NRA-ILA | Colorado: Legislature Making Final Push For Gun Control Before End of Session

As the clock ticks down to the end of the 2024 session on Wednesday, May 8^th, anti-gun extremists in the General Assembly continue to push legislation that will infringe on your constitutional rights. This week, multiple gun control bills have advanced, and Governor Polis signed SB24-066, mandating the use of firearm specific merchant category codes for payment processors, into law. 

There is still time to stop the rest of these bills! NRA members and fellow Second Amendment advocates are encouraged to use the Take Action buttons below to ask their Senators to oppose this slew of gun control legislation and to contact Governor Polis and request vetoes on these egregious bills.

Take Action: Contact Your Senator to OPPOSE Numerous Gun Control Bills

HB24-1270 would force gun owners to obtain liability insurance to purchase and carry a gun in Colorado. 

HB24-1292‘s broad definition of “assault weapon” bans countless semi-automatic rifles, including America’s most common rifle — the AR-15, pistols and shotguns that Coloradans use for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense. The bill also bans .50 BMG rifles, despite the fact that these rifles are essentially never used in crime. Even worse, the ban extends to common firearm parts and many innocuous components in the definition of “assault weapon” and “rapid-fire trigger activator” (FRT/forced reset trigger). A person in violation of this unconstitutional ban will be charged with a petty offense.

HB 24-1348 mandates that firearms stored in unattended vehicles must be kept in a locked hard-sided container that is kept out of view or within the locked trunk of the vehicle. The bill creates civil penalties for infractions. 

HB 24-1349 creates an 9% excise tax on the sale of all firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition in the state. If passed, the tax will be on the ballot for voter approval this Fall. Firearms and ammunition are already subject to an 11% federal excise tax through the Pittman-Robertson Act, along with a variety of other state and local taxes and fees. California is the only other state to enact similar legislation. This tax should be seen as nothing more than an attack on the Second Amendment and those who exercise their rights under it.

HB 24-1353 creates a duplicative state level permitting system for federal firearm licensed dealers. The new permit imposes an unnecessary burden on these already highly regulated businesses while placing them at the mercy of potentially hostile state bureaucrats. 

Take Action: Urge Governor Polis to VETO the Gun Control Bills Below

SB 24-131 expands Colorado’s “sensitive places,” also knows as gun-free zones. Although the bill has narrower definitions following amendments by the Senate, the bill is still a threat to law-abiding gun owners. This new prohibition includes polling places, community centers, churches, college campuses, and more. 94% of mass shootings occur in these gun-free zones; signage is not enough to stop criminals. Law-abiding gun owners should not face criminal penalties for simply crossing arbitrary lines. Criminals, by their very nature, do not abide by laws or regulations; thus, they are undeterred by the prospect of encountering unarmed individuals. Instead, these zones disarm law-abiding citizens, leaving them vulnerable and defenseless in the face of danger.

HB24-1174, increases the training requirements for concealed carry permit applicants and requires class instructors to be certified by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This legislation is a solution in search of a problem, meant to harass gun owners and instructors by arbitrarily raising the qualification standards and likely the costs, despite not showing any existing deficiency in the current training standards.

The NRA-ILA will work diligently to defend your Second Amendment rights by opposing these bills. Continue to check your inbox and the NRA-ILA website for updates concerning your Second Amendment Rights and hunting heritage in Colorado.