Colorado has passed four new laws limiting gun purchases. The governor signed all of them this past Friday, in what local media are calling "the most consequential tightening of gun regulations in Colorado history."
Democrats celebrated the new rules, while Republican lawmakers called them unconstitutional for going against the Second Amendment.
🚨BREAKING
Gov Polis just signed FOUR Anti-2nd Amendment bills into law.
This not only makes our communities LESS safe, but also lacks support by the public, as shown by the hundreds from around Colorado who expressed their opposition to HB1230.#coleg #copolitics
— Colorado House Republicans (@COHouseGOP) April 28, 2023
As of last Friday in Colorado, there is a three-day wait between purchase and delivery of firearms. However, if the background check is not completed by then, the buyer must continue to wait until it is done. Rush delivery could cost as much as $5,000.
The buyer must also be 21 years of age or older. This raises the minimum age at which one may purchase or possess a firearm by three years. The original bill allowed minors under 21 to purchase guns if they had a hunting license, but this exception was later eliminated, The Colorado Sun reported.
Producers and sellers are also less protected against possible lawsuits. Until the signing of Senate Bill 168, if a lawsuit against any member of the gun industry was dismissed, the plaintiff was required to pay legal fees to the defendant. This obligation was eliminated.
That and other measures included in the law add the state to the list of California, Delaware, New York and New Jersey, which passed similar regulations, according to the AP.
More people will also be able to request the seizure of weapons from a third party. Previously, only law enforcement and family members could petition a judge to temporarily remove an individual's weapons. As of Friday, the list was expanded to include health professionals, prosecutors and teachers. It will also set up a hotline to consult on how to make these requests.
Lawsuits against the new laws
In just a few hours, the legislative package has already garnered its first two lawsuits. The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners group announced on social media that it sued the laws on the waiting period and the age limit on gun carrying for unconstitutionality.
"Gun owners' rights are being ravaged in the Colorado legislature by the puppets of Everytown for Gun Control (anti-gun organization) and Michael Bloomberg," the release reads. In this regard, the president of the organization added:
The idea that an 18-year-old can vote, sit on a jury, sign contracts, own property and even be drafted into the Army, but not buy a basic hunting rifle is stupid.
