By Amanda Hardin | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
Last week, Rocky Mountain Voice partnered with the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) to host two critical Second Amendment Legislative Roundups—first in Lakewood, then in Fort Morgan. These events weren’t just a chance to hand out bumper stickers and shake hands; they were about mobilization. Colorado’s gun owners are facing unprecedented legislative attacks, and what we saw in those rooms was the beginning of a serious response.
The first event took place on June 10 at Bristlecone Shooting, Training & Retail Center in Lakewood. Over 45 citizens gathered to review the flurry of anti-gun bills that crossed the governor’s desk this year, including the newly signed Senate Bill 25-003. Attendees walked away not only with NRA-ILA resources and access to Rocky Mountain Voice, but with a clearer understanding of what’s at stake and what it will take to push back.
SB25-003, which mandates a state-issued permit and a 12-hour training course to purchase semi-automatic firearms with detachable magazines, was a major focus of the discussion. This bill doesn’t take effect until August 2026, which gives freedom-minded Coloradans time to organize. But make no mistake—this legislation, and others like it, passed almost entirely along party lines.
The messaging coming out of Lakewood was clear: public comment is not enough. We need political will, legal challenges, and above all, voter turnout.
That message echoed even louder the following evening in Fort Morgan.
On June 11, the Rocky Mountain Voice office in Morgan County became a gathering place for local leaders, voters, and elected officials who have taken up the fight for our constitutional rights. Morgan County Sheriff Dave Martin, Representative Dusty Johnson (HD63), Representative Ryan Gonzalez (HD15), and Senator Scott Bright (SD13) joined the conversation. Their presence made one thing obvious: rural Colorado is wide awake. People out here are wide awake—we see what’s happening, and we’re not about to sit quietly.
Senator Bright said it best:
“I truly believe gun laws are decided by the voters on the first Tuesday of November every year. Take 5 minutes and look at the voting records of the gun bills this last session—every one of them is party line. We can talk about personal freedoms and common sense until we are blue in the face, but it doesn’t change the vote on the floor when it counts. Gatherings like this allow us space to connect with this reality.”
Bright added, “Everyone here knows someone they care about that didn’t vote and lives in a district with a tight election. It’s no longer time for freedom-loving Americans to sit it out. We need people to show up and vote. It’s incumbent on all of us to connect with our friends and make sure they are showing up. Quite honestly, this is what the other side is doing and they are beating us by the slimmest margins. We can do this. There is a path. The Colorado Senate can be won and we can kill all these bad policies right there. We just need freedom-loving Coloradans to show up and vote for freedom, like their lives depend on it.”
He nailed it. You can’t go a week without hearing someone say it’s all rigged or that voting won’t change anything. But that mindset is costing us. What we saw in Fort Morgan was something else entirely—people who want to understand what’s happening and get involved in the fight. They want to understand what these bills really do, and they want to move beyond social media noise to something real.
These roundups aren’t just a one-time push. They’re the beginning of something larger—real connections across Colorado between gun owners, law enforcement, instructors, hunters, and families who know freedom means stepping up when it counts.
Vote. Speak up. Back a lawsuit if you can. Just don’t sit this out. SB25-003 hasn’t kicked in yet—and that window won’t stay open forever. That means there’s still time to push back and shift the momentum in Colorado.
But it will take more events like these. It’s going to take more folks raising their hands, showing their faces, and making their voices heard. The opposition is counting on silence. Let’s give them something else entirely.
If you’d like to host a Second Amendment Legislative roundup in your area, reach out to me at [email protected] to schedule an event July – September.
Amanda Hardin is a fierce Second Amendment advocate, nationally certified firearms instructor, and former competitor on History Channel’s “Top Shot.” As the founder of Lipstick Tactical, she leads a movement built on self-reliance, skill, and unapologetic empowerment. Through her work as a podcast host, solo cross country Harley rider and sponsored influencer, Hardin delivers sharp commentary and practical training with a mission to educate, equip, and inspire. Whether she’s on the range or on the road, she stands firmly for freedom, personal safety, and the right to be dangerous in defense of what’s right.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.