In Phil Weiser’s first term as Colorado’s attorney general, he has been involved with suing major pharmaceutical companies for their roles in the nation’s opioid crisis, brought a lawsuit against e-cigarette maker JUUL with accusations of marketing to children and won a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the ability to remove presidential electors who vote against their state’s winner.

In his second term, Weiser plans to continue advocating to funnel more resources toward Colorado’s fentanyl crisis, enforce the state’s multi-state water compacts and defend gun control legislation.

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Weiser took the oath of office for his second term from 10th Circuit Senior Judge David Ebel on Thursday in the Colorado Supreme Court. The courtroom was a who’s who of Colorado politics in the past few decades, filled with prominent figures including Gov. Jared Polis, U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, Mayor Michael Hancock and former Gov. Bill Ritter in attendance.

“Colorado can be a model of countering a culture of contempt for others, and instead cultivating a culture of loving kindness,” Weiser said, referencing Polis’ inauguration speech. “When I was here four years ago, I spoke of rising cynicism in our institutions, and the need for more empathy and less judgment. I talked about the enduring importance of protecting the rule of law and our basic institutions.”

The ceremony also had remarks from people close to Weiser during his career, including Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica Márquez and 18th Judicial District Court Judge Don Toussaint. Toussaint praised Weiser for taking time to speak to marginalized communities – not as part of the campaign trail – about the attorney general’s role in tackling issues facing Colorado.

“I’m learning a lot from you. I’m learning a lot about being a leader, having the pulse of the community, being seen and letting them know that you see them,” Toussaint said.

Weiser told reporters some of his priorities for his next term include expanding education and treatment to tackle Colorado’s opioid crisis, defending the state’s gun control laws (Colorado currently faces a federal lawsuit challenging the high-capacity magazine ban in effect since 2013) and enforcing Colorado’s water compacts through “negotiation and litigation” as necessary.

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“We need to be prepared for either way. We are not going to be afraid to litigate to protect our rights. And as we can find collaborative solutions, we work hard to do that.”

Weiser also supports making all auto thefts felonies – under Colorado law currently, stealing a car worth $2,000 or less is a misdemeanor.

He spoke about making sure the state’s law for extreme risk protection orders works effectively, allowing law enforcement or family members to file a petition to stop someone from possessing guns if they pose an imminent threat to others or themselves. Weiser stopped short of saying he would support the attorney general’s office having the ability to file petitions, noting that it doesn’t have the closeness to individual communities that local law enforcement agencies do.

“Our jobs can be as a trainer to help them get the knowledge and the ability to use this law effectively.”

He added the attorney general’s office has a role in advising the legislature on how to pass laws that will stand up to constitutional challenges.

Weiser also chairs the state’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, which records deaths that occur in the context of domestic violence each year and can include victims killed by abusers, perpetrators who die by suicide and “collateral” victims, such as children killed by abusers to get revenge against a partner. He said he supports creating a mechanism for law enforcement to report domestic violence fatalities directly to the attorney general’s office so the review board doesn’t have to take a piecemeal approach to collect information. The office has a grant to create a lethality assessment tool for law enforcement agencies, Weiser added.

“We want to see more local review boards, asking the same question at the local level that we’re asking at the state level: What could we have done differently that might have led to saving lives?”

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