Colorado Democrats, making the nonsensical claim that the state’s economy is their number one priority going into the 2014 legislative session, will start the year $80 million in the hole.  That is the estimated annual hit to the Colorado economy caused by Friday’s announced departure of Magpul, a firearms accessory manufacturing company whose products were in the cross hairs of the Democrats’ signature gun control legislation of 2013.

Splitting operations between Texas and Wyoming, two states with neither an income tax nor a Democrat-driven hostile regulatory climate, Magpul is taking 200 jobs with them in the move.  Also impacted will be approximately 400 Colorado workers involved in the supply chain surrounding Magpul Industries’ manufacturing and distribution activities in Erie, CO.

With the move, Magpul fulfills its promise to leave the state if the Democrats’ unpopular gun control legislation was passed.  Without receiving a single Republican vote, the Democrats used their legislative majorities last year to ram through several gun control bills which were promptly signed by Governor Hickenlooper.

It did not seem to matter that a significant employer in the state was going to leave if these bills were passed, taking middle class manufacturing jobs with them.  It didn’t even matter that there were elements buried in these bills that rendered them almost unenforceable.  Unfortunately for a few members of the Democrat Senate Caucus, this ill-conceived infringement on Coloradans’ Second Amendment rights did matter to their constituents.

While it is easy for the Democrats to issue a press release or tweet about their passion for growing Colorado’s economy, time and time again they have actively sought out an anti-growth agenda that leaves our private sector workers uncertain, our best industries threatened, and our access to capital diminished.