THIS IS PART OF WHAT SHE SAID ON
THE STATEHOUSE FLOOR TUESDAY.
>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER
MOMENT OF SILENCE AT THE END OF
THE SPEAKERS TODAY.
I DON’T WANT TO LEAD THAT,
BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE
SILENT
SILENT.
THE VICTIMS WON’T HEAR OUR
SILENCE.
>> THAT REPRESENTATIVE JOINS ME
NOW.NS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON THIS
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
YOU KNEW JODY WATERS, ONE.
VICTIMS.
HOW DID YOU KNOW HER?
WOULD YOU MIND SHARING A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT HER?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME TODAY.
JODY OWNED A STORE ON THE PEARL
STREET MALL CALL APPLAUSE.
IT WAS IN THE EARLY ’90s.
ALL OF THE MOMS IN MY
DEMOGRAPHIC, WE ALL WENT THERE.
SHE SOLD KIDS CLOTHING AND
LITTLE TOYS BUT ALSO WOMEN’S
CLOTHING.
SHE WAS JUST SUPER PERSONABLE.
YOU WENT THERE ONCE, SHE ASKED
YOU YOUR NAME ANDNC EVERY TIME Y
EVER WENT BACK SHE KNEW YOUR
NAME AND SHE KNEW SOMETHING
ABOUT YOU AND KNEW WHAT IT IS
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, KNEW
WHETHER YOU HAD BOYS OR GIRLS.
THEY OPENED A SECOND STORE IN
DENVER.
EVENTUALLY, THE STORE CLOSED
DOWN AND MORE RECENTLY SHE WAS
WORKING AT A DIFFERENT STORE ON
THE MALL IN BOULDER.
SAME THING.
I WENTDE IN THERE, HADN’T SEEN H
IN YEARS AND SHE IMMEDIATELY,
JUDY, HOW ARE YOU?
WOULD TEXT ME OR CALL ME WHEN
THEY HAD STUFF IN THE STORE THAT
SHE THOUGHT I MIGHT LIKE.
SHE WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
WHO REALLY HAD A LOT OF HEART
AND WAS GENUINE IN THE WAY SHE
TALKED TO YOU AND HOW SHE FELT
ABOUT PEOPLE.HE
>> SOUNDS LIKE SHE CARED ABOUT
PEOPLE.
SOUNDS LIKE SHE REALLY CARED
ABOUT PEOPLE.
AS YOU KNOW ON TUESDAY,
PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLED ON
CONGRESS TO PASS A BAN ON
ASSAULT WEAPONS AND CLOSE
BACKGROUND CHECK LOOPHOLES.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DONE
RATHER THAN ANOTHERTO MOMENT OF
SILENCE, AS YOU SAID ON THE
FLOOR?
>> YEAH.
I THINK WE FWHEEDNEED TO ACT ON
OF LEVELS.
I SUPPORT A FEDERAL ASSAULT
WEAPONS A BAN.
WE NEED TO GET THAT DONE AS FAST
AS WE CAN.
OF COURSE, WE SHOULD HAVE
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
WE NEED THAT NATIONALLY.
THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
THE THIRD THING THAT WE SHOULD
WORK ON THAT NOBODY IS TALKING
ABOUTOB IS WE SHOULD BE MAKING
SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO
MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
HERE IN COLORADO, WE ARE BEHIND
A LOT OF OTHER STATES IN ACCESS
TO CARE AND OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE
WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT’S NEAR AND
DEAR TO MY HEART.
I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO HAS
SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS.
I I KNOW HOW -- FIRSTHAND, HOW
HARD IT IS TO GET THE SERVICES
THAT HE NEEDS.
WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THAT
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE CAN DO
MORE THAN ONE THING, WE NEED
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, AN
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN AND WE NEED
BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CARE
SERVICES FOR PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
AREN’T ASHAMED TO GO AND GET THE
CARE THEY NEED.
>> YEAH.
TO DESTIGMATIZE MENTAL HEALTH.E
WE HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OVER
THE LAST FEW YEARS OF THAT IN
THIS COUNTRY.
TO YOUR POINT, JUDY, THERE ARE
REPORTS -- WE SHOULD POINT OUT
IT’S EARLY IN THE INVESTIGATION.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF
REPORTS THAT THIS 21-YEAR-OLD
SUSPECTED SHOOTER DID HAVE A
HISTORYVE OF MENTAL ILLNESS.
HOW DO YOU KEEP THE GUNS OUT OF
THE HANDS OF FOLKS WHO AREN’T
WELL MENTALLY?
THAT SEEMS TO BE, IN ADDITION TO
MENTALBE HEALTH AND IMPROVING
ACCESS, TO CARE, HOW DO YOU DO
THAT?
>> WELL, THAT’S HARD TO DO.
IT’S CERTAINLY NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
HERE IN COLORADO, WE HAVE A RED
FLAG GUN LAW.
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOUR PERSON IS
IN CRISIS, YOU CAN PETITION THE
COURT TO GET THEM ON A LIST OF
PEOPLE WHO CAN’T BUY A GUN.
I TESTIFIED IN FAVOR OF THAT LAW
IN 2019.
IT’S PART OF WHY I’M IN THE
LEGISLATURE TODAY, BECAUSE IT
WAS SO IMPACTFUL TO BE THERE AND
TO HEAR THE STORIES OF THE
PEOPLE WHO WANTED THAT LAW TO
PASS.
THAT’S A BEGINNING.
ALSO THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, BECAUSE
MAYBE YOUR PEOPLE DON’T KNOW
THAT YOU ARE P IN CRISIS.
WE REALLY HAVE TO BE -- WE HAVE
TO BE LOOKING AT MORE
REGULATIONS AROUND THAT.
BUT ALSO HONORING THE FACT THAT
MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE A MENTAL
ILLNESS ARE NOT VIOLENT.
YOU ARE WAY MORE LIKELY TO BE
THE VICTIM OF VIOLENCE IF YOU
HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS THAN THE
PERPETRATOR.
WETH DON’T WANT TO PUNISH PEOPLE
WHO GO AND GET SERVICES BY
SAYING, OKAY, NOW WE ARE GOING
TO STIGMATIZE YOU FURTHER.
WE ARE GOING TO DENY YOU OF YOUR
RIGHTS.
WE HAVE TO WALK A VERY TIGHT
LINE THERE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON
PREVENTION.
THAT WOULD MAKE A BIGGER
DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE IT ISN’T
JUST THESE MASS SHOOTINGS.
BUT IT IS ALSO SUICIDE AND OTHER
KINDS OF CRIMES OF PASSION THAT
PEOPLES CARRY OUT WITH GUNS.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A WAITING
PERIOD TO BUY A GUN.
THAT -- I DON’T KNOW IF THE
WAITING PERIOD WOULD HAVE BEEN
LONG ENOUGHPE FOR THIS PARTICULA
INDIVIDUAL.
THAT, I THINK, WOULD BE
MEANINGFUL IN STOPPING THESE
KINDS OF EVENTS AND PREVENTING