A bill to ban the sale and transfer of semi-automatic firearms passed in the Democratic-controlled Colorado House on Tuesday, as lawmakers move forward with a number of other gun control bills this year marking the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. It was rejected.
The Western state has a deep history with firearms and is scarred by some of the nation’s most high-profile mass shootings. Both factors are weighing heavily on gun control debates in Congress, complicating attempts at such bans in nine other Democratic-controlled states, including California and New York.
Colorado Democratic Party pushes sweeping gun control bill amid national alarm: ‘People are fed up’
Colorado’s House of Representatives passed the ban for the first time in history, a move supporters see as a “tremendous accomplishment” after a nearly identical proposal was swiftly defeated last year. But some Senate Democrats are wary of the effectiveness and breadth of the ban, which would ban the sale, transfer and manufacture of semi-automatic weapons.
Colorado’s blue shift is evidenced by the success of a number of gun control bills passed last year, including raising the age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21. This year, six proposals, including regulatory bills, are nearing passage. On the November 2024 ballot to tax gun and ammunition sales. The other would give the Colorado Bureau of Investigation more authority to investigate gun sales, which are already illegal.
The state’s purple roots have frustrated attempts at a broader ban.
Coloradoans reach out to Rep. Tom Sullivan (D-Aurora) after remarks about his son’s death in the Aurora movie theater shooting during a bill signing ceremony on April 12, 2019 Governor Jared Polis (left). At the State Capitol in Denver. The Democratic-controlled Colorado General Assembly passed sweeping legislation on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, banning the sale and transfer of semi-automatic firearms. (AP Photo/David Zarbowski)
Ten years ago, two legislators were ousted in the state’s first recall election for supporting bills that would have limited ammunition magazines and expanded background checks.
“I think that history is still there,” said Democratic state Sen. Julie Gonzalez, one of the sponsors of the semi-automatic ban. He added that the proposal’s success in the House of Commons “shows there is a new space for us to have a different conversation.”
But for now, Gonzalez called for the bill to be halted in the face of opposition from Senate Democrats during a sparsely attended committee hearing Tuesday.
Democratic state Sen. Tom Sullivan, who was expected to vote “no,” is on the committee, along with Republicans who have denounced the bill as a violation of Second Amendment rights.
Sullivan’s son, Alex, was one of 12 people killed in a 2012 shooting at an Aurora theater during a late-night showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.” The tragedy inspired Sullivan to become an activist for gun control, and he went on to serve in public office, where he was the author of numerous bills on the issue.
Sullivan said the weapons the bill seeks to reduce are responsible for only a small percentage of firearm deaths and injuries. These firearms include some pistols and shotguns with specific features such as threaded barrels and removable stocks, as well as a long list of semi-automatic rifles.
Sullivan argued that the ban would have no significant impact on gun violence, and that the proposal would take away significant political oxygen at the state Capitol, galvanize opponents, and suggest a more effective and controversial proposal. He argued that it would hinder gun control measures without the right to do so.
“Everything about this story is wrong,” Sullivan said. “They want you to believe it was a weapon or a school, but it’s not. … It’s suicide, it’s domestic violence.”
Democratic state Rep. Tim Hernandez, one of the bill’s sponsors, said he has spoken with Sullivan numerous times in recent months.
“We agree that assault weapons bans are not a silver bullet to the gun violence epidemic,” Hernandez said. “To get to the point where we look at all the ways gun violence manifests, we need to implement policies that respond to how gun violence manifests.”
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The proposal is expected to be revived next year.
Meanwhile, other bills approaching the governor’s desk include a proposal to require more rigorous safety training for those seeking concealed carry permits. And it could require gun dealers to have state licenses in addition to federal licenses, giving regulators more power to enforce state gun laws.
