As Lucas Brady Woods reports for the Capitol News Alliance, the last big debate over this year’s landmark gun safety bill, Senate Bill 25-003 requiring a training course to purchase certain semiautomatic firearms including the AR-15, is playing out all day today in the Colorado House–where the Republican minority has no power to stop the bill from passing, but has promised to make today’s debate as excruciating as possible:
The measure is ultimately expected to get widespread support from the Democratic majority, but will likely also face a long filibuster from Republicans, who argue the measure is outright unconstitutional. The measure, Senate Bill 25-003, would make it illegal in Colorado to buy, sell and make most guns that use detachable magazines, including numerous rifles, shotguns, pistols and some handguns.
Supporters say it’s necessary to limit the damage caused during mass shootings by strengthening the state’s decade-old ban on magazines with more than fifteen rounds…
Originally an outright ban on a variety of semiautomatic weapons meeting specific criteria, the significantly amended legislation up today in the House will instead allow residents to buy those weapons after completing a training course specific to the operation of human killing machines, including information on the state’s extreme-risk protection order law to temporarily relieve persons who pose a danger to themselves and other of firearms through due process.
With the changes in place, Polis indicated he will sign the bill into law if it makes it to his desk, which is likely.
“We want to make sure there’s a workable and reasonable path forward for Coloradans who want to purchase weapons with attachable magazines for sports shooting, for hunting,” Polis said. “We can protect our Second Amendment rights here in Colorado and improve the education and gun safety knowledge of gun owners.” [Popls emphasis]
Although the House GOP’s 22-seat minority has vowed to put up a late-night fight against the bill, the only real chance they had to stop it was in the more closely divided Senate, where the big amendment creating a path to ownership for these weapons with training made the difference.
As a result, the state of Colorado will soon have one of the strongest laws regulating the sale of the weapon of choice for mass shooters in the nation, while still allowing their purchase after a round of common-sense training specific to the particularly dangerous weapons we’re talking about. This compromise will reduce easy access to these weapons while still letting those determined to own one for home defense or anti-tyrannical purposes do so sensibly. Some of the gun rights advocates opposing the bill today could be crying all the way to the bank next year by teaching these courses instead of complaining about them.
The “Guns For Everyone” extremists won’t like it, but for regular people this bill just makes sense.
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considering how many Veterans we have in this state, this is going to create a freakin' BOOM in small businesses devoted to training these freaky Gundamentalists in actual firearm safety and proper weapons handling.
We've been making this point ever since the bill was amended to add the training requirement. This is potentially a gold mine for qualified firearms instructors.
Negev and WhiskeyLimaJuliet should be happy with this bill, then.
Final test: Field strip the weapon wearing a blindfold, put it back together fire 100 and tear down clean and reassemble. Sounds reasonable to me. That would be good civilian level.
So you're celebrating the redirection of funds from the Outdoor Recreation Fund that is suppose to maintain our state parks to a frankenstien bill that is going to do nothing to decrease violence in the state. Not sure what to say on that. Guess you deserve a pat on the back.
Suggest that you read the bill's fiscal note in its entirety. Any redirected cash funds must eventually be replaced, as I read it.
Wow, typical response, no number no data, just read the bill! Believe me I have read and dissected this bill. The final fiscal note is a joke and is not based in reality. Based on the numbers given 50,000 taking the class, and 3 FTEs to process everything (let me note that those 3 FTEs include building and setting up the system in the first year). Using simple math, that means 1 person is going to have to process 66 people per day to meet those numbers (using 251 working days in the year). And I don't think that 50,000 is even a true number, CBI handled 361,974 background checks in 2023 and 338,863 in 2024. CPW is allowed to transfer money for the next 5 years out of the Outdoor recreation fund to a new fund, and then transfer money back. By the end of the 5 year they are suppose to transfer the same amount back. But looking at the numbers I see no way that is going to be possible. Just because the bill says it, doesn't make it true. And by statute CRS 33-10-111, the Outdoor fund does not have gun control listed in it's uses.
Not my problem if you don't like the fiscal note. But feel free to testify against the bill if public comment is still being taken. Otherwise, one could expect Rocky Montain Gun Owners to file a lawsuit if the bill passes and the Governor signs it. You can contribute to RMGO's legal fees.
Like I said you’re celebrating them draining money from the Outdoor Park fund. There is going to be negative cash flow in that fund and that is going to cause our parks to suffer.
And FYI I’m on record testifying a number of times, but based on comments from the general assembly anyone against this bill is trash and they don’t care.
Not celebrating anything here, dude. That's just you trying to project. Have a nice day.