Hello everyone,
We are over halfway through the 2023 legislative session! The main theme this past week was guns. I previously mentioned the slate of gun bills Democrats introduced in an attempt to slowdown gun violence. This past week those bills started moving. On Monday, the House State Affairs Committee heard HB 1219 that requires a three-day waiting period for firearm purchases. On Wednesday, the Senate State Affairs Committee heard three bills. SB 168 will make it easier for victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers. SB 169 increases the age to purchase or possess any firearm to 21. And SB 170 expands the list of individuals who can petition for an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). As expected, each bill passed out of committee without any Republican support.
The fireworks started when the bills hit the floor. On Thursday, House Republicans debated HB 1219 from about 1:30 pm Thursday afternoon until almost 3:00 am Friday morning. They continued debating another bill that would authorize local governments to establish safe-use injection sites for illegal drugs until about 6:30 am. Because they worked through the night, the House did not meet during normal working hours on Friday and came back in for a rare Saturday session. This caused all 19 members of the House Republican caucus to miss the bi-annual election of the Republican State Party Chair in Loveland.
In the Senate, Senate Republicans debated the three guns bills that are currently in the Senate – liability for gun manufacturers (SB 168), age to purchase a firearm (SB 169), and expanding who can file an ERPO petition (SB 170) – until late into the evening on Friday. The waiting period bill (HB 1219) passed the House on Saturday and the the other three bills are expected to pass the Senate on Monday. Each of the bills will then move over to the other chamber so expect more fireworks next week. However, the real fireworks are expected to happen when HB 1230 Prohibit Assault Weapons in Colorado gets its first hearing in the House. This hearing has not yet been scheduled.
So far, there have been 433 bills introduced – 243 in the House and 190 in the Senate. Only 56 days until the General Assembly is required to adjourn sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist