Colorado Democrats Declare War on Guns

Colorado Democrats are prepared to launch an all-out war on guns with legislation that includes bans on “high capacity” magazines, requirements for universal background checks, fees for existing background checks, and allowing victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers for the misuse of weapons.

The proposed ban on “high capacity” magazines and the call for universal background checks are both reflective of similar measures being pushed by Democrats around the country. 

As I have made clear in earlier posts, if universal background checks are implemented, they will not only stop private sales and close the “gun show loophole,” but will also take away a grandfather’s ability to simply give his favorite rifle to his grandson or for a mother to give a handgun to her daughter for self-defense. 

In both scenarios, the guns will have to be registered, the government will have to be notified, specified fees will have to be paid, and background checks will have to be performed. 

The measure to add a fee to existing background checks for gun purchases is nothing less than a new state-level tax on gun purchases. If this law passes, the fee could eventually be raised high enough to rule out buying a gun in the first place. 

The proposal to allow crime victims to sue gun manufacturers is very onerous for gun companies. Although it would ostensibly only apply to makers of “assault weapons” if implemented, Colorado state Sen. Greg Brophy (R) said it “is the equivalent of holding Coors, the distributor, and the 7-Eleven from which the 12-pack of beer was stolen responsible for the drunk-driving accident.”

Even if the law allowing Coloradans to sue gun manufacturers passes, it will be impossible to implement currently because a federal law bans lawsuits against gun manufacturers over the misuse of their products. 

The state’s Democratic governor, John Hickenlooper, has yet to show his hand regarding where he stands on all these proposals. One thing that is known is that 56% of Coloradans say the NRA best represents their views on guns and gun rights.