Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Gun rights

Hardin: Why the NRA-ILA legislative roundups matter more than ever
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Hardin: Why the NRA-ILA legislative roundups matter more than ever

By Amanda Hardin | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Last week, Rocky Mountain Voice partnered with the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) to host two critical Second Amendment Legislative Roundups—first in Lakewood, then in Fort Morgan. These events weren’t just a chance to hand out bumper stickers and shake hands; they were about mobilization. Colorado’s gun owners are facing unprecedented legislative attacks, and what we saw in those rooms was the beginning of a serious response. The first event took place on June 10 at Bristlecone Shooting, Training & Retail Center in Lakewood. Over 45 citizens gathered to review the flurry of anti-gun bills that crossed the governor’s desk this year, including the newly signed Senate Bill 25-003. Attendees walked away not only wit...
Parker: We need a national, armed citizen militia now
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Parker: We need a national, armed citizen militia now

By Dale Parker | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice I am not surprised at the result of the efforts of people in our state to banish firearms. No one should be surprised at the open contempt for our God given rights, protected in our Bill of Rights, that was demonstrated by requiring Ken DeGraaf to cover part of our Constitution. There is no remedy for this at the state levels.  We have to go on the offense and enact recognition of these God given rights to self protection.  The way our 2nd Amendment was penned has been glossed over for 200 years because there was no need after the American Revolution to flesh out what the Founders intended. It was recognized and taken for granted that the right to possess all arms belonged to the citizens of our country and not j...
Federal judge upholds Colorado’s 21+ gun law, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners vow to appeal
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Federal judge upholds Colorado’s 21+ gun law, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners vow to appeal

By Taylor Dolven | Colorado Sun A gun rights group challenged the 2023 law in court. Thursday’s ruling by a U.S. District Judge is a win for gun-control advocates. Colorado’s law requiring people to be at least 21 years old to buy a gun can stand, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The ruling is a definitive win for gun control advocates and a blow to the group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and two young people hoping to purchase guns, who sued Gov. Jared Polis to block the law in 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer sided with Polis and said in his ruling that the plaintiffs could not prove that the law violated their rights. “Plaintiffs cannot establish a violation of a right secured by the Constitution or that they have suffered an irreparable injury from such a violat...
Pro-2A advocates plan strategy events in response to Colorado gun laws
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Pro-2A advocates plan strategy events in response to Colorado gun laws

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Next week, on June 10 and 11, Colorado gun owners and Second Amendment advocates will gather for two Legislative Round Up events in Lakewood and Fort Morgan, organized by the NRA-ILA (National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action) and Rocky Mountain Voice. The event is organized with coordination by Amanda Hardin of Lipstick Tactical, a Denver-based firearms training organization.  The events work to build advocacy efforts in light of multiple anti-gun laws the 2025 Colorado General Assembly passed and Governor Jared Polis signed into law. The gatherings will provide a platform to discuss these laws and strategize legal and grassroots responses. “We’re running the exact same event in two geographically d...
New rules take effect July 1 for Colorado gun owners seeking concealed carry permits
Approved, kdvr.com, State

New rules take effect July 1 for Colorado gun owners seeking concealed carry permits

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A law changing the requirements for concealed firearm carry permits will go into effect on July 1, and gun owners should be aware of what is changing. In just under a month, anyone who wants to renew or apply for a concealed weapons permit must complete further steps, due to HB-24-1174. The new law drew criticism from gun rights groups, which said the law could deter gun owners who would otherwise carry their firearms. If you’re renewing your concealed carry permit, the law requires that the applicant “demonstrate competence with a handgun,” which can be done through participating in organized shooting competitions, current military service, or current certifications as a peace officer. You can also show competence ...
“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...
10-year gun ban for car thieves: Polis signs HB 1174 into law
Approved, Colorado Politics, State

10-year gun ban for car thieves: Polis signs HB 1174 into law

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed a bill prohibiting anyone convicted of car theft in the first degree from owning a gun during a visit to the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce. In Colorado, motor vehicle theft in the first degree is a Class 3 felony, carrying a prison sentence of up to 12 years and fines ranging from $3,000 to $750,000. Under House Bill 1171, individuals who have maintained a clean record can petition for a court order, allowing them to own a gun 10 years after their case has been resolved. "Today, we are taking important steps to make Colorado one of the top 10 safest states in the nation," Polis said. "From now on, anyone convicted of first-degree motor vehicle theft ineligible to possess a firearm, keeping guns out of the w...
Bent County declares Second Amendment Sanctuary, defies SB25-003
denvergazette.com, Local, State

Bent County declares Second Amendment Sanctuary, defies SB25-003

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 ...
Montana governor urges gunmakers to ditch Colorado after new weapons ban
Approved, Fox News, National, State

Montana governor urges gunmakers to ditch Colorado after new weapons ban

By Alec Schemmel | Fox News FIRST ON FOX: GOP Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte is launching a video campaign to remind gun manufacturers in Colorado that if they move just a few hundred miles to the north, they can be free of one of the nation's most restrictive gun control bills signed into law earlier this month in their state. "Do you want to move back to America?" Gianforte is asking Colorado gunmakers, after Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed S.B. 25-003 into law earlier this month. The new law, which is slated to go into effect in August 2026, effectively bans the manufacture, sale or purchase of semi-automatic firearms that accept detachable magazines, which include most AR-15s and AK-47 rifles sold in the United States. Some tactical shotguns and a few select handguns wi...
Concealed carry permits spike in Denver as new rules loom
Approved, Axios Denver, Local

Concealed carry permits spike in Denver as new rules loom

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver Obtaining a concealed carry permit in Denver, already home to some of the state's strictest gun laws, will soon require additional steps. The big picture: A state law taking effect July 1 will add new requirements for obtaining concealed carry licenses, including mandating eight hours of in-person instruction and passing a live-fire test, where a person must shoot a minimum of 50 rounds. Why it matters: The new law will add barriers for responsible gun owners, including costlier training for a permit type that's grown in popularity over the past five years, as Colorado's gun laws grow increasingly restrictive. Yes, but: The city's chief compliance officer, Mary Dulacki, tells us she doesn't presume the new req...