Well, folks, Colorado's at it again. The Democrat-controlled legislature is pushing through another slate of anti-freedom bills that would make it harder for you to exercise your Second Amendment rights — and harder for folks like me to stay in business.
Let me break down what's heading to the governor's desk:
**Red Flag Expansion (SB26-004):** They're widening the net on extreme risk protection orders. Now, not just family members and first responders can petition to have your guns taken — but healthcare workers, school counselors, and behavioral health treatment facility staff can too. That's a lot of people who could decide you shouldn't own guns based on a conversation with your doctor or teacher.
**Barrel Sales Through FFLs (SB26-043):** Here's one that'll hurt. Want to buy a replacement shotgun barrel or an AR upper? Get ready to pay FFL transfer fees and deal with the inevitable wait times. They're requiring all barrel transfers to go through a dealer, who also has to keep records for five years. This is nothing more than creating a paper trail for something as simple as a replacement part.
**Dealer Permit & Registry (HB26-1126):** This is the big one. Every dealer — even private sellers — would need a $400 state permit. And here's the kicker: they'd have to keep electronic records of every transaction and make them available to law enforcement on demand. That's a de facto gun registry, folks. Plus, magazines have to be locked up behind the counter. Non-compliance could cost you $100,000 in fines.
**3D Printing Ban (HB26-1144):** This one's particularly concerning. They're not just banning 3D-printed guns — they're banning the *instructions* on how to make them. Sharing how to use a 3D printer to create a firearm component could land you in prison for up to three years and cost you $100,000. That's a First Amendment issue hiding inside gun control.
Governor Polis has signed every major gun control bill that crossed his desk, including last year's semi-auto ban that takes effect August 1st.
Look, I get it — they say they're trying to make us safer. But all these laws do is burden law-abiding gun owners and small business owners like me while doing nothing to stop criminals. The bad guys won't follow these rules any more than they follow the ones already on the books.
If you live in Colorado, now's the time to contact your representatives and let them know these bills are unacceptable.