The Democratic-controlled House in Colorado has passed a bill to ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms, a significant move considering a similar bill was killed last year. The bill passed with a 35-27 vote and is now heading to the Democratic-led state Senate. If successful, Colorado could join 10 other states with prohibitions on semiautomatic guns, including California, New York, and Illinois. However, the bill faces challenges in the state Senate, where the chances of success are lower, and Governor Jared Polis has expressed reservations about the ban.
Last year, a similar bill failed in committee as some Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about the scope of the ban and the promises they made to constituents to avoid government overreach affecting most gun owners’ rights. Despite this setback, Democrats passed four less-expansive gun control bills, including raising the age for buying any gun, establishing a waiting period for gun purchases, strengthening the state’s red flag law, and rolling back legal protections for the firearms industry. These laws were enacted after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and as the state approaches the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.
The debate over the ban on semiautomatic weapons in Colorado comes at a time when the state has experienced several high-profile mass shootings, such as the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012 and the Boulder supermarket shooting in 2021. Democratic Representative Javier Mabrey emphasized Colorado’s history of mass shootings, stating that the state was where the modern era of mass shootings began with Columbine. Republicans have opposed the legislation, arguing that the focus should be on addressing mental illness and individuals who do not value life, rather than restricting gun rights. They also pointed out that people with ill intent can use other weapons, like knives, to cause harm.
Democrats countered that semiautomatic weapons can cause significant harm in a short period of time, as demonstrated in the Aurora theater shooting where the shooter opened fire and shot multiple people in less than 90 seconds. They argued that such rapid and extensive damage cannot be achieved with a knife or other weapon. The debate highlights the ongoing divide between Democrats pushing for stricter gun control measures in the wake of mass shootings and Republicans defending Second Amendment rights. The fate of the bill in the state Senate remains uncertain as lawmakers grapple with balancing public safety concerns with individual gun rights in Colorado.
