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Democratic Gun Bills Clear The House

Colorado Statesman

A package of gun bills backed by Democrats has officially passed through the Colorado House even though some Democrats broke ranks and cast “no” votes.

The bills would require background checks on all gun purchases, would institute a fee for those background checks for gun buyers and ban concealed carry weapons on college campuses. The most controversial is HB 1224 which would limit high capacity magazines to just 15 rounds.

Monday’s voting is the result of a marathon session last Friday that lasted well into the early hours of Saturday morning.

Interview Highlights:

On why Democrats had such a marathon session last Friday…

“I think it was just seen as an appropriate time. And besides, they (Democrats) have a 37 to 28 a majority in the House and also in the Senate and they can pretty much pick the agenda and decide on when and how long the debate will last.”

On the threat of companies moving out of Colorado over the high-capacity magazines ban…

“Both companies (Magpul and Alfred Manufacturing) have reinforced the fact that they are not joking about this that there intent is serious and that they really will leave the state. Legislators on the other hand have recognized that there is a problem with that and they actually compromised with an amendment that raised the capacity from 10 rounds to 15 and that’s something that Governor Hickenlooper said he can also live with that.”

On the Governor’s stance on the bills and if he’ll sign them when they reach his desk…

“He says this is not a jobs thing, he’s not trying to make a statement on the economy he wants people in Colorado to be safer … don’t forget this is a Governor who shortly before the Aurora shootings had come out and hinted that this might be the time for gun control measures when the legislature came back into session.”

Read More: All Four Dem Gun Proposals Pass House, Advance To The Senate

Email: brian.larson@kunc.org
Jody Hope Strogoff is the editor and publisher of The Colorado Statesman. The Statesman is a non-partisan political weekly newspaper, founded in 1898. Jody began working at the newspaper in the late 1970s, later purchasing the publication in 1988. She discusses the state’s political scene each Tuesday at 6:35 and 8:35 during KUNC’s Morning Edition.
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