Washington ( CNN ) -- The national battle over guns is headed to the states in a major way . Already groups supporting more gun restrictions have been active at the local level . And now for the first time in almost two decades , the National Rifle Association is attempting to coordinate the recall of a top state legislator over his role in the passage of new gun restrictions , CNN has learned . The focus of the NRA campaign is Colorado State Senate President John Morse . He is facing a petition drive to initiate an election to recall him because of legislation passed this year in Colorado requiring universal background checks on sales of all firearms in the state , as well as a ban on the sale of ammunition magazines greater than 15 rounds . Morse told CNN he knew that local gun groups were going after him , but did not know at the beginning the NRA was involved . `` It was a grassroots effort for a little while , but when that did n't take at all , it was clear they were getting money from outside . And I was n't the least bit surprised the NRA was behind it , '' Morse said . In a mailer obtained by CNN , the NRA Political Victory fund wrote to a `` Second Amendment Supporter '' in Colorado that `` your NRA is coordinating a recall effort with the Basic Freedom Defense Fund to put Senator Morse on the ballot for a special election and vote him out of office . '' The NRA wrote that Morse `` led the charge to pass extreme and onerous anti-gun state legislation in Denver , '' adding that `` responsible gun owners and sportsmen will be forever burdened by his misguided leadership in the Colorado Senate . '' Morse said it was important to remember that Colorado was `` ground zero '' for two of the nation 's worst mass shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton in 1999 and last July 's massacre at a movie theater in Aurora . `` We addressed [ tighter gun regulations ] this session , but this is what we get for that response , '' said Morse . The NRA mailing suggests members sign a petition for a recall election . The drive has a June 3 deadline and 7,178 signatures are needed to mandate a recall ballot . With gun control efforts stalled in Washington following the failure of a proposal in the Senate to expand background checks , the move in Colorado suggests that the fight is now turning to the states . Some political observers suggest that these local battles over gun laws could end up gaining the type of attention , fundraising and ferocity that marked the failed 2012 recall election of GOP Wisconsin Gov . Scott Walker . Such scenarios could pit national groups like the NRA against advocates like Mayors Against Illegal Guns led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg just as corporate interests , such as the Koch brothers , squared off in Wisconsin against national labor unions . Christy Le Lait , the campaign manager for Morse , tells CNN that the `` NRA is investing in these recall races to send a message to every other local official to not pass any other gun safety measures or else the NRA will come after you as well . '' The NRA would not comment publicly , deferring to local Colorado gun activists involved in the petition drive . The NRA was involved in fending off the recall of Walker , though that was not a fight about gun laws . It also was involved in the successful recall of California Gov . Gray Davis , though that too was not a fight about guns . In 1994 , the NRA led an effort to recall Democratic California state Sen. David Roberti , who had pushed a law to ban some types of semiautomatic assault rifles in that state , though that effort was unsuccessful .
FIRST ON ##CE : NRA state focus follows Senate approval of tougher gun control proposal . Groups demanding more gun are active on local level . Colorado Senate president faces petition drive . NEW : Legislator is struggling to understand that Colorado was ` ` ground zero '' for two decades .