Colorado: 2013 Session Adjourns After Historic Assault on Your Constitutional Rights

Colorado’s 69th General Assembly adjourned last Wednesday after a historic legislative session.  Unfortunately, the historic actions by majorities in both legislative chambers and Governor John Hickenlooper (D) will severely punish responsible gun owners and sportsmen in the Centennial State.

Anti-gun legislators championed the passage of the most onerous and restrictive legislation in Colorado’s history, and Governor Hickenlooper didn’t even blink when he signed away your rights.  Because of these misguided and arbitrary efforts, the following laws take effect on July 1:

• Unless possessed before July 1, all magazines with a capacity of greater than fifteen rounds and all magazines with a removable floor plate will be illegal.
• All firearm purchases will be subject to an additional fee (“gun tax”) to fund the duplicative and failing Colorado Bureau of Investigation InstaCheck system.
• The private transfer of a firearm, even between certain family members and friends and while afield, will be criminalized.

While all proactive and pro-gun legislation to increase safety and security in the Centennial State was ignored and cast aside during this legislative session, three extreme anti-gun measures were defeated because of outpouring activism from Second Amendment supporters:

• House Bill 1226, legislation that aimed to repeal current law allowing individuals with a concealed carry permit to carry a firearm for self-defense on a college or university campus, was defeated in the Colorado Senate.
• House Bill 1306, legislation that would have created a biased task force with your tax dollars to review mental health issues as it relates to the possession of firearms, was defeated in the Senate Committee on Business, Labor & Technology. 
• Senate Bill 196, legislation that sought to hold all manufacturers, distributors and owners of common rifles and shotguns they produce, sell or use liable if that gun is misused to harm another person, was defeated in the Colorado Senate.

The NRA would like to thank the thousands of NRA members who passionately contacted their elected officials in opposition to these unconstitutional measures and those state legislators who steadfastly upheld our Right to Keep and Bear Arms by voting against this rights-infringing legislation.

The fight in Colorado to protect and restore your individual rights is anything but over, as your NRA is working closely on recall election efforts and preparing for the 2014 elections.   It is vitally important that every Second Amendment supporter in Colorado is registered to vote so you can hold those accountable who voted against your constitutional rights and inherent right to self-defense.