A bill that would require Coloradans to undergo additional vetting to buy certain semiautomatic firearms passed the House on Monday. It now heads back to the Senate for final approval before moving to Gov. Jared Polis’s desk. 

Senate Bill 3 initially represented one of the most restrictive gun control measures introduced in the state legislature by banning the sale and manufacture of high-powered guns that accept detachable ammunition magazines, like AR-15 and AK-47 rifles as well as AR- and AK-style pistols. But concessions were made to win over the governor’s support and ease concerns from some moderate Democrats. 

An amendment in the Senate now allows Coloradans to buy otherwise illegal guns so long as they pass a background check and complete state-mandated training regulated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 

---

---

That training would be offered through a local sheriff’s office and administered by a qualified firearms instructor. Applicants would need to pass a test at the end of the course to be approved for a permit to purchase a semiautomatic gun, and that permit would need to be updated every five years. 

Other amendments included expanding the eligibility for who can inherit a gun based on a gun owner’s will and exempting commonly used hunting rifles from the ban. 

---

---

The bill passed the House in a 36-28 vote, with seven Democrats joining the chamber’s Republicans in voting against the measure. It passed the Senate last month in a 19-15 vote. 

House lawmakers approved additional amendments to allow sheriff’s offices to deny an application to someone they believe could be a danger to themselves and others. Those changes must be approved by the Senate before it can head to Polis’s desk. 

Here’s what Western Slope lawmakers said about their vote: 

Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs: Lukens was among a handful of House Democrats who voted against last year’s assault weapons ban — but she voted in favor of Senate Bill 3. 

“I voted no on the 2024 assault weapons ban due to policy concerns because it was over-reaching, unenforceable, and I believe it was unconstitutional,” Lukens said in a text message. “In contrast, (Senate Bill 3) does not ban or outlaw any firearms and does not implicate handguns, shotguns, or hunting rifles.”

Lukens said this year’s bill folds in many compromises “to protect law-abiding gun owners while requiring training before someone can purchase the most lethal weapons on the market.” She added that the bill will not affect any guns currently owned. 

“For that reason, I voted yes on (Senate Bill 3) to save lives and help prevent gun violence in our schools, churches, grocery stores and theaters.” 

Lukens’s district spans Eagle, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties. 

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Frisco: McCluskie voted for Senate Bill 3, which she called a “common-sense gun violence prevention policy that will save lives while protecting Coloradans’ Second Amendment rights.”

“As a Western Slope legislator, I deeply respect the Second Amendment and want to ensure that we continue to protect the rights of law-abiding Coloradans,” McCluskie said in a statement. “Additionally, the bill does not impact 95% of handguns or firearms commonly used in hunting, a common hobby for many on the Western Slope.”

Last session, McCluskie was one of 35 House Democrats who voted to pass a far more sweeping gun control measure that would have outright banned the sale and purchase of what lawmakers defined as assault weapons. The proposal, however, failed to advance out of a Senate committee. 

McCluskie’s district spans Chaffee, Grand, Jackson, Lake, Park and Summit counties. 

Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs: Velasco has also supported more restrictive gun control measures and voted for last year’s assault weapons ban. A cosponsor of this year’s bill, Velasco said she was proud to finally see the legislature pass a bill that focuses on semiautomatic guns.

“We’ve been trying for the past three years, and I do think this is one step,” Velasco said, adding that Senate Bill 3 “is not a gun grab. … It’s saying that people need to be safe when utilizing this type of firearm.” 

“I do believe that there’s more that we can do,” Velasco said, “especially because here in Colorado, we have had a multitude of mass shootings.” 

While many of the state’s deadliest and highest profile mass shootings have been concentrated on the Front Range, Velasco said her district has experienced gun violence. In 2001, a shooter in Rifle killed four people and wounded three, all from Mexico, outside a grocery store and RV park. 

Velasco’s district spans Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties. 

Republicans opposed 

House Republicans remained uniformly opposed to the measure, which they criticized as an attack on Second Amendment rights that would put pressure on local sheriff’s offices. 

Rep. Ty-Winter, R-Trinidad, said many sheriffs that testified against the bill in a House committee hearing were worried that the training requirements would put undue burden on their resources. 

“They explained that this law will be an unfunded mandate which will force them to levy another fee on law-abiding gun owners,” Winter said during debate on the House floor. “They also said it was unenforceable — that using resources for this instead of being out on the streets actually fighting crime was a disservice to their communities.” 

GOP lawmakers also raised concerns over a provision in the bill that would create a registry of gun permit holders and lambasted the legislation’s fiscal impact. 

An analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff found the bill would cost the state roughly $1.4 million next fiscal year to set up the permitting program within Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Lawmakers have been reluctant to pass bills with a fiscal note, given the state’s $1.2 billion budget shortfall that is forcing lawmakers to make a slew of cuts to programs and services. 

The $1.4 million, however, would come from the Parks and Outdoor Recreation Cash Fund rather than the general fund, which is the source of the state’s budget pressures and the target of cuts. The permitting program is also expected to generate and grow its own revenue in future years through the sale of permits.