This is the link to The Colorado Channel's general assembly page. Clicking the "senate live video" link on the page should open a new window & let you see the proceedings today in the Colorado senate. Today will be the final vote for 3 2 bills; If they pass they'll head straight to the governor for a signature or a veto. 2 3 other bills will be voted on, with one two going to the house and the other headed for some sort of reconciliation process due to it being heavily amended. To break them down for y'all:
HB 1224, the magazine capacity bill, as amended. 15 rounds for cartridges, not more than "28 inches of shotgun shells" in a tube mag. There's another senate amendment that says a detachable magazine when combined with a fix magazine can't hold over 8 shotgun shells, so now I'm thinking they're calling an extension tube a detachable magazine. Also, another senate amendment would - if I'm reading it correctly - only protect magazines in transit from Colorado. So if you work for fed ex and are just passing through with a shipment of mags made out of state, that'd be illegal possession, even if you didn't stop. If this bill passes the senate there'd have to be some reconciliation twixt the senate and the house before it headed to the governors desk.
SB 195, which bans online concealed handgun permit training. It was amended to allow some, but not all, of the course to be done online. If it passes it goes to the house.
SB 197, the "baby lautenberg" bill, which sets up a state system for disarming those with domestic violence misdemeanors and restraining orders. If it passes it goes to the governor's desk house.
HB 1229, the universal background check bill. I think that it is the centerpiece of the agenda as far as Obama, Bloomberg, etc. are concerned. Not that the other bills aren't bad, but this one could help pave the way for a similar national effort. According to David Kopel, and double checked by Colorado Peak Politics, language in the Colorado bill was taken verbatim from federal legislation introduced this year by Carolyn McCarthy. If it passes it goes straight to the governor's desk.
HB 1228, the tax on background checks bill. If it passes it goes straight to the governor's desk.
It is not too late to call your senator if you live in Colorado. If you live out of state you can always call or email the governor, or any democrat senator that may be on the fence, to let them know your tourist/hunting/business dollars will go elsewhere if these anti gunowner bills are passed.
Updated: 03-11-13 10:25 MDT corrected a few errors.
Posted by Publicola at March 11, 2013 08:15 AM | TrackBack