Latest news with #SB-3
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘It should not be up to the government': Tyler smoke shop urges people to veto THC ban bill
TYLER, Texas (KETK)– The ban on THC in Texas has local businesses and East Texans concerned. Senate Bill 3 will ban all THC products and now waits for Abbott's signature. Co-owner of Dragon's Breath in North Tyler said a full THC ban will do more harm than good. 'We were disgusted' Civil Rights activists call for Tyler Police resignations When the House and Senate passed the bill, co-owner, Lauren Gilmore made all THC products 25 percent off and she believes SB-3 becoming law would be harmful to Texans. 'Honestly, just putting people's lives at risk and making ordinarily law-abiding citizens into criminals,' Dragon's Breath co-owner, Lauren Gilmore said. The bill was spearheaded by Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick. AG Commissioner, Sid Miller, has supported the bill and said taking away THC will protect kids. 'You have seventh grader to walk in a convenience store buy a bag of gummies. You know Delta-9 gummies which is full strength marijuana and take those back to junior high and pass them around. That wasn't illegal. We never intended for that to happen,' AG Commissioner Sid Miller said. 'The GOP is split on it. There's a lot of them would like to keep it the status as is, or at least legalize some form of legal use of THC outside of medicinal use. There's a portion of the Republican Party that is dead set against it. He's kind of between a rock and a hard place.' 'I think people should be able to be trusted with what they're putting into their body. It's all up to them. It should not be up to the government. This should not be a nanny state,' Gilmore said. Dragon's Breath strictly follows the 21 or older law when selling in Gilmore's store. THC sales is 30% of their business at Dragon's Breath. Nearly 6000 shops around the state will be affected by the bill. 'It's unfortunate that they're going to be affected negatively economically, but that was a risk they took and they knew that going in doesn't make it any better,' Miller said. If SB-3 becomes law, Gilmore is worried for the wellbeing of her customers. 'Some people are using it, you know, just for aches and pains from joint muscles, arthritis, lots of anxiety and depression,' Gilmore said. She believes people will find cannabis on the streets and their lives may be in danger. 'I had a friend who actually OD'd from laced fentanyl cannabis on the streets, which is to me is way more dangerous getting it on the street than inside a shop where all of these products have been tested by a lab,' Gilmore said. Dragon's Breath will remain open and Gilmore will try to keep all of her staff. If signed by Abbott, the law will take effect in September and stores in Texas will have until January to be in full compliance with the law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticizes media in push for THC ban
The Brief Lt. Governor Dan Patrick tongue lashes Texas media, claiming they failed to report the danger of THC products. Lt. Gov. Patrick claims the THC industry is mounting a pressure campaign to the reverse the ban. Senate Bill 4, banning most over-the-counter THC products, heads to Gov. Abbottt's desk following legislative approval. TEXAS - Lt. Governor Dan Patrick delivered a public tongue-lashing to the Texas media which he claims has failed to adequately report the hazards associated with potent synthetic marijuana products. The criticism comes after passage of Senate Bill 3 which, if signed by Governor Greg Abbott, will ban most THC products on September 1. RELATED: SB3 sent to Gov. Abbott for approval What they're saying Critics of SB-3 say the ban will bankrupt businesses, eliminate thousands of jobs and drive consumers into the unregulated criminal black market. Patrick rejected those arguments, insisting the THC ban will save lives and protect millions of Texans from a life-time of drug abuse. "This is to save an entire generation from being hooked on drugs. Nothing is more important than stopping a kid from getting ahold of this junk!" said Patrick. To underscore his contention the Lieutenant Governor conducted a "show and tell" session surrounded by Senate colleagues and law enforcement officers. Patrick's display included gummies, lollipops and breakfast cereal laced with high doses of THC. "This is serious business. This is not Dan's folly. This is not Dan's priority. This is to save an entire generation from being hooked on drugs," said Patrick. Patrick says he's speaking out to counter an intense pressure campaign by the $8 billion THC industry aimed at reversing the ban. What's next SB-3 won't become law until the measure is signed by Governor Abbott. Patrick says he's confident in Abbott's judgement. What we don't know Patrick says he's anticipating legal challenges by the THC industry and is uncertain whether those lawsuits will delay implementation or undermine SB 3. The Source FOX 26 political reporter Greg Groogan listened to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's press conference on Wednesday.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado Republicans urge federal constitutional review of state gun laws
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs Senate Bill 25-3, a gun safety measure, on April 10, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline) A coalition of Colorado's Republican members of Congress, Republican state lawmakers, county sheriffs and the Colorado State Shooting Association want U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the constitutionality of nearly 20 state gun laws they say infringe on Second Amendment rights. In a letter sent Monday, the group asked Bondi to take up the review using the Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force her office established in early April. 'Over the past few years, the State of Colorado and some of its larger cities and political subdivisions have, through a progression of increasingly oppressive and burdensome statutes and ordinances, engaged in a systemic and unrelenting campaign designed to restrict, impair, impede and ultimately extinguish Coloradans' right to bear arms in violation of our Constitution,' the letter reads. House Republicans sent a similar request to Bondi's office a few weeks ago, but now more people are on board, including the state Senate Republican caucus, Colorado's four Republican members of Congress, and 14 county sheriffs. The Colorado State Shooting Association is the state branch of the National Rifle Association. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX They urged Bondi to investigate Colorado's 'anti-Second Amendment agenda' and identify 'federal remedies' including litigation. They also want an assessment of how the laws impact 'law-abiding citizens' and rural residents, hunters, people in poverty and people who rely on guns for self defense. The letter mentions laws including the state's high capacity ammunition law, 'red flag' law, waiting period requirement, minimum age requirement and expanded training for concealed carry permits. The majority of the laws called out in the letter were passed in the last three years. It also highlights Senate Bill 25-3, signed into law earlier this month, that sets training requirements to purchase most semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines. The law is set to go into effect in August 2026. It passed the Legislature with entirely Democratic support. The letter says that the new law fails to meet the 'constitutional benchmarks' set by a series of gun-related U.S. Supreme Court cases. Throughout the lawmaking process, however, bill sponsors asserted that they believe it would stand up to a legal challenge. Colorado joins states including California, Washington and Oregon that require training to buy certain guns. 'I think this bill will make Colorado's communities safer and prevent accidents as well as reduce gun violence, ultimately saving lives while protecting our Second Amendment rights,' Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said as he signed SB-3. In a statement, Attorney General Phil Weiser said SB-3 was 'commonsense.' 'Colorado communities — from Aurora and Colorado Springs to Boulder and Littleton — have been devastated by gun violence. While each mass killing brings unique pain and trauma, they all have one thing in common: weapons that are more suited for war than for self-defense or hunting,' he said in an email. 'I will continue to go to court to defend Colorado and our laws whenever they are attacked by the gun lobby or Washington, DC.' It is likely SB-3 will face litigation from gun-rights groups. The federal task force is composed of Bondi, the yet-to-be-confirmed associate attorney general, and representatives from the Department of Justice's Criminal Division and Civil Rights Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It has not yet met. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado's congressional Republicans ask Polis to veto firearm training bill
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a news conference about a bipartisan property tax reduction bill on May 6, 2024, at the Colorado Capitol. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) Colorado's four Republican members of Congress urged Gov. Jared Polis to veto a bill that would set safety training requirements to purchase some firearms. U.S. Reps. Jeff Hurd, Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans sent the letter to Polis, a Democrat, on Wednesday asking him to reject Senate Bill 25-3, which has been passed by both chambers of the Legislature. 'Despite making some amendments to the legislation to appear less restrictive, the Colorado State Legislature proceeded with a partisan vote to pass one of the most restrictive gun ownership laws in the United States — on par with California and Illinois' gun laws. The bill would impose a deceptive 'permit-to-purchase' system riddled with bureaucratic hurdles and impedes our constituents' ability to freely exercise their right to self-defense,' the letter, first reported by Colorado Politics, reads. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SB-3 would limit the ability to purchase semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines to those who have completed a safety training course — either four hours of training if they already have a hunter safety license or 12 hours if they do not. It would not criminalize possession, but it would be one of the largest changes to Colorado's gun purchasing laws in recent years. The bill originally would have outlawed those guns with detachable magazines outright, but it was amended in the Senate to create the permit-to-purchase system. It passed the Senate and House on partisan votes, with some Democrats joining Republicans in opposition. It now sits on Polis' desk for him to sign into law or veto. A bill can become law without the governor's schedule after 10 days. It was officially sent to Polis on Thursday. The congressional Republicans wrote that the process laid out in the bill is burdensome, time-consuming, potentially costly and violates the Second Amendment. A person would need to undergo a background check and obtain an eligibility card from their sheriff before they could enroll in a class. Sheriffs could deny applicants if they believe the person is a danger to themselves or others. 'Not only does this new scheme come with additional fees and time commitments that no criminal will ever participate in, but it also gives any sheriff hostile to the individual — or semi-automatic firearms in general — carte blanche authority to block the enrollment,' they wrote. Polis spokesperson Shelby Wieman wrote in a statement that the governor welcomes input on legislation that comes before him. 'The Governor was clear he would oppose banning any guns, and his team worked with the sponsors, and got feedback from the hunting and sport shooting community, and members of law enforcement to amend the bill to address the overarching concerns, remove any bans on guns, and ensure people could continue to purchase the gun of their choice. The final bill allows responsible Coloradans to continue to purchase the gun of their choice as long as they receive gun safety education,' she wrote. Members of Congress do not often weigh in directly on matters at the state Legislature, unless a bill is especially controversial or consequential. Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette and Brittany Pettersen lent their support last month to Senate Bill 25-5, which would eliminate a second election required in the union organization process. That bill passed the Senate but has not been debated on the House floor. Polis has expressed desire for labor and business groups to work out a compromise on the issue. The legislative session ends in about one month. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pueblo County commissioners urge Colorado governor to veto semiautomatic gun control bill
The Pueblo Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution April 1 opposing Colorado Senate Bill 3, which would ban the manufacture and drastically restrict the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable ammunition magazines. SB-3 would prohibit Coloradans from buying most semiautomatic rifles as well as some semiautomatic shotguns and pistols, unless they get approval from the local county sheriff and complete up to a dozen hours of training administered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The bill passed the Colorado Legislature by a vote of 19-15 on March 28, with three Democrats, including Sen. Nick Hinrichsen of Pueblo, joining every Senate Republican in opposition to the bill, according to the Colorado Sun. Hinrichsen told the Chieftain Wednesday he opposed the bill because he feels it's the wrong approach to the problem of gun violence. "We have a high-capacity magazine ban that's been in existence for about 12 years now -- I support that, and I think we have a mechanism to enforce that now that didn't exist in the past, with the CBI and licensing bill that was passed last year," he said. "I think that is the appropriate way of addressing the issue of the types of firearms we're seeing used in mass shootings without infringing Second Amendment rights." Hinrichsen said SB-3 took a "haphazard, arbitrary" approach in which traditional hunting firearms would be exempted from the new law, and said he believes there are "gaps" in the training element, such as how active-duty or honorably discharged veterans and law enforcement officers, despite past training on the safe use of firearms, would not be exempted from the requirement. "I think there are just so many gaps if you're going to go this route. It's costly and unnecessary, and for those reasons I was opposed," Hinrichsen said. The local BOCC resolution, spearheaded by Republican Board Chairman Zach Swearingen, urged Gov. Jared Polis to veto the bill on several grounds, including violation of the Second Amendment, an undue burden on local gun stores, and a burden to the sheriff in enforcement, as the sheriff would be required to fingerprint and conduct background checks on applicants to determine if they meet the criteria to receive a firearms course card without any additional funding or resources. The bill would also cost the state an estimated $1.4 million in the first year and $500,000 per year after to maintain, according to Swearingen's resolution. Swearingen argued that the bill would drive many gun stores out of business or out of state, and would require "law-abiding citizens to jump through hoops and pay significant fees in order to exercise their Second Amendment rights." "There's a lot of unconstitutional pieces to (SB-3)," Swearingen said. "It is already hurting mom-and-pop gun shops, I've already heard several have moved out of state. By our Constitution, (gun ownership) is a right. You are forcing people to take a test for a right. And that's a slippery slope." Swearingen stated he believed the bill, if signed by Polis, would likely be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, but it would likely take four to five years to get there, at which point the damage would already be done. He further argued that the Second Amendment was "not intended for hunting," but for people to defend themselves and their families, including from the government. Fellow Republican board member Paula McPheeters also supported the resolution. "As a fellow gun owner, I know I can't rely on anyone coming to protect me, and that's inherent in the Constitution," McPheeters said. "The Second Amendment states that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Federal law always supersedes state law, and state law is trying to supersede the Second Amendment... As a gun owner, as a citizen, a commissioner, and a woman, I oppose any infringement on my right to firearms, so I support this and will be a yes vote." Commissioner Miles Lucero, the board's lone Democrat, said he opposed SB-3, but also opposed the resolution as written, stating that even as a gun owner himself, he believes the Second Amendment can be regulated. "It's crazy to me to say that the founding fathers wrote the Second Amendment of the Constitution with the knowledge that we'd have these horrific killing machines at the disposal of the public," Lucero said. "If we want to revise this resolution to say it's a significant cost at a time when the state doesn't have money, if there's implementation hurdles, there's going to be legal challenges, all of that is true." "I'm not fully on board with the idea that exemptions don't apply to law enforcement officials or honorably discharged veterans," Lucero continued. "I don't think they should have to go through these training courses. And to be abundantly clear, this bill doesn't say you can't own these firearms, it says you have to take a course to do so." Lucero pointed out that firearms are the leading cause of death for U.S. children under the age of 19 since 2020. After some additional back and forth, commissioners passed the resolution 2-1 along party lines. In a statement to the Chieftain, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero also expressed his opposition to the bill. "I opposed this bill as it places another level of bureaucracy on county sheriffs," Lucero said. "It is also disparate because to purchase a firearm, you would now have to pay the sheriff to run a background check and pass and then the sheriff must issue a permit which would be valid for five years. Then, you have to go purchase the firearm and pay for another background check through Instacheck before you can purchase it. "A firearm itself is already cost-prohibitive and expensive, so this adds multiple levels of financial impacts in order to possess or own a firearm," he said. "It is almost like you have to be part of a special, exclusive club to have a firearm. This bill doesn't do anything for law-abiding citizens who want to legally own a firearm, instead, it has the potential to fuel black market sales for criminals, who won't follow this law anyway. Law-abiding citizens in Pueblo County love their firearms, and this is yet another layer that doesn't strengthen public safety but puts more restrictions on them." More in local news: What to know about fentanyl in Pueblo and the health department's efforts to track it Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@ Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo leaders urge Colorado governor to veto gun control bill
