By Derek Draplin | The Center Square contributor The Democratic-led Colorado Senate approved a bill early Friday to ban semi-automatic firearm sales in the state after sponsors added some significant amendments to the legislation.
Senate Bill 25-003 originally banned the sale or purchase of any semi-automatic rifles, shotguns or gas-operated handguns that take detachable magazines, exempting firearms with “permanently fixed” magazines.The bill was laid over twice in recent weeks as Democratic sponsors reportedly were negotiating amendments with the governor’s office.The updated bill revealed on Thursday would still ban the purchase or sale of the eligible semi-automatic weapons, but now creates exemptions for individuals who complete a firearm safety course and are vetted by law enforcement. Republican and Democrat senators debated the legislation for hours, before it was passed on second reading early Friday morning. The Senate must pass SB 25-003 one more time before it heads to the House for debate.The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, said Thursday that SB 25-003 is meant to enforce the state’s 2013 ban on high-capacity magazines, which are defined as holding more than 15 rounds.Sullivan said the bill concerns “the next firearm, not the ones you have.”“After we pass this, starting in September the only assault-style weapons they get are going to have attached magazines to it, and I think that is a step in the right direction and will help us to save lives,” he said.Republicans argued the legislation, if passed, would violate Second Amendment rights.“Senate Bill 3 does not address the root causes of gun violence, and instead it strips citizens of their means to protect themselves,” Republican Sen. Scott Bright said.The revised bill would require individuals interested in purchasing a semi-automatic firearm to submit fingerprints to their local sheriff’s office for a background check. Once approved, sheriffs would issue a “firearms safety course eligibility card,” then an individual could take the required training course.A sheriff “may deny or revoke a card if the sheriff has a reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by the applicant or cardholder makes it likely the person will present a danger to themself or others if the person holds a firearm safety course eligibility card,” the bill says.Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the pro-gun lobbying group opposing the bill, said the eligibility card amounts to a “firearm owners identification card” similar to those issued in Illinois. Other Democratic-backed efforts to ban so-called assault weapons failed to pass during the last two legislative sessions.
