It’s official. The historic bill proposing an Assault Weapons Ban in the state of Colorado, hotly debated in the Colorado House, has been indefinitely postponed before reaching the Senate floor. The bill began with a list of public spaces in which carrying an assault weapon would be banned or limited, but amendments weakened that list to include only polling places and schools.
While it passed in the House, its Senate sponsor Senator Julie Gonzales (D – Denver) has decided not to push it beyond committee review at this time. The move avoids debate of one of the most hotly-contested topics of the entire session during the waning days of the current legislative session.
Gonzales released the following statement on HB24-1292 concerning prohibitions on certain firearms used in public mass shootings:
“I intend to request that the Senate State Veterans and Military Affairs committee postpone indefinitely HB24-1292, the assault weapons ban, on May 7, 2024. That being said, I couldn’t be prouder of my colleagues in the House of Representatives for passing an assault weapons ban for the first time in Colorado history.
After thoughtful conversations with my Senate colleagues, I decided that more conversations need to take place outside of the pressure cooker of the Capitol during the last weeks of the legislative session. In that spirit, I look forward to renewing and continuing those discussions over the interim. It is clear that survivors of devastating gun violence, responsible gun owners, and local and national policy advocates remain committed to doing the work necessary to save lives — and an assault weapons ban will do just that.”
Featured image: Colorado Capital building, image courtesy of Colorado Public Radio.
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