Citizen CENTENNIAL 2.21.13
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 14
February 22, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
House passes gun bills Without getting a single vote from Republicans, measures move to Senate By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
Officials, Amendment 64 author weigh in on pot
Four major pieces of a Democraticsponsored gun control package passed the state House of Representatives on Feb. 18, following furious legislative action from the week before that included hours-long committee hearings and a passionate floor debate that went deep into the night. Bills that seek to limit high-capacity ammunition magazines, ban concealed weapons from being brought to college campuses, as well as two others dealing with gun background checks, now move on to the Senate. Not a single Republican supported any of the bills. Meanwhile, Democrats did not vote in unanimity, with at least one — and, in one case four — Democrats voting against each one of the bills. About five Report hours was spent debating the bills on Feb. 18. But that was nothing compared to the marathon-like House session from three days prior, where members spent about 12 hours debating gun measures on the House floor, before members voted for preliminary passage of the bills. Republicans charged over those two days of floor debate that Democratic guncontrol efforts infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens, and that criminals, and not guns, are responsible for acts of firearms-related violence. “This is about Second Amendment rights, constitutional rights and the civil rights of Coloradans and Americans,” said Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson. “Changing the law will never change the heart of man.” But Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, whose son was killed in 2005 before he was scheduled to testify in a murder trial, rejected that anyone’s rights are being taken away. “When people say that the gun lobby is too strong, or that (these legislative efforts) infringe on Second Amendment rights, then I would say, `Not so,’” Fields said. “Because it’s time we do something.”
By Deborah Grigsby
How many rounds is enough?
Student pilot Chase Sperry, shown next to a twin-engine plane at Centennial Airport, hopes rising fuel costs and changing regulations won’t force him to choose between the cockpit and a steady paycheck. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Young pilots slow to take off Expense, uncertainty drag numbers down By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com Centennial student pilot Chase Sperry has a lifelong dream of flying corporate jets. Although the 24-year-old college junior has already invested thousands of dollars into pursuing an aviation degree, current industry trends for pilots have found him thinking about re-routing his career. While many local flight schools declined to share actual student numbers, a recent study conducted by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association found that up to 80 percent of student pilots drop out of training without earning a certificate. According to AOPA, there’s been a steady drop in the number of pilots in the United States. In 1980, there were approximately 827,000 active, certified pilots, and by 2011,
that number had dipped to 617,000. “It’s really discouraging out there, and it’s not getting any cheaper to do this,” said Sperry, who is pursuing a professional pilot degree from Metropolitan State University in Denver. If just the cost of going to college wasn’t enough, Sperry says tack on approximately $140 per hour for a single-engine flight instructor, plane and fuel. Some speculate rising fuel costs, liability and even more rigid medical qualifications are clipping industry growth and fueling the graying of aviation in general. AOPA conducted a national survey of 800 pilots in 2012 and found approximately 80 percent of the responding survey population was between the ages of 40 and 74. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed were male. Although Sperry is determined to fulfill his dream, he admits he’s uncertain about how he’ll get there. “A lot of students I know in the profes-
sional pilot program have changed their majors simply because the expense and commitment are prohibitive,” he said. “I’ve even thought about double-majoring in aviation management, myself, just to have a quick backup plan.” Sperry points to new federal mandates that require all newly hired commercial pilots to have at least 1,500 hours of prior flight experience, more than six times what was required in 2012. “This is just going to make it more difficult and expensive,” he said. “It’s really just so unpredictable, I can’t even imagine what it’s gonna look like when I get there — if I get there.” Industry trade magazines predict an upcoming shortage of qualified commercial pilots as new regulations take effect and large numbers of pilots retire due to age limitations and health problems. “I can only hope I can stay with it until then,” Sperry said. “But good pilots always have a plan B.”
City in no hurry on marijuana issue dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon says her city is not really interested in being a “test case” when it comes to the commercialization of recreational marijuana. Flanked by House Assistant Majority Leader Dan Pabon and Amendment 64 author Christian Sederberg, Noon joined State Rep. Spencer Swalm and a handful of citizens on Feb. 16 at Smoky Hill Library for a hard-core look at the controversial issue. “While the city can’t regulate what people do in the privacy of their homes, what we do have to deal with is how we want to handle the associated retail shops, clubs and grow facilities,” she said. Noon, along with city council, recently mulled over a proposed year-long moratorium on commercial marijuana operations that would permit the city to take a “waitand-see” approach until the state finalizes its regulatory model, due July 1. The incremental approach, according to Noon, is intended to ensure the city stays
Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon, center, answers questions during a town hall meeting Feb. 16 at Smoky Hill Library. About 30 residents came to discuss how the city plans to address the commercialization of recreational marijuana. With Noon are State Rep. Dan Pabon, left, and Amendment 64 author Christian Sederberg. Photo by Deborah Grigsby in step with the state and is fiscally responsible. “It costs money to regulate all this,” she said, “And we won’t really know how much until the state finalizes its regulations, but
we want to get it right. I’d much rather have our city attorney in his office and not in court.” Sederberg, a member of the state’s Marijuana continues on Page 10
Capitol
Fields sponsored two of the bills, including one that would limit to 15 the number of rounds a large-capacity ammunition magazine could hold. That bill passed on a 34-31 vote, with Democratic Reps. Leroy Garcia of Pueblo, Steve Lebsock of Thornton and Ed Vigil of Fort Garland voting no. During the Feb. 15 House floor debate, Fields rattled off the names of shooting victims from December’s Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut, and last year’s Aurora theater shooting. In both mass shootings, the killers used highcapacity magazines. “High-capacity magazines have one purpose,” said Fields. “That purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy.” Guns continues on Page 11
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