A bill to allow Colorado residents to carry concealed weapon without a permit won initial approval Tuesday by a state House committee, the Denver Post reports.
The proposed law would allow anyone who doesn’t have felony or domestic violence convictions and mental health or substance abuse problems to carry a concealed weapon.
State Rep. Chris Holbert, a Parker Republican, called the $152 fee for a concealed weapons permit a “coat tax.” He pointed to Vermont, which does not require a permit to carry a concealed gun.
He said it is "insulting" to require him to have a concealed-carry permit when current Colorado law already allows him to carry a concealed weapon on his own property and in his car.
The Republican-led House gave initial approval to the bill with a voice vote.
The bill needs to win a second recorded vote before heading to the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. Prospects for the bills approval in the Senate are bleak, the newspaper reported.