Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: gun control

With 12 new laws, Colorado Democrats treat gun ownership like a public threat
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

With 12 new laws, Colorado Democrats treat gun ownership like a public threat

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun From limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today to raising the minimum age to buy ammunition, Democrats in the legislature were busy this year imposing new gun regulations Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year passed a dozen bills imposing new gun regulations, all of which were signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis. They included measures limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today, raising the minimum age to buy ammunition and aiming to improve Colorado’s response to mass shootings. While some don’t go into effect until next year, and a few are sure to draw legal challenges from gun rights groups, they represent some of the most wide-reaching changes to Colorado’s firearms laws ever a...
“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ
Approved, Local, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Would you need a perfect GPA to speak your mind or worship freely? Mesa County officials say Colorado’s new gun law is treating the Second Amendment that way – and they’ve asked the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene. In a three-page letter sent this month, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners urged federal authorities to investigate Senate Bill 25-003, calling it a “grotesque misuse of government power” that effectively imposes a discriminatory test on anyone wishing to lawfully own or carry a firearm. The law, which takes effect in August 2026, requires residents to complete state-approved firearms training, score 90% on a written exam and obtain conditional approval from their sheriff’s office every five years in order to receive or...
Gaines: Phil Weiser spends your tax dollars suing Trump and backing gun control
Colorado Accountability Project, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Gaines: Phil Weiser spends your tax dollars suing Trump and backing gun control

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project There but for the grace of God goes Colorado I was corresponding with someone recently and they mentioned something interesting. This person is a lawyer and said they were in a 10th circuit (Federal) courtroom recently and overheard an appellate case out of New Mexico about gun control. I am not sure if you remember, but New Mexico's governor made quite a splash a while back by declaring a public health emergency related to guns, trying essentially to use that to take away the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of that state. Those orders, and later iterations of same, have been working their way through the courts ever since. The first link below is to that case if you're curious. This person asked a neighbor...
Polis’ ‘libertarian’ label faces reality check from Reason Magazine
Approved, completecolorado.com, State, Top Stories

Polis’ ‘libertarian’ label faces reality check from Reason Magazine

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER — Amidst ongoing battles within his own party, and despite recently vetoing a pair of bills that concentrated more authority in Colorado state government, Jared Polis’ carefully scripted reputation as a libertarian-leaning governor appears to be fading. Even Reason Magazine, the national media outlet that has for years has hung its hat on the idea that Polis is more liberty-minded than progressive, is now questioning whether Polis’ moderate temperament is real, with editor-at-large Nick Gillepsie tugging back on Polis’ libertarian card in an April 14 article asking if the “small government Democrat is beefing up state power.” Reason has long been considered the standard-bearer for libertarian though...
Green: Report card for Colorado’s collapse under one-party rule—straight F’s across the board
Approved, Commentary, PJ Media, State, Top Stories

Green: Report card for Colorado’s collapse under one-party rule—straight F’s across the board

By Stephen Green | PJ Media Colorado's economic report card is in, and my beloved home state — formerly a solid A and B student — just flunked every subject.  Once upon a time, Colorado was a devilishly weird purple state — home to moderate-to-conservative Republicans like Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Tom Tancredo, idiosyncratic Democrats like Gary Hart and Richard Lamm, and (outside the Denver-Boulder Axis) a healthy libertarian streak. It was such a swirl that one of those famous Republicans, Campbell, was originally a Democrat. That all began to change around 2008 when my purple state went deep blue for Barack Obama. By 2018, the hope'n'change was locked in. The last Republican to win statewide office was in 2016, when Heidi Ganahl was elected to the University of Colora...
Colo. Sheriffs call SB25-003 a ‘nightmare’ for rights, businesses and public safety
Approved, State, The Truth About Guns

Colo. Sheriffs call SB25-003 a ‘nightmare’ for rights, businesses and public safety

By Mark Chesnut | The Truth About Guns Following Gov. Jared Polis’ signing of the sweeping gun ban measure last week, some Colorado sheriffs, who have opposed the bill all along, are still speaking out against the action. The measure bans the sale of the most popular selling rifle in America—the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR)—unless Coloradans obtain from their county sheriff approval, based on subjective criteria, a permit-to-purchase semi-automatic firearms capable of accepting detachable magazines. Under the law, the sale of semi-automatic firearms capable of accepting a detachable magazine will be banned unless those purchasing the firearms are vetted by a local sheriff and complete a firearm certification course. Sheriff approval to apply for a permit-to-purchase is based on sub...
‘We have to fight with everything that we have’: House Minority Whip Ryan Armagost is leading GOP opposition
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We have to fight with everything that we have’: House Minority Whip Ryan Armagost is leading GOP opposition

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Ryan Armagost has a background of serving as a U.S. Marine, deputy sheriff and firefighter, making him no stranger to challenging situations. Yet, none of those roles, he says, compare to being a state legislator. Armagost is a Republican serving in Colorado House District 64, which lies in Larimer and Weld counties. "This is definitely the most challenging job I've had," Armagost said. "The constant level of negotiation, bargaining and compromising — and everything that we have to do is equivalent to a bad marriage." 'Whip'ing the GOP members With the departure of Rep. Richard Holtorf from the Golden Dome, Armagost became the minority party's whip in the 75th Colorado Legislature. He had previously been the unof...
Garfield joins eight counties to have opted out of state’s sensitive spaces concealed carry ban
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Garfield joins eight counties to have opted out of state’s sensitive spaces concealed carry ban

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice During a Monday meeting of Garfield County's commissioners, the board of Tom Jankovsky, Mike Sampson and Perry Will exercised an option to exempt Garfield County from the law, created by Senate Bill 24-131, which prohibits lawful concealed carry by permit holders from government buildings. The bill, by Democrat Sens. Sonya Jaquez Lewis — who recently resigned in disgrace — and Chris Kolker, took effect in July 2024. In Garfield County, those who possess a valid concealed carry permit can now take handguns into specific government buildings, in this case the county's administration buildings, in both Glenwood and Rifle, where the county commissioners have offices. The opt out provision does not include courthouses. It...
‘Let there be a run on guns’: Senate Democrats advance semiauto gun ban to Colorado House
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘Let there be a run on guns’: Senate Democrats advance semiauto gun ban to Colorado House

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice A debate Tuesday on the proper role of government and at what point constitutional liberty has been infringed, led by Senate Republicans, fell upon deaf ears. Senate Bill 25-003, what some deem to be the most overreaching gun-control proposal in the country, was passed by a 19-15 vote of the Democrat-dominated Senate and now heads to the Colorado House. If it were to clear the House, the bill would land on Gov. Jared Polis' desk. The bill, if it were to be signed into law, would allow for future purchase, sell or transfer of only certain semiauto firearms on a Democrat-submitted list and would create a de-facto gun owner registry through other requirements, such as mandatory hunter's and firearms education classes prior to purchase. "We ha...
HB 1133, prohibiting the sale of ammunition to those under age 21, passes committee
The Center Square, Approved, State

HB 1133, prohibiting the sale of ammunition to those under age 21, passes committee

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square Legislation further restricting firearm ammunitions sales in Colorado successfully passed committee Thursday. House Bill 25-1133, “Requirements for Sale of Firearms Ammunition,” was referred by the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee to the House for a vote following a lengthy debate by witnesses for both sides. The bill passed only narrowly by a vote of 7-6, with Democratic Rep. Bob Marshall joining Republicans in opposing the legislation. Amended to go into effect July 1, 2026, the bill would prohibit the retail sale of ammunition to a person who is younger than 21. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE