Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House recently passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms, bringing the state closer to joining 10 others with similar legislation. Last year, a similar bill was quickly killed by Democrats, but this time it passed on a 35-27 vote and is now headed to the state Senate. While Colorado has a history of being politically purple, shifting blue only recently, the bill’s chances are uncertain in the Senate where Democrats have a narrower majority. Governor Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has expressed concerns about the ban, as have some Democratic lawmakers who worry about government overreach and the impact on gun owners’ rights.
Colorado has a history of devastating mass shootings, including the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012, and most recently, the Boulder supermarket shooting in 2021. In response to these tragedies, Democrats passed four less-expansive gun control bills last year, including raising the age for buying guns, establishing waiting periods, strengthening red flag laws, and rolling back legal protections for the firearms industry. The recent legislation to ban semiautomatic weapons is seen as a continuation of efforts to address gun violence in the state. Supporters argue that these types of weapons can cause massive harm in a short period of time, pointing to instances like the Aurora theater shooting as evidence.
Republicans in Colorado have pushed back against the ban on semiautomatic weapons, arguing that it infringes on Second Amendment rights and that the focus should be on addressing mental health issues and individuals with ill intent rather than the weapons themselves. They suggest that people intent on causing harm will find other means to do so, such as knives, and that restricting gun ownership will not solve the underlying issues. Democrats maintain that semiautomatic weapons pose a unique danger due to their ability to cause rapid and widespread harm, as demonstrated in past mass shootings in the state.
The passage of the bill in the House represents a significant step forward for gun control advocates in Colorado, although its fate in the state Senate remains uncertain. Supporters of the ban hope that it will align Colorado with other states that have similar restrictions on semiautomatic firearms, such as California, New York, and Illinois. The debate over gun control in Colorado is deeply rooted in the state’s history of mass shootings and the ongoing efforts to prevent future tragedies. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are grappling with how best to balance public safety with individual rights, as they confront the complex and divisive issue of gun violence in the state.
