
After a contentious 9-hour hearing, the Colorado Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee voted 3-2 to advance SB25-003, a bill to ban high-capacity firearms that can accept removable high-capacity magazines.
Predictably, the vote fell along party lines. Committee Chair Sen. Michael Weissman (D-28) joined Sen. Tom Sullivan (D-27), the bill’s sponsor and vice-chair of the committee, and Sen. Matt Ball (D-31) in support. Voting against were the two Republicans on the committee, Sens. Rod Pelton (R-35) and Byron Pelton (R-1). (The two Peltons are cousins).
The day’s only real twist was a fiscal note added to the bill by the Department of Public Safety, which estimated that enforcing the law would cost $4.65 million, to include eight new employees, with $90,000 microscopes for each, housed in a new building in Pueblo. It was clear that the bill’s sponsors were dismayed by the figure.
The bill will move on to the full Senate, perhaps as soon as Friday. At press time, no schedule had been announced.
Ceasefire encourages you to contact your senator to voice your support for SB25-003 using this convenient form. And pass it on!!
In other news from the Legislature, two bills are set to be heard next Thursday, Feb. 6:
SB25-034, Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms Waiver, will be heard by the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee. This is seen as a valuable suicide-prevention measure: It establishes a process for a person to voluntarily waive the right to purchase a firearm. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will deny a firearm transfer to the person while the voluntary waiver is in effect. The Bureau also will develop an online portal for a person to electronically file for a voluntary waiver, update contact information, and revoke a voluntary waiver. The Bureau will be required to verify the filer’s identity before accepting a voluntary waiver or revocation. Prime sponsors are Sen. Cathy Kipp (D-14) and Rep. Andrew Boesenecker (D-53).
Ceasefire encourages you to contact the committee to voice your support for SB25-034 using this convenient form. And pass it on!!
HB1055, Repeal of Gun Dealer Permitting, sponsored by Rep. Max Brooks (R-45), will be heard in the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee. This bill would repeal the law passed last year that required gun dealers to be permitted by the state. Colorado Ceasefire investigations have found that many gun dealers are not complying with all Colorado’s firearm laws. Therefore, Ceasefire was a strong proponent of HB 24-1353 (last year’s permitting law) and is fighting this repeal bill.
Ceasefire encourages you to contact the committee to voice your opposition to HB25-1055 using this convenient form. And pass it on!!
Click here to check on the status of any Colorado and many federal firearm-related bills.