can petition for these orders, potentially allowing more distant acquaintances or even mental health pros to strip law-abiding citizens of their firearms without due process. Proponents cloak it in the language of public safety, but critics, including the NRA and local 2A advocates, are sounding the alarm over zero accountability: no requirement for the petitioner to face perjury charges if claims are bogus, and a low evidentiary bar that flips the script on innocent-until-proven-guilty. This isn't protection; it's pre-crime confiscation on steroids, echoing the failures of similar laws in states like California where false filings have ruined lives and chilled self-defense rights. To grasp the full threat, rewind to 2020 when Colorado rammed through its initial ERPO after high-profile shootings, promising it would target only the truly dangerous. Fast-forward to reality: implementation has been a mess, with sheriffs in rural counties refusing enforcement due to constitutional qualms, and data showing minimal impact on crime rates—according to a 2023 RAND study, red flag laws nationwide prevent few incidents while eroding due process. Democrats' latest tweak? Lowering the proof threshold and extending order durations, all while ignoring root causes like mental health system breakdowns (Colorado ranks near the bottom nationally for psychiatric bed availability, per NAMI reports). It's a classic bait-and-switch: use tragedy to justify incremental disarmament, paving the way for universal background checks or outright bans. For the 2A community, this is a five-alarm fire—signal to mobilize. Expect lawsuits from groups like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, who’ve already beaten back overreaches in court, and a voter backlash in purple suburbs where self-reliance runs deep. If passed, it sets a precedent for nationwide copycats, chipping away at Heller's core promise of an individual right to keep and bear arms. Gun owners: contact your reps, hit the capitol during hearings, and support recall efforts against these architects of freedom's erosion. The Second Amendment isn't a suggestion—it's our bulwark against exactly this kind of soft tyranny. Stay vigilant, armed, and informed.

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Colorado Democrats are at it again, scheming to supercharge the state’s already intrusive Red Flag law—formally known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO)—with yet another expansion that reeks of gun-grabber overreach. The push, led by a cadre of anti-2A lawmakers, aims to broaden who can petition for these orders, potentially allowing more distant acquaintances or even mental health pros to strip law-abiding citizens of their firearms without due process. Proponents cloak it in the language of public safety, but critics, including the NRA and local 2A advocates, are sounding the alarm over zero accountability: no requirement for the petitioner to face perjury charges if claims are bogus, and a low evidentiary bar that flips the script on innocent-until-proven-guilty. This isn’t protection; it’s pre-crime confiscation on steroids, echoing the failures of similar laws in states like California where false filings have ruined lives and chilled self-defense rights.

To grasp the full threat, rewind to 2020 when Colorado rammed through its initial ERPO after high-profile shootings, promising it would target only the truly dangerous. Fast-forward to reality: implementation has been a mess, with sheriffs in rural counties refusing enforcement due to constitutional qualms, and data showing minimal impact on crime rates—according to a 2023 RAND study, red flag laws nationwide prevent few incidents while eroding due process. Democrats’ latest tweak? Lowering the proof threshold and extending order durations, all while ignoring root causes like mental health system breakdowns (Colorado ranks near the bottom nationally for psychiatric bed availability, per NAMI reports). It’s a classic bait-and-switch: use tragedy to justify incremental disarmament, paving the way for universal background checks or outright bans.

For the 2A community, this is a five-alarm fire—signal to mobilize. Expect lawsuits from groups like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, who’ve already beaten back overreaches in court, and a voter backlash in purple suburbs where self-reliance runs deep. If passed, it sets a precedent for nationwide copycats, chipping away at Heller’s core promise of an individual right to keep and bear arms. Gun owners: contact your reps, hit the capitol during hearings, and support recall efforts against these architects of freedom’s erosion. The Second Amendment isn’t a suggestion—it’s our bulwark against exactly this kind of soft tyranny. Stay vigilant, armed, and informed.

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