John Hickenlooper Rolls Out Gun Control Wish List

Former Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a 2020 hopeful, released a list of proposed gun measures Wednesday including federal gun licenses with safety training requirements.

Hickenlooper published his plan, which includes many initiatives proposed by fellow 2020 Democratic candidates, such as federal gun licensing, bans on AR-style weapons and bump stocks, magazine capacity limits, universal background checks, and ‘red flag’ gun confiscation.

“The number of deaths per year from firearms in our nation has surged to 39,773, the highest figure in the 50 years that this data has been collected,” Hickenlooper wrote in his statement.

“Gun violence in our nation is a public health epidemic that requires an urgent and comprehensive set of national strategies.”

We beat the @NRA in CO, and we can do it nationally. Here’s my plan to prevent gun violence: https://t.co/1EIM0RWNpC

✔️ Gun licensing standard
✔️ Raise purchase age to 21
✔️ Universal background checks
✔️ Ban weapons of war
✔️ Magazine limits
✔️ Fund CDC research on gun violence

— John Hickenlooper (@Hickenlooper) May 22, 2019

His proposal distinguishes itself by raising the minimum gun purchase age to 21, and with mental health services for school children in order to identify potential threats.

Hickenlooper was governor of Colorado from 2011-2019, during which time he signed aggressive gun control measures into law, including universal background checks and “high capacity” magazine bans, according to Colorado Public Radio.

One of nearly two dozen other Democrats who have announced White House bids, Hickenlooper is considered a moderate Democrat. He announced his candidacy Mar. 4.