A former state lawmaker on Friday delivered a declaration signed by thousands of Coloradans calling on Gov. Jared Polis to re-open the state after more than a month of increased restrictions on gatherings and activity to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Based on initial reports, we complied with your stay-at-home order to ‘flatten the curve.’ But now, we understand who is truly at risk and how to safely interact in public together,” reads a declaration organized by the Colorado Freedom Force political committee and the ReOPEN COLORADO Facebook group, with the assistance of other conservative groups.

“We have won the battle of flattening the curve, and We the People demand freedom immediately to maintain our social, economic, and spiritual strength for the long haul. The people of Colorado are smart, capable, and committed to protecting each other. It’s time you started trusting them!”

Former state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, handed a binder containing the declaration and the names of nearly 5,000 people who signed it to a State Patrol officer outside the Colorado Capitol. The group had earlier attempted to deliver the document to Polis at the nearby governor’s residence but was told he wasn’t there.

Polis announced earlier this week that Colorado would start transitioning on April 27 away from the statewide stay-at-home order that took effect March 26, shuttering most businesses and requiring residents to avoid unnecessary travel outside their homes.

The “Safer at Home” regimen maintains most elements of the current restrictions but immediately relaxes prohibitions on some business activity and sets guidelines for counties to tailor rules particular to local situations.

That isn’t good enough for the supporters of the declaration, who say they want the governor to let residents and businesses decide for themselves what precautions to take.

“Here are 4,911 citizens who have stepped up to say the time has come to let the people of this great state fully embrace their inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” read a letter attached to the declaration Lundberg delivered Friday. “Let us get back to work. Let us get back to living our lives as we see best for our individual situations.”

Colorado Freedom Force, one of the groups spearheading the declaration, began as a political committee dedicated to recalling Polis from office but rebranded itself last fall after failing to collect enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot.

Lundberg told Colorado Politics that he understands the importance of social distancing – maintaining a distance of at least six feet between people, as well as wearing face masks and gloves to help prevent infecting others – but believes it’s time to focus efforts on protecting vulnerable populations rather than shutting down the whole state.

“The main point we’re trying to make to the governor is that we should be very careful and cautious, but that the governor shouldn’t be running this like a dictator,” Lundberg said.

“Nobody’s denying there shouldn’t be some real care exercised here, but it needs to be in the context of a free society, not one that’s locked down forever. I believe that this needs to be much more measured and restricted. It should be the very least possible interruption of the rights of the citizens, rather than what I interpret as more of a wholesale takeover of authority and power.”

He added that Polis, to his credit, hasn’t clamped down as excessively as governors in some states that have been hit harder by the pandemic, such as Michigan and New York.

“But the time has come for the governor to relinquish these extraordinary powers and return them to where they belong, which is the hands of ordinary citizens, so they can determine what the best course is for their lives.”

A spokeswoman for Polis didn’t respond to a request for comment, but the governor issued a statement on Friday about the path forward.

“The Safer-at-Home phase is not a return to normal,” Polis said. “This is merely transitioning to a more sustainable level of social distancing that we are going to have to maintain for the long haul – likely months. We need to wear facial masks when in public and observe the safety guidelines at local businesses. This is difficult for everyone, but we are in this together and we will get through it together. The next few weeks are even more important than the last few.”

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