New Bills
The deadlines for the introduction of bills has passed in both houses, so we don’t expect any more BAD bills to be introduced. Introduction of bills heretofore will require leadership permission. Just coming in under the wire were three additional gun-related bills:
- HB22-1145 Possess Large Ammunition Magazine for Competitions
OPPOSE
Sponsor: Perry Will.
Would allow possession of large capacity magazines for the purpose of participating in state-sanctioned shooting competitions. - HB22-1147 Sheriff’s Authority in Relation to Federal Government
OPPOSE
Sponsor: Stephanie Luck.
Would prohibit federal authorities from making arrests in a county without the sheriff’s permission. Firearms are not mentioned in the bill, but it definitely has the hint of firearm involvement, especially in light of problematic laws in other states. - HB22-1168 Public School Hunter Education Seventh Grade Course
EVALUATING POSITION
Sponsors: Reps Hugh McKean and Kyle Mullica, and Senator Rob Woodward.
Scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, February 24th upon adjournment, Room 0107. Unlike a bill several years ago, this bill does not mandate the class.
The above bills are added to two others where hearings have yet to be scheduled.
- HB22-1105 Use of Deadly Force in a business STRONGLY OPPOSED
- HB22-1106 Guns in Schools VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED
Demise of HB22-1033
A bill to allow Permitless Concealed Carry (HB22-1033) failed on a party line 5-8 vote in the Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday afternoon.
The bill would have:
- Allowed anyone (even from out of state) 21 years of age or older to carry concealed without a permit
- Turned the current five year concealed carry (CCW) permit into a lifetime one
- Repealed the 2021 changes allowing cities, counties, special districts and governing bodies of universities the ability to prohibit concealed carry on their properties
Tidbits of the debate:
- Supporters of the bill marshaled their forces. Fifteen persons testified for the bill, while eleven spoke in opposition.
- Bill sponsor Ron Hanks noted that over two years, 645 individuals were convicted of flouting the current law requiring a permit. Largely, they were male (576) and white (491).
- Repeatedly, proponents complained of costs of permits, some bemoaning the effects on lower income individuals.
- Virtually every proponent referred to CCW as a constitutional right, and some referred to it as their God-given right. One witness read the Colorado Constitution’s gun rights plank (section 13) and stopped himself after stating “nothing.” In later testimony, a Ceasefire witness in opposition to the bill finished his sentence “nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons.” Rep. Susan Lontine noted that “no federal court has held that requiring a permit to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public violates the U.S. Constitution.”
- Proponents reported on data demonstraing lowered crime rates with CCW, opponents quoted data demonstrating the opposite effect.
- Repeated mention was made to current high crime rate, but no one mentioned the massive increase in gun sales.
- .A number of gun owners spoke in opposition to the bill.
- One proponent, a firearms instructor from DougCo stated “The good citizens of Colorado are just that, good at following the rules.” Well, then why are gun homicides so high right now? Why did 641 gun owners choose to ignore the CCW law?
The head of the RMGO proclaimed that gun violence prevention advocates had traded their “red coats for red T-shirts” defaming the Moms Demands Action.
ERPO Video
The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence and Ceasefire have produced a short video that explains the basics of Colorado’s ERPO law. View it here and share it with your friends and colleagues.
Boulder King Soopers Reopens
Last March 22nd, ten individuals were shot and killed at a Boulder King Soopers. On Wednesday, that grocery store reopened to the public.
The alleged shooter has been ruled currently ineligible to stand trial due to mental condition. Unfortunately, his family wasn’t aware of the ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Orders) law (see video), which could have been used to disarm the troubled young man. Dave Perry of The Sentinel marked the opening of the store by editorializing that it is about the guns.
HB22-1106 Guns in Schools VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED
