By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette
An eastern Colorado county has passed a resolution declaring itself a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” in opposition to a bill passed by the legislature this year that requires individuals to participate in safety training to be eligible to purchase certain types of firearms.
On May 15, the Bent County Board of Commissioners and Bent County Sheriff unanimously passed a resolution declaring that no county resources will be used to enforce provisions of Senate Bill 003 that have not been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The bill, which was signed into law last month, requires individuals to take a hunting safety course through Colorado Parks and Wildlife to be able to purchase semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines. Sheriffs’ departments are responsible for issuing eligibility cards for the course to applicants who have passed a criminal history background check.
“Our citizens have made it clear that their constitutional rights are not negotiable,” said Alan Stump, chair of the county’s board of commissioners. “This resolution is a stand for the Constitution and for the people we serve.”
The board also announced it is preparing to send a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the chair of the Second Amendment Task Force requesting “support and visibility” for the county’s position on the Second Amendment.
“SB 003 not only places disproportionate burdens on rural, working-class residents, but it also compels our Sheriff’s Office to dedicate limited law enforcement resources to bureaucratic oversight, rather than serving urgent public safety needs,” the commissioners wrote in their letter to Washington. “This mandate conflicts with our obligation to uphold the U.S. Constitution and infringes upon our community’s values and way of life.”
In April, Colorado House Republicans said they sent a letter to Bondi, asking the federal official to review the constitutionality of the bill.