By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice
BURLINGTON — State Sen. Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne, warned Kit Carson County Republicans gathered here Friday that they might stay on the lookout for a rash of bills coming through the upper chamber before the state’s legislative session is complete.
“When we started on Monday, we still had 407 bills to go through in the Senate,” he said.
Specifically, he made mention of House Bill 24-1292, which some have called the state’s “assault weapons ban.” Taylor Rhodes, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, has pointed out the bill would ban the commonly-owned Glock pistol he carries concealed and has threatened litigation against the state “as soon as the ink is dry on the law.”
The bill by Democrat Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Tim Hernandez would outlaw most firearms in Colorado. The constitutionality of the bill has been brought into question repeatedly, and the bill was opposed by a large majority of more than 500 who testified during a committee hearing on the bill. Still, it has moved forward two additional steps from the prior attempt.
“If it makes it out of the House, we will kill it,” Pelton said. “Democrats, they are coming after your guns.”
The composition of boards and committees is also becoming more extreme in Colorado, under Democrat Gov. Jared Polis, he said.
“Our governor is attempting to fill these commissions and boards with people of like mind to him,” Pelton said. “The Democrats want to make Colorado more liberal than California and they are well on their way to doing so.”
Pelton serves Senate District 35 in southeast Colorado and previously served in House District 65 in eastern and northeastern Colorado.