When Democrat Gov. John Hickenlooper signed expanded background checks and a "high capacity" magazine ban into law on March 20, the lesson for other states was that this is what you get if you give Democrats the reins of power.

Colorado is a gun state, always has been. But Under Hickenlooper and the Democrat-controlled state legislature, Colorado's immediate future is one of ever expanding gun control. 

How pro-gun was Colorado before Democrats rolled into town? Think about it this way--in Colorado there are no special permits required to buy a handgun, a shotgun, or a rifle. They have concealed carry laws within their state which even recognize the right to carry firearms on college and university campuses for self-defense.

Moreover, Colorado used to have open carry within the state--which means anyone over 21, with no felonies, used to be able to strap their revolver or pistol on their hip and go about their day with their firearm in plain view. I lived in Colorado in the 1990's, and not only remember carrying a gun in this manner but also seeing many others carry one as well.

However, by the late 1990's, the Democrats' influence was beginning to take hold, and people were being discouraged from carrying guns thus. Now, the laws regarding open carry are best described as "vague," and I would not risk carrying in the open if I were in the state. 

Add to this Gov. Hickenlooper's ban on "high capacity" magazines and the ban on private gun sales, which is part and parcel to the expanded background checks, and it's easy to see how far Colorado gun laws have fallen. 

Here's the lesson for other states: Democrats cannot be trusted with your guns--period. And given time and power, they will turn any gun state into a gun control state.