After a grueling debate that stretched deep into the evening, the Colorado House approved a measure Friday night that would ban most rifles with detachable magazines.
The proposal would make Colorado’s gun laws among the tightest in the nation. It has already cleared the state Senate, and Gov. Jared Polis has indicated he’s prepared to sign it if it passes.
House lawmakers approved the measure just before 10 p.m., more than 12 hours after taking it up. Republicans worked throughout the day to slow the measure but never had the votes to defeat it or to make substantive amendments.
Senate Bill 25-003 bans the manufacture and sale of guns with detachable magazines, unless a potential buyer completes training and gets approval from their local sheriff. It exempts nearly three dozen firearms popular for hunting, but gun store owners say so many models would be illegal that it would be hard for them to stay in business.
Republicans made a variety of arguments against the measure, ranging from questioning its constitutionality to warning of retribution from the federal government and possibly violence if it is implemented. State Rep. Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, said the proposal is even more restrictive than it appears on paper — with so many hoops to jump through that very few Coloradans would be able to purchase a rifle in the future.
"It is a poll tax on the Second Amendment," he said. "It is a paywall around a fundamental liberty."
Democrats ceded the floor for most of the day, and it wasn't until the late afternoon that they finally stated their case for the bill.
They described the measure as a tightening of an existing state law: a ban on magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. That law was passed in the wake of the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting.
But shooters, they said, have found it simple to buy noncompliant magazines, which they can switch out in a matter of seconds. The solution, they argued, is to make it impossible to change magazines.
"This is important work that we’re doing," said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. "We’re honoring the folks that have come to this building for a decade and begged us to enforce our magazine limit. Let’s do this."
The House still needs to hold a final vote on the proposal, which is likely to occur early next week, and then reconcile differences with the version that passed the state Senate.
One change made in the House is letting people appeal to the courts when local sheriffs turn down applications to buy guns with detachable magazines.
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