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Colorado Gets Worse with SB 13-013

Things in Colorado are getting worse, and perhaps a bit strange as well. Enter Senate Bill 13-013, a bill “concerning peace officer authority for certain employees of the United States Secret Service.”

Bill Summary

The bill gives a special agent, uniform division officer, physical security technician, physical security specialist, or special officer of the United States secret service limited peace officer authority while working in Colorado.

Huh?

SB 13-013 gives members of the Secret Service peace officer authority while working within Colorado. This means they would have the same arrest powers as county Sheriffs, and as some as speculating, would even allow the Secret Service to arrest Sheriffs that do not enforce Colorado’s new gun control legislation.

What’s worse is that SB 13-013 has already passed the House and the Senate, and is headed to Governor Hickenlooper’s desk to be signed.

Digging a little deeper, if you read the powers, authorities, and duties of the United States Secret Service as outlined in United States code, it would seem that technically the Secret Service already has the authority outlined in SB 13-013 unless I’m missing something. So why pass a law giving the Secret Service authority it already has?

The obvious answer is that SB 13-013 is in direct response to County Sheriffs like John Cooke who are refusing to enforce Colorado’s new gun control laws. That may or may not be true, but the question I have is, why did Colorado legislators specify the Secret Service? And why the “specify special agents, uniformed division officers, physical security technicians, physical security specialists or other special officers of the United States Secret Service” language?

Whatever the reason, I don’t think we’ve heard the last on this front.

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30 Responses to Colorado Gets Worse with SB 13-013

  1. amistoso March 31, 2013 at 5:50 pm #

    It has come, SHTF! Getting closer to Martial Law!

  2. Hillbilly Bob March 31, 2013 at 5:52 pm #

    Damn shit is getting out of hand in Colorado, encircle the cities and starve the libs out haaa
    Take away their legal weed and maybe they will leave too, wait, I don’t want them moving to Ohio
    This country is starting to disgust me, well the FSA (Free Shit Army) is disgusting me

    • Jared (former CO resident) April 1, 2013 at 1:34 pm #

      The FSA…I like that Bob. and Amen my man.

  3. bee March 31, 2013 at 6:13 pm #

    WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE OF COLORADO LETTING THIS DIRTY SCUMBAG HICKENLOOPER DESTROY YOUR BEAUTIFUL STATE OF COLORADO. ITS TIME TO STAND UP AND FIGHT. (GET THE TAR AND FEATHERS READY)

    • howdy March 31, 2013 at 7:20 pm #

      This is what happens when democrats have the legislative and executive majority. I didn’t vote them in and now the transplants who left Kommifornia to get away from those problems are voting them in. This is what democrats do. No personal freedoms. 100% government intervention. Nothing but entitlements. Don’t let it happen to you.

    • spitsfire April 1, 2013 at 6:51 am #

      Bee you have no idea whats going on here, We have been fighting back, the problem is all these stupid fucks moving here from other states ( Cali) is what has screwed up our state up they have brought their west coast attitude here and have taken over…….

      • Coloradifornia Resident April 1, 2013 at 2:38 pm #

        @Spitsfire, Bee, etc. – Spitsfire is right, we put up a helluva fight against these things including record crowds showing up the capital, thousands and emails and phone calls to state reps, etc. But it didn’t matter because of the Dem majority.

        Those of you that aren’t in Colorado, wake up. Besides California transplant douche bags, one of the main problems is that conservatives were too lazy to get out and vote, thus Dems too over state house and senate AND governor and tyranny has ensued. Wake up! If it can happen in traditionally conservative Colorado, it can happen anywhere!

        Oh, and we need MORE, ACTIVE VOTING, like minded Texans and other constitutionally minded individuals to move to Colorado. Don’t just terrorize Durango hippies on your summer vacation, move your asses up here!

        • spitsfire April 1, 2013 at 7:11 pm #

          Two thumbs up…..

      • spitsfire April 1, 2013 at 7:14 pm #

        Oh yeah, I forgot the Southerners beyond the boarder too….

  4. braulio March 31, 2013 at 6:16 pm #

    We have to fight for our freedom.

  5. Jake March 31, 2013 at 6:21 pm #

    This is what happens when you vote Democrat.

  6. CptQ12292 March 31, 2013 at 6:28 pm #

    These liberal DEMOCRATS have lost their mind. I knew it for sure when I saw the video clip a few weeks ago where the speaker of the House or Senate had to asked the members to refrain from smoking weed in the chamber because he smelled the weed smoke. The good citizens and patriots need to march on these idiots and take back their state because the liberals are for sure trying their damned best to turn into a police state. COMMIE-RADO (Occupied Territory)

  7. fed up March 31, 2013 at 6:32 pm #

    DICKENLOOPY you are killing Colorado!

  8. Gregtoal March 31, 2013 at 6:41 pm #

    This is MIGHTY suspicious. If someone were to let their mind wander say, a teeny- weeny bit, it might be thought, together with the DHS’s odd and UN-explained purchases, that somebody is thinking CIVIL WAR. I don’t like the way the President is keeping his promise of “change”. I think that some honest, UN- bought Senator or Congressman ( person) should get some INVESTIGATION started with a capital “I”. I have never been more worried for our beloved Country in my entire life. NOTHING in the last fifty years has threatened our security more than these events unfolding now. We may indeed look back 20 years from now, and say “I remember when you could own a gun. I remember “Free Speach”, back before “The ________”. [insert whichever word best describes what happens] God Forbid we allow our Country to Fall.

    • Jim D March 31, 2013 at 7:19 pm #

      My thinking is that Colorado is being used as a testing ground to see how much resistance its citizens put up. Citizens of other states should be very vigilant that while the focus is on Colorado other states don’t try and slide similar bills through. Also the only “Change” I have seen is from being a Democracy to a Dictatorship.

      • Hillbilly Bob March 31, 2013 at 8:12 pm #

        I agree, every state in the union should be on their toes now, Bloomturd is sumping a LOT of money into the anti everything agenda

      • RON April 6, 2013 at 11:10 am #

        ” the only “Change” I have seen is from being a Democracy to a Dictatorship.”
        This should be a bumper sticker…

  9. Steve March 31, 2013 at 8:10 pm #

    Like California and New York they get the ass lowns they vote into office.

  10. Denise Hemmingway March 31, 2013 at 8:12 pm #

    We as United States Citizens outside of Colorado need to band together and refuse to spend our money within their state by refusing to buy from online businesses located within their boundaries, by refusing to ski their ski resorts in winter, by refusing to camp, hunt or fish in their state, by refusing to buy food grown in Colorado, and by taking our vacation dollars to other states.

    • Misato Katsuragi April 30, 2013 at 11:22 am #

      But then are you punishing congress or are you punishing the people of Colorado?

      • Hillbilly Bob April 30, 2013 at 11:50 am #

        Does it matter? elections have consequences and these people voted congress in
        I agree with Denise and my group has diverted the Elk hunting plans to New Mexico
        Adios Colorado, vote with your wallets people

    • Cliff Hunter April 30, 2013 at 11:59 am #

      As a Colorado native and citizen, I hate to see people not do business with my home state, but the reality is money talks. If you want to get a politican’s attention, do something that will cost them or their constituents money and then get them phone calls and possibly cost them the election. Enjoy your hunt Hillybilly Bob and hopefully you’ll return back to Colorado on the future.

  11. Cliff Hunter March 31, 2013 at 10:19 pm #

    Actually, under Colorado Law, no Federal Agents (DHS-I, USSS, DEA, BATFE or USMS are considered “Law Enforcement Officers” (LEO). They can apply for arrest warrants, but so can any citizen, that’s why they utilize Task Forces with local law enforcement. The USSS are on those task forces but when on VIP Protection, such as presidential protection, etc, or conducting an investigation where a threat is made to a protected party, they either have to take a local LEO with them or they can apprehend and can only hold the party (much like a citizen’s arrest) who makes a threat or attempts physical action, but the actual arrest must be made by a local LEO.

    They are then booked into a local facility on a federal hold, but still not in “federal custody” until an arrest warrant is signed. The USSS has asked for arrest authority in the past, under both Bushs’, Clinton and probably as far back as Reagan, so they can make an arrest if a local LEO is not immediately available. It also allows them to take them directly to a federal holding facility so a suspect is not being transferred 2-3 times, and they don’t have to pay the local facility to hold the suspect until the warrant is signed, as well as paying for the prisoner transport.

    Is this nefarious? I don’t think so. I would also say I keep hearing about “the evil government”, but people seem to forget the government is made up of people, and most of the feds I know I pretty disgusted with the system, as are the local cops and Sheriffs….take it for what it’s worth…

    • ColoradoConservative April 1, 2013 at 5:37 pm #

      Read the bill, Cliff. It does give them direct arrest authority, with the caveat they must turn them over to local peace officers.

      • Cliff April 1, 2013 at 7:08 pm #

        ColoradoConservative, the bill WILL give them direct arrest authority, which they do NOT have now.

  12. dgdimick April 1, 2013 at 10:28 am #

    Oath Keepers – oathkeepers.org

  13. Concerned Parents April 1, 2013 at 3:49 pm #

    the sheriff has every intention of enforcing the gun law, he is simply holding it hostage for increased funding. Note the comment” I simply don’t have the manpower…”. and because this is a charged issue, what better way to bring out his demands for $$$$

  14. Gadfly April 1, 2013 at 4:25 pm #

    It is already the law in Texas and in most other states for feds to have limited local police power. Federal Agents are not exactly “peace officers” but can act as such for state felonies committed within their presence. Example, an FBI agent has no authority over car theft, but if he witnesses a car jacking in progress, he has state authority to intervene as it is a felony in progress. Without this authority, if a US Marshal walks in on a Burger King getting robbed and arrests the crook, it could be thrown out as the Marshal has no jurisdiction over local crimes.

    The bill at question in the article probably stems from some incident where Secret Service was in Colorado on the campaign trail and intervened in something not related to protecting his assigned person. After legal wranglings they may have had to dismiss the case. So now the legislature is allowing them to act. A presidential candidate like Romney may travel with up to 50 Secret Service personnel. Now, if those Agents walk in on a bank robbery or gas station hold up, they have the legal backing to act.

    This has been law for decades in Texas. Nothing sinister here. But of course it has to get spun that they are only doing this to push gun control through…

    See attached Texas Penal Code section granting local arrest powers to Federal Agents.
    http://law.onecle.com/texas/criminal-procedure/2.122.00.html

    • Shelly H. April 9, 2013 at 10:12 pm #

      Here is the key to what Texas has as a law. “(a) The following named
      criminal investigators of the United States shall not be deemed
      peace officers, but shall have the powers of arrest, search and
      seizure as to felony offenses only under the laws of the State of
      Texas:
      The statement “SHALL NOT BE DEEMED PEACE OFFICERS” prevents the federal agencies from superseding the local sheriff’s. That is what is wrong with the Colorado bill: “The bill gives a special agent, uniform division officer, physical
      security technician, physical security specialist, or special officer of the
      United States secret service limited peace officer authority while working
      in Colorado.”
      LIMITED PEACE OFFICER AUTHORITY is the key phrase that has to be taken out of the Colorado bill.

      • Walter C. April 30, 2013 at 11:29 am #

        I am glad you pointed that out to Gadfly. He seemed to miss that part of the bill. =D