Dubbed the “Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices” bill, SB25-003 has cleared the House Judiciary Committee and House Finance Committee.
The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 11th, by a party-line vote of 7-4 following 12-plus hours of testimony and a rally at the Capitol, organized by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and other pro-gun groups and individuals.
Originally drafted to effectively ban semi-automatic firearms capable accepting standard-capacity magazines, the bill has morphed into an outrageous “permit-to-purchase” scheme, which would be handled by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) if passed — similar to Illinois’ “Firearms Owner Identification (FOID)” scheme.
This means the agency would have to set up a registry, allowing local sheriffs to collect personal information for those who wish to obtain a semi-automatic firearm.
This would allow sheriffs to deny any application if they have a “reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely the applicant will present a danger to themself or others. Sheriff’s could also revoke purchasing permissions under the same standard.
Additionally, Democrats in Denver are aiming to circumvent Colorado’s Constitution by raiding the Wildlife Cash Fund and revenue from hunting license fees to pay for the setup of the registry.
CPW is also mandated to replenish those funds by 2030 by hiking the fee for those who wish to obtain a permit, which already adds to the cost of taking the 12-hour class beforehand.
SB25-003 passed the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, March 18th, and will now go to the House Floor for a second reading.
Read more at KDVR.
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