"This is a good day for gun owners, and for the safety of students, faculty and citizens who frequent college campuses," Dudley Brown, executive director of RMGO, said in a statement on view below. "CSU's ban only had one legitimate leg to stand on, and now even that's gone."
Terry Ryan, attorney for the Windsor-based gun rights group, promised earlier this year that the group would file suit after CSU adopted its ban, which was passed amid a whirlwind of complaints from students who sought to allow guns on campus.
Ryan cited several shootings while arguing that guns should be allowed on campus in the name of safety.
"Would Virginia Tech have happened the way it did if guns had been allowed on campus? I don't think so," he told Westword in February. "I ask people all the time, 'Do you think Columbine would have happened if people had guns?' No. They would have been shot, and that's the end of it."
CU's gun ban hasn't been lifted yet, as the issue could head back to district court. In addition, the university could take its case before the Colorado Supreme Court -- or if they're feeling saucy, they could simply allow guns on campus.
Either way, with CU's gun ban in the chamber, these exuberant, gun-wielding Coloradans -- who include Larimer County's curious sheriff, JIm Alderden -- might just have a shot at this thing.
Check out the RMGO release below:
RMGO files suit against CSU for Gun Ban, while CU's Ban is Overturned on AppealFort Collins -- Today Colorado's largest gun rights organization, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, filed a complaint against CSU's Gun Ban policy, asking a Larimer County District Court to overrule the Board of Governors.
This comes on the same day that the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed an earlier court's ruling on the CU Gun Ban case, clearing the way to what many legal scholars say is a certain overturning that ban.
"This is a good day for gun owners, and for the safety of students, faculty and citizens who frequent college campuses," said Dudley Brown, RMGO's Executive Director. "CSU's Ban only had one legitimate leg to stand on, and now even that's gone."
"CSU is hanging out a shingle that says only criminals are allowed to bring guns on campus," Brown said. "It didn't keep anyone safe at Virginia Tech, it doesn't work at schools around the country and it won't work in Fort Collins."
RMGO's suit against CSU is based on three facts:
1. The Ban is preempted by Colorado law (C.R.S. 18-12-204).
2. The CSU Board of Governor's authority does not allow it to conflict with state law (CRS 23-31-103, which provides that the BOG "has plenary power to adopt all such ordinances, bylaws, and regulations, not in conflict with the law").
3. The Ban is unconstitutional and unenforceable.
The complaint, which was filed late Wednesday, lists a number of citizens as plaintiffs, including Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at CSU, two student permit holders and one local businessman permit holder.
The actual filing, and a way you can support this lawsuit, can be found at www.rmgo.org/csu