Democrats are looking to ban the sale and transfer of so-called assault weapons in Colorado, according to news reports.
The bill was introduced at the statehouse last Friday after more than a thousand Denver high school students took to the state capitol, marching in protest of gun violence following the death of a 16-year-old student, according to The Colorado Sun.
It prohibits the "manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of an assault weapon. And it would ban "rapid-fire trigger activator(s)."
The two prime sponsors, Democrats, are state Rep. Elisabeth Epps and state Sen. Rhonda Fields.
Per Colorado Public Radio, this is the first time the Colorado Legislature has taken a stance against assault weapons this session.
The bill defines an assault weapon as a "semiautomatic rifle" using detachable magazines. It can have a threaded barrel, a flash suppressor, a pistol grip, or a folding stock, according to Colorado Public Radio.
It would also ban some handguns and shotguns depending on their features, reported CBS News.
Firearms owners would be allowed to keep their weapons but could not sell or transfer them with certain exceptions.
Over the years, the state has faced several mass shooting incidents involving assault-style rifles — one in November at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs where five were killed and over two dozen injured.
Several states and President Biden have been pressing similar initiatives aimed at assault weapons ban.
In just the first two months of this year, there have been over 100 mass shootings where four or more, excluding the shooter, were shot, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Taylor Rhodes of the pro-gun lobby Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, spoke up against the bill, saying: "This unconstitutional piece of legislation was introduced as an emotional response to the horrific act of terror in Colorado Springs … law-abiding Colorado gun owners will strongly oppose all attempts to ban any firearm or firearm accessory. … We won’t back down or cut any deals."
Axios reported nine states that have bans in place: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois.
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