In February, we wrote about the Colorado General Assembly’s progress to encourage reasonable gun use (Journal, Feb. 19). Of the four bills being considered at the beginning of the legislative session, we reported that H.B. 1062, a bipartisan bill concerning the penalties for theft of a firearm, the House Judiciary Committee killed in its first hearing.
Another, H.B. 1055, was an attempt to repeal last year’s H.B. 1353, that by July 1, 2025, would require firearms dealers to secure state permits to operate in Colorado. The provisions of the bill, and the responsibilities associated with being a permit holder the Journal’s editorial board finds reasonable, and apparently enough legislators did too that it was postponed indefinitely by the House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor. The text can be read at https://bit.ly/4cgdIbU.
We also reported on Senate Bill 34, another reasonable gun violence prevention measure that would establish a voluntary registry to temporarily prohibit a person from purchasing a firearm. It is largely seen as a suicide- and violence-prevention tool. The legislation’s goal is to put time and distance between a person – who may be at risk of possible harm to themselves or others – and a gun. The person would sign up and be able to remove themselves voluntarily via an online portal managed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Doing so would also alert retailers to their “Do Not Sell” status. The bill is waiting to be scheduled in the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it must cross the Senate floor before reaching the House and Governor’s desk.
The fourth bill we reported on, that has also gained the most attention, is Senate Bill 3, “Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid Fire Devices” viewable at leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb25-003 that would ban the manufacturing and sale of, and require safety training for, certain semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable ammunition magazines. The goal of the legislation is to reduce the availability of semiautomatic rifles and some semiautomatic pistols and shotguns used during mass shootings – those with detachable magazines that make guns easy to reload quickly. The legislation is being described as a dramatic change to the state’s gun policy landscape since it will restrict the type of guns that can be purchased rather than how they are purchased.
Last Monday’s House vote passed the bill with a 36-28 vote. Friday the Senate voted largely along party lines 19-15 to send the bill to Gov. Polis for signature. Three Senate Democrats voted with Republicans against the bill.
HD 59 Rep. Katie Stewart (D-Durango) was one of seven House Democrats to vote against the measure. In an email, Stewart stated, “I appreciate the efforts of the bill sponsors. Gun violence prevention is important and ongoing work. After conversations with law enforcement, organizations that represent the interests of rural Colorado, and extensive constituent feedback, I voted against SB25-003. The bill doesn’t honor responsible gun ownership, which represents the majority of folks in HD-59. I look forward to continued conversations with colleagues, policy analysts and constituents about how the legislature can work to keep Coloradans safe.”
Others, like Sen. Tom Sullivan (D-Centennial), lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate whose son was murdered during the 2012 Aurora Theater shooting, lobbying for the bill in February, said Colorado’s legislative efforts to curb gun violence had been woefully inadequate ever since passing legislation in 2013 to limit the sale of high capacity magazines over 15 rounds. He believes this bill’s restrictions would have given his son time to get to safety.
Republicans fought this bill at every turn believing it further chips away at Second Amendment rights. To ensure his signature Gov. Polis urged Democrats to no longer seek an outright ban on the manufacture and sale of all guns with detachable magazines, rather to place limitations on certain guns.
Those eager to reduce gun violence herald Senate Bill 3, that starting in August 2026 will put into place reasonable new limits on gun ownership. Efforts like these, attempts to stave the loss of life balanced with citizens' rights to bear arms, feels right, even if imperfect.
