The state of Colorado has been doing everything it can to be known as the California for people who prefer colder weather. From legalizing pot recreationally to having one of the most liberal abortion laws in the country, the state is doing everything it can to be as progressive as possible.
And, of course, that includes gun control, too.
In fact, some new gun control bills have just landed on Gov. Jared Polis's desk:
Colorado lawmakers on Friday sent three gun-control measures regulating the sale of ammunition and firearms to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for passage into law.
The bills now waiting to be signed include Senate Bill 3, which would limit the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms to only people who’ve passed a background check and training course; House Bill 1133, which requires retailers to keep ammunition locked; and House Bill 1238, which requires additional security at gun shows.
The three bills received final procedural votes in the House and Senate on Friday. Polis is expected to sign all three. He has 30 days to do so — or to veto them — before the bills pass automatically into law.
Gun-control advocates celebrated the bills’ passage — and what they described as Colorado’s role as a “national leader” on gun violence prevention — in a statement Friday afternoon.
“As the federal landscape has made it significantly more challenging to combat gun violence in our communities, and we are seeing state legislatures across the nation cower at the will of the extremist gun lobby, today, I am proud to be a Coloradan,” Julie Ort, a gun violence survivor who now volunteers with the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in the statement.
It should be noted that these won't have the impact that proponents think.
So-called "assault weapons" are rarely used in crime as a general thing. The notable exceptions are, unfortunately, often mass shootings, but this law isn't going to stop that from happening. Does anyone think a mass murderer in the making will be unable to get a permit and go through all of these steps?
Of course not.
And it should be remembered that many mass killers steal firearms, too, which this bill won't stop.
The requirement to lock ammo up likely stems from the shoplifting of ammunition, but I love how their first thought is to make gun stores do something instead of actually addressing ammunition theft.
Finally, gun shows tend to have plenty of security. What the bill is really meant to do is to make it more expensive to host gun shows entirely, thus potentially driving many out of business.
There were some other bills that advanced, though they're not quite ready for the governor's signature.
Elsewhere Friday, the House also advanced — but has not fully passed — two other gun-related measures. One would define “mass shootings” in state law for the purposes of pursuing federal funding to respond to the events. The other would further limit the use of guns — or toy guns — to intimidate election workers and others involved in election processes.
Those proposals require an additional vote in the House before moving to the Senate, where they will restart the process.
I don't have an opinion on the mass shootings one, but I'm bothered by the second measure.
It's not that I favor intimidating election workers or anyone else. It's the idea that a gun, even a toy gun, is the actionable part here. Is it somehow better for the election process to be impacted by someone with a knife instead?
And isn't it already illegal to try and intimidate people involved in the election process through violent threats? If so, why is a new law even needed?
Then again, this is Colorado.
