The Colorado House of Representatives recently passed HB 1292, a bill that prohibits the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms within the state. The bill passed with a 35-27 vote and is now to be reviewed by the state senate.
Hailed as an ‘assault weapons’ ban, the bill strictly defines an assault weapon as a semiautomatic rifle that can accept a detachable magazine, or can be “readily modified” to do so, and possesses one or more specific characteristics. Included in the list of features are a pistol grip or thumbhole stock, a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock, a functional grenade launcher or flare launcher, or a threaded barrel.
The bill specifically mentions iconic firearms such as the AR-15. This has sparked backlash from the NRA, which, via its news outlet, has deemed the ban unconstitutional, arguing an infringement on Second Amendment rights.
However, the bill does include certain exemptions – military personnel, peace officers, public museums and licensed gun dealers selling their remaining inventory to out-of-state residents are exempt. Those currently in lawful possession of ‘assault weapons’ are also allowed to keep their firearms. The bill proposes steep penalties for violations, with a first-time penalty of $250,000, and $500,000 for each subsequent violation.
A significant pillar of the bill’s foundation is that, since the expiration of the federal assault weapon ban in 2004, “gun massacres skyrocketed by approximately one hundred and eighty-three percent.” It’s worth noting that, despite this alarming statistic, the US Supreme Court ruled in 2022 in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen that New York’s “proper cause” requirement to carry a concealed weapon violated the Fourteenth Amendment and thus overturned the state’s law, thereby strengthening the position of gun advocates.
Last year, several new gun regulations went into effect, for example, raising the age requirement to 21 in Colorado following a fatal shooting at a nightclub. The recent measures are part of Colorado’s broader approach to combat gun violence, an issue that has deeply impacted the state, which experienced the now-infamous Columbine mass shooting in 1999.