UPDATE 9:28PM: House Bill 13-1228, instituting a fee for background checks, passes on a voice vote with its fiscal note attached. That's almost exactly 12 hours of debate.
UPDATE 9:25PM: HB13-1226, banning concealed weapons on college campuses, passes. 3rd of 4 bills.
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UPDATE 6:00PM: House Bill 13-1229, closing the "background check loophole," passes on a voice vote. That's two of four bills, a long night still lies ahead.
UPDATE 5:55PM: We've been critical of Colorado media for letting Gov. John Hickenlooper mislead the public on fracking fluids, but we applaud coverage of the gun violence debate–at least the coverage from actual journalists–and the media's consistency in pointing out that Republican Rep. Bob Gardner is trying to stifle discussion through his version of a filibuster ("Bobbing"). It's a travesty for Republicans to actively try to inhibit discussion of gun violence, and it's important for the media to be clear about what Gardner is doing.
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UPDATE 5:47PM: As the debate grinds on…
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UPDATE #2: After more than five hours of debate, the first of four gun bills, HB13-1224 limiting the size of ammunition magazines to 15 rounds (amended from 10 rounds) passes the Colorado House on a voice vote.
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UPDATE: It's taking a nasty turn under the Dome today, reports 9NEWS:
Amid already high tensions over gun policy inside the state Capitol, a pro-gun lobbyist was thrown out of the building Friday at the request of a Republican House member.
Rep. Cheri Gerou (R-Evergreen) accuses the lobbyist of threatening her with political attack ads through a mail campaign after a heated exchange about upcoming votes on gun issues, which would violate ethics rules.
State Patrol officers escorted Rocky Mountain Gun Owners' Association lobbyist Joe Neville from the building at Gerou's request.
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FOX 31's Eli Stokols:
One hour into that debate, the Republican minority is already fighting the adoption of a committee report and the amendment raising the limit on magazines to those with more than 15 clips.
“This is an arbitrary number,” said Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker.
The strident opposition to House Bill 1224, one of the two measures the House GOP entered the day with hope of defeating, presaged a long floor fight over the four Democratic gun control measures that Is expected to last late into the night and possibly Saturday morning.
This post will be updated as today's all-day hot air fest unfolds. Watch it live right here:
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The RMGO people are well known at the Capitol as nasty to everyone.
To say he got what he deserved is an understatement.
As a practical matter, Rep. Holbert's statement that limiting magazines to no more than 15 rounds is an arbitrary number. In essence, the 15 round limit means that only 10 round clips will be sold because manufacturers presently make clips in increments of 10, 20 and 30 rounds with a few manufacturing the exotic banana clips of 50 or 100 rounds. I don't own any firearms but thats my understanding. If I'm incorrect please chime in..
What I know about guns is from popular culture, but according to Ice Cube, 16 would be a more appropriate number:
different gun manufacturers make different size clips for their own weapons. But, R36 is correct that some manufacturers, such as Magpul, make mass murder magazines for an assortment of widely owned guns, usually in standardized sizes. 10 is more than adequate
The vast majority of full size handguns now days use 15+ round magazines, with 15 being the average. Most new rifles use 30 round magazines as a standard and there are incrmental 5,10, 20,30.
A 15 round limit is more than likely to allow those with handguns the ability to use the standard mags they are designed to use.
your experience is different than mine. I have 2 rifles that will accept 30 round mags made by a 3rd party. Numerous rifles that the manufacturer makes mags of 5-8 rounds. Numerous handguns, none with a manufacturer mag larger than 9
Democrats are sowing the seeds of the 2014 GOP comeback. Thank you.
Republicans are sowing seeds of mass destructive murder of innocent children. I know you're a member of that murderous and bloody cabal.
No it's good politics as well as good legislation. The majority of voters do not want to see innocents continued to be murdered. If the GOP runs on a platform of supporting mass murderers and opposing loving same sex couples, it will continue to lose votes.
Bwahahahah…snif Good one.
Oh…you're you. Uhh…never mind.
(It's even funnier now- but I'm nottelling why)
Yeah, because mandating every kid packs at least a .38 is such a winning plank in the GOP platform.
Please explain how!
Romney in a Landslide!
This is a day that makes me very proud of our Democratic majority. This session will be remembered for a long time as one that did great things. First civil unions and now stepping away from a culture of violence and death.
kudos to our reps.
+12
Absolutely!
Agree 100%
Any other posters her mebers of the NRA? I just got a robocall from a caller representing they are from NRA and complaining that "CO Democrats are at it again" trying to destroy the second amendment. They called out my state rep, Millie Hamner, by name. I emailed her promptly and asked her to keep up the hard work
I'm not a member of the NRA, but somehow their mailer wound up in my mailbox today with the 4 talking points widely copied by various GOP Reps. It called for me to contact my State Rep Jenise May.
So I did, emailing her my support for the 4 bills being debated
One thought about amending the magazine limit to 15 bullets. If 10 bullets are not enough, your problem is not that you need 5 more shots. Your problem is one that gunfire is not going to solve.
A real hunter doesn't need more than three bullets. In fact, after the first shot, the target is off and away.
Even a 10-round magazine is useful only for mass murder.
Completely agree…a five round magazine is just a matter of convenience…any more is just a matter of murder or paranoia.
Three Cheers for Colorado Pols for covering so much of the goings on in this State!
Of course it's an arbitrary number! But you have to make the decision somehow – oh, but right, leave it to the market to decide, because that's so much more sane than people deciding.
http://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-nra-kills-gun-violence-research-2013-1