Colorado moves closer to passing new gun restrictions

[bigtex]

DENVER — Lawmakers on Friday moved closer to passing a package of new gun restrictions in Colorado, a state that has lived in the shadows of two of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
 
Colorado’s House gave initial approval late Friday to legislation requiring background checks on private gun sales and placing limits on ammunition magazines — measures that were being watched nationally by advocates on both sides of the gun debate.
 
The bills were part of an array of gun proposals being pushed by state Democrats this year after last summer’s shooting at an Aurora movie theater, and more recently, the killings at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in December.
 
“There is a common thread that we see in these massacres,” said Rep. Rhonda Fields, a Democrat from Aurora, who sponsored both pieces of legislation, and whose son was shot to death in 2005. “They’re using high-capacity magazines so they can unleash as many bullets as they can, to kill as many people as they can, in our schools, our theaters and our churches.”
 
The debate over whether to enhance restrictions on firearms has become a contentious focal point of state legislative sessions nationwide this year.
 
Perhaps nowhere has this been the case more than in Colorado, a state with deep conservative and independent streaks. But it is also a place that has been pondering tougher guns laws since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, and where the increasing clout of Democratic lawmakers in recent years has made gun-control legislation a political possibility.
 
Friday’s debate in the House capped a week in which gun bills proposed by Democrats cleared several legislative committees, often after lengthy and emotional comments, mostly from proponents of gun rights. Republican legislators argued for hours against the measures, saying the proposed magazine limits — 15 rounds for guns and eight for shotguns — were arbitrary and would have little effect on gun violence.
 
“It makes no difference to public safety if there are 10 rounds in a magazine, whether there are 15 rounds in a magazine or whether there are 30 rounds,” said Rep. Jared Wright, a Republican from Fruita.
 
State Republicans also sharply criticized the background-check proposal, which would mandate checks on private gun sales. Sales of antique guns and gifts of guns between immediate family members would be exempted under the measure.
 
Those buying guns from federally licensed gun dealers must already undergo a background check in Colorado, as they do in every other state under federal law.
 
“All this bill does is make us law-abiding citizens go through another hoop,” said Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, a Republican from Sterling. “It doesn’t stop criminals, those that can’t get background checks, those that are felons, from breaking into my house and stealing my guns. Doesn’t stop them from meeting a guy down the street and buying a gun there.”
 
But with Democrats holding a majority in the House, both bills received preliminary approval. By procedure, the bills must receive a final House vote, which could Monday, before heading to the state Senate, where Democrats also outnumber Republicans.
 
“We continue to hear that responsible gun owners do not commit crimes,” said Rep. Beth McCann, a Democrat from Denver, who co-sponsored the background-check legislation with Fields. “So it’s hard for me to understand how responsible gun owners would have any objections to this bill. All this is doing is requiring everyone to go through the same background check.”
 
According to the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, Colorado would join New York, California and Rhode Island as states that require sweeping background checks on virtually all gun purchases.
 
Two other gun measures put forth by Colorado Democrats also received preliminary approval on Friday by House lawmakers. One bill would ban concealed weapons on college campuses. The other would charge gun buyers for background checks.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2020373101_cologunsxml.html

[actionshooter]

And magpul threatens to move. 

http://www.guns.com/2013/02/17/magpul-will-relocate-if-colorado-lawmakers-pass-magazine-ban/

[Special T]

likely to ID

[csaaphill]

ya it passed i have a link above this one about how colorado passed high capicity magazine ban and others soon to follow.
crap is dishearting to say the least.

[snowpack]

Here's an article about the CO bill, and how the wording in these bills can be so devastating.
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/03/01/popular-standard-shotgun-could-be-banned-under-proposed-bill/#respond

[actionshooter]

I've been keeping up on this and from what I understand they are only 1 vote from passing this. There are 2 dems which are not supporting it.

[csaaphill]

ya on inforwars they have a story about how if this passes a regular shotgun will be banned as well.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Colorado is a lot like Washington, in that the whole State is ruled by the Liberals in the I-25 Corridor of the State... 

[huntrights]

If you know people in Colorado, get them engaged in fighting against this bad legislation.  They have to write emails and letters, make those critical phone calls, and testify at the hearings if at all possible. 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Seems a hunter boycott of Colorado might be in order.

[actionshooter]

Seems a hunter boycott of Colorado might be in order.

For what its worth, I sent an e-mail telling them that.

[snowpack]

I heard their ban legislation passed the CO Senate, but had an amendment so it has to go back through the House before going to the governor.  Also read how so many sheriffs were testifying against the ban that the state's democrats have threatened to block/delay funding to law enforcement (emphasizing they were talking about salaries).    Calirado....

[csaaphill]

 

[actionshooter]

Here is a link to leave your view with the govener before he signs any new anti-gun laws. I made it very clear I would not be spending anymore money there if these laws pass.

http://www.colorado.gov/govhdir/requests/opinion-leg.html

[csaaphill]

nice left him a messge as well.

[actionshooter]

Its a done deal, the Gov just signed the bill.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Its a done deal, the Gov just signed the bill.

Now we see if Magpul was bluffing when the said they'd move out of the state if that legislation became law.... 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Now out of state hunters can show their displeasure by hunting "Any place except Colorado!" I'll be passing on Coors beer and anything else I find "Made in Colorado".

[Windwalker]

Magpul Industries Corp.
8 hours ago
https://www.facebook.com/magpul

With the signing of the HB 1224, we want to reassure Colorado residents, now officially in occupied territory, that the "Boulder Airlift" will continue until we can no longer legally ship to CO residents at the approach of the July 1 deadline, so long as demand continues.

We are looking at additional ways to give Coloradans the opportunity to buy the magazines they need prior to the enactment date, as although we've been swamped with tens of thousands of orders, our shipping department limitations have only allowed us to get a few hundred thousand magazines out to CO residents...a small portion of our monthly production. We'll continue to support the Airlift as long as demand exists, and up to the active date of the legislation, and we've allocated a little over a million magazines for the effort up to that point, give or take.

Customers in the rest of the country should rest assured that the airlift only takes a small portion of our production, and magazines and other products are continuing to ship to the rest of the nation. Our transition to a new home will occur in a phased and orderly a manner to allow us to continue to serve our customers during the move, as well as to allow an orderly transition for affected employees. We are actively working on those plans.

Magpul leaving Colorado by year's end over gun bills
http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=325018

KUSA - Gun rights supporters say gun control bills could cost Colorado tens of millions of dollars.

Ammunition magazine maker Magpul promised to leave Eerie, and it looks like it's already started.

"Specifically and in general we oppose the anti-gun legislation," Magpul spokesperson Duane Liptak said. "House Bill 1224 specifically has a lot of legal vagaries and regulatory problems that are just going to be a nightmare to operate under, as well as just on principle, the idea of supporting a state who has basically banned responsible citizens from owning our products would just be extremely damaging to our brand and our relationship with our customers. So we really have no choice but to relocate."

Liptak says Magpul has talked to Texas, Utah and Wyoming about relocating operations to those states. Nebraska, Idaho and Pennsylvania want the business, too.

Magpul's first manufacturing outside Colorado is planned for a month from now and a total pullout by year's end.

"Our manufacturing capability and our Colorado spend will be out of the state before the end of the year," Liptak said. "[It] is a reasonable goal, I think, just based on what we can move relatively, short term."

Liptak admits that some households will be uprooted. He says it will be especially painful for employees who grew up in Colorado and have family here.

"It's hard to say, open-ended, when the last Magpul representative will be out of Colorado, but it will be based on suitable facilities and timelines that make sense for the families," Liptak said.

Governor John Hickenlooper will sign three controversial bills, including House Bill 1224, on Wednesday, behind closed doors. A public press conference will follow.

House Bill 1224 bans ammunition magazines of more than 15 rounds, and any other magazine that can be easily converted into the larger size.

House Bill 1229 requires universal background checks for gun buyers.

House Bill 1228 makes gun buyers pay for their own background checks.

Monday the Governor's office took 1,800 calls on the issue. That's one every 18 seconds.

Tuesday, the Governor's office received nearly 1,500 calls.

Magpul started in 1999 and has been in Colorado ever since.

"For the first five years it basically operated out of our founder's basement," Liptak stated. "Then in 2004 they [Magpul] moved into a small utility shed here in Eerie with no heat or air conditioning. Since 2004 the company has grown to what it is today."

Magpul is a privately held company and not required to publicly release annual revenue figures. However, Liptak says the company is valued "just south of a half a billion dollars."

[h2ofowlr]

Wow and the govenor of Colorado - D -was also planning on signing since someone went and killed his friend that was the head prision warden/ manager, what ever they are called.  Who voted this guy into office???

[actionshooter]

  Who voted this guy into office???

I know who's going to vote him out.............A bunch or really PISSED gun owners!

[h2ofowlr]

  Who voted this guy into office???

I know who's going to vote him out.............A bunch or really PISSED gun owners!

Unfortunatley Denver is like our Seattle.  They screw the rest of the state up.
When your resume has Welfare as your job description, your probably a Democrat and don't help the situation.