Colorado Senate gives initial OK to gun restriction bill, with exemption added

Yahoo

14-02-2025

Sen. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat, listens to witness testimony during a Colorado Senate committee hearing on his bill that would ban firearms with detachable magazines on Jan. 28, 2025. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline)
The Colorado Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that would ban the sale of many semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines, though the chamber also approved a series of amendments that substantially altered the scope of the bill.
The amended Senate Bill 25-3 would now allow people who have completed a safety and training course to acquire otherwise banned guns. That carve-out is expected to appease Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, who has historically been wary of sweeping firearm restrictions.
The chamber passed the bill on second reading after midnight on Friday after nearly 10 hours of debate.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
As introduced, the bill would have outlawed the sale, purchase and transfer of guns that accept detachable magazines in an effort to enforce Colorado's existing ban on large-capacity magazines, defined as magazines with over 15 rounds of ammunition. While not an outright ban on so-called assault weapons, the bill would have stopped the sale of the most common semiautomatic rifles and handguns. Opponents argued that it would decimate the firearm industry in Colorado.
'We spent quite a bit of time these last several weeks trying to get it to a space where we could be inclusive to everyone who was having concerns,' bill sponsor Sen. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat, said. That includes hunters, sportsmen and Polis.
Throughout the debate, Sullivan held a photo of the 100-round magazine that a gunmen used during a 2012 mass shooting in Aurora to kill 12 people, including Sullivan's son Alex.
'What we're trying to do is save lives,' Sullivan said. 'We are all hoping that those 550 million firearms that are out there are in the hands of law abiding, responsible gun owners and we don't have to worry about them taking any action in our communities. What we are worried about is the new (owners) who all of sudden just walk down the street, and … after we pass this, and starting in September, the only assault style weapons they can get are going to have attached magazines to it.'
The new carve-out approved on Friday, however, creates a pathway for Coloradans to obtain the type of guns targeted in the bill. First, a purchaser would need to be vetted by their county sheriff in a process that would be similar to that required when a person seeks a concealed carry permit. Then, if they already completed a hunter safety course from Colorado Parks and Wildlife — which people must do to get a hunting license in the state — they would need to take an additional four-hour basic firearm safety course. If a person did not already have their hunter safety certification, they would need to complete an extended course of 12 hours of in-person training over two days.
The course would need to include safe handling and storage, child safety, information about gun deaths associated with mental illness and Colorado's red flag law. A person would then need to score at least a 90% on an exam after the course in order to qualify for the exemption.
That exemption would be valid for five years, and a person would need to take a refresher course at that point if they wanted to buy additional firearms with detachable magazines.
'I want to acknowledge the extent to which we've heard concerns … from our governor and from Coloradans. We've worked to address them,' bill sponsor Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, said before explaining the amendment.
Republicans remained opposed to the bill and carve-out amendment. Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, said the policy would transform the right to own a gun as outlined in the Constitution into a privilege.
'Sure, it's a small thing to get a little bit of education to get a firearm, but it's a big thing to turn your back on your rights as a citizen,' he said.
Ten states require purchasers to have safety training before buying certain firearms, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Washington, for example, has required training to purchase any semiautomatic rifle since July 2019.
Republicans also argued that the amendment changed the bill too much and it should be sent back to committee for consideration. The bill passed the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee in January on a 3-2 vote, with the two Republican members voting against it. Throughout the debate, they offered amendments to exempt certain demographics from the bill, such as domestic violence survivors and veterans. Those amendments all failed.
Another successful amendment on the bill exempts about 40 of the most common semiautomatic rifles used for hunting and some relic firearms.
The bill is set for a final recorded vote early next week, when it needs 18 votes to get through. There are 23 Democrats in the chamber. If it passes, it will then move to the House for consideration. Democrats have strong majorities in both chambers.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE