The Colorado State Senate has passed, by a slim margin, four out of five new pieces of legislation expanding gun control laws in the state. They include provisions such as mandatory universal background checks, requirements for gun buyers to pay for their own background checks, ban on gun ownership for those convicted of domestic-violence crimes, and requirements for applicants for concealed-carry permits to complete their training in person, instead of online.
A fifth bill banning sales of magazines with more than 15 rounds is still being debated in the Senate. Three of them are being sent to the House for further debate. Only one, the renewal of a fee for background checks, is going to the desk of Governor John Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper has already stated his support for this bill.
“We can’t get back the kids we lost, but can refuse to send them more,” argued Senator Mike Johnston.
Republican members of the Senate argued against the legislative package, but the odds seem to be in favor of its passage.
“It’s not going to work, and I hate to say that,” said Republican Senator Mark Scheffel. “What it will do is infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens.”
Today gun control is a particularly prevalent issue for Colorado, not just because it is home to the Columbine High School shooting which arguably threw gun violence and control into the national spotlight, but also because the perpetrator of the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting is currently facing trial.
