Senate Dems’ whip says ‘I am a no’ to SB 3, the semi-auto gun ban bill, absent of significant changes

By / / Top Stories, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice

The house of cards on Colorado Senate Bill 25-003 appears to be collapsing in the wee hours before it is set for a vote.

Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a Pueblo County Democrat and the majority party’s whip, has declared his opposition to the bill “prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, and purchase of specified semiautomatic firearms” that some have said would make Colorado the most anti-gun state in the country.

SB 3, sponsored by Democrat Sens. Tom Sullivan and Julie Gonzales and by Democrat Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Meg Froelich, is slated for a second reading postponed from Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. Friday, when a vote could be taken.

“I believe that, broadly, semi-automatic firearm ownership, by law-abiding individuals, is protected by the 2nd Amendment,” Hinrichsen writes in a letter defining his position. “Most semi-automatic weapons have detachable magazines. On many semi-automatic firearms, having a detachable magazine is a critical component for proper maintenance and for safety in the event of a misfeed.”

The bill explicitly prohibits gas-operated semiauto rifles or shotguns and gas-operated semiauto pistols, all with detachable magazines.

Hinrichsen has not always been aligned with 2nd Amendment advocates, including, for example, his support of ghost gun and high-capacity magazine bans. He has, alternatively, opposed such legislation as mandatory waiting periods and increasing the age of firearm purchase from 18 to 21.

“I fully support a ban on rapid-fire trigger devices…I’m confident that this aspect of the bill will be effective at reducing casualties in a mass shooting,” Hinrichsen wrote. “If all but this provision is removed from the bill through amendments, I will vote to pass the bill. However, as the bill is currently introduced, I am a ‘no’ vote.”

The purpose of a party whip is generally to “whip” support for a party bill in the legislature, and without Hinrichsen’s support the bill may be dead on arrival in the Senate.

The posting of his position gained the attention of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which has also opposed the bill.

BillWatch

“Democrats are RUNNING from the 2025 ‘Assault Weapons Ban!’ Sen. Hinrichsen is right, this bill flies in the FACE of the Bruen decision and will NOT save lives!!,” a RMGO Tweet/X reads.

The RMGO, which claims to be the state’s most effective no-compromise pro-gun lobby, also shared on Twitter/X one person’s perspective of the potential “unintended consequences” of the bill passing.

Adds Gun Owners of America in a posting on the bill, “This atrocious bill spits directly in the face of the 2nd Amendment, the Heller, McDonald and Bruen decisions from the Supreme Court, and turns law-abiding citizens into criminals for wanting to purchase commonly owned firearms.”

Gun Owners of America, like RMGO, has advocated for a ‘no’ vote by senators on the legislation.

CO: Lawmakers Advance Semi-Auto Ban!

The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) has additionally called the SB 3 an “all-encompassing semi-automatic ban” and has advocated for its members to encourage senators to oppose the bill.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE BILL HERE