Colorado Senate gives initial approval to semiautomatic weapons bill — after a major change allowing purchases
The Colorado Senate gave initial approval to a bill that would limit the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms early Friday morning — but only after building in a loophole sought by Gov. Jared Polis and enabled by the absence of a needed Democratic senator.
When lawmakers first took to the Senate floor for a day of lengthy debate Thursday, Senate Bill 3 would’ve prohibited the sale or transfer of semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable magazines. That ban would have covered a large — if not total — swath of weapons that are colloquially considered assault weapons, though it wouldn’t have included most common handguns and shotguns.
By the time the Senate passed the bill on an 18-15 party-line vote just before 2 a.m. Friday, it had been altered. Now it would still allow those weapons to be sold to people who completed at least four hours of training, passed an exam and went through a vetting process similar to that required to obtain a concealed-carry permit.
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Colorado Senate debate on key gun bill goes late after it gives initial approval to labor law overhaul
The Colorado Senate gave initial approval Thursday to a bill that would make it easier for workers to negotiate a key provision of union contracts. But the fate of a major gun control bill remained murky in the evening, with debate still underway.
As of 11:30 p.m., the bill’s Democratic sponsors had reached a deal with Gov. Jared Polis’ office to insert a loophole in the measure, which would otherwise ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons that accept detachable magazines. That loophole, which would allow the sale of the weapons to people who complete training and background checks, was still being written and was expected for a vote shortly after midnight.
The Senate was supposed to debate that measure, Senate Bill 3, first on Thursday morning, with extensive opposition from Republicans expected. But shortly before debate was set to begin, chamber leaders bumped the bill — which would ban the sale of many firearms that accept detachable magazines — to second in the queue, behind the labor bill, because one Democratic senator was absent.
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Audit of Colorado pollution, labor regulations is part of draft bill supported by legislative and business leaders
The Colorado state auditor would study a decade’s worth of environmental, labor and hospital regulations under a bill being drafted by legislative leaders with the backing of a prominent business group concerned about the state’s economic competitiveness.
The proposal is a bipartisan response to calls from business groups and Gov. Jared Polis — amid industry concerns about a regulatory pile-on — to ease the cost of doing business in the state.
“What we’re seeing is a canary-in-the-coal-mine situation,” said Loren Furman, the president and CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, which is supporting the draft legislation. “We’re concerned about our business competitiveness.”
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Ethics committee members see “very concerning message” in Colorado senator’s response to inquiry
Colorado senators investigating if Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis broke ethics rules met her defense with skepticism Tuesday as they cited a pervasive fear of retaliation from former aides — but also questioned how to handle complaints against an elected peer.
Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat, has faced allegations of mistreating her aides, including that she attempted to withhold pay from workers, demoted and promoted aides without reason, had them do work around her house and more. She has denied any wrongdoing and said she’s being used as a “platform” by the aides’ union in its bid for collective bargaining.
But during a morning meeting, some members of the ethics committee also saw in her response a lack of an apology for how aides working under her have felt, along with a rejection of an inquiry she initially supported and vitriol directed at the Political Workers Guild — even as she professes support for better working conditions.
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Colorado restaurants would receive wage-related lifeline under proposed bill
Colorado lawmakers expect to introduce a bill this session that would help ease rising labor costs for restaurants, especially those in cities with high minimum wages.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Denver Democrat, and state Sen. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat, would change a credit calculation that has hiked the cost of doing business in the post-pandemic restaurant industry.
“Our restaurants need help. They are struggling mightily,” Woodrow said Friday. “This bill is about striking the right balance in their labor costs.”
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Gun control bill and labor fights, a party-line Jan. 6 resolution and more in the Colorado legislature this week
It’s going to be a busy week in the Colorado legislature, folks.
The first full vote on Senate Bill 3 was delayed last week, but it’s now scheduled for Thursday. That bill, which would institute a sweeping ban on the purchase or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms if they accept detachable magazines, was paused because its sponsors are in negotiations with Gov. Jared Polis, who has not embraced the proposal.
It’s unclear if those negotiations will bear any fruit — or what exactly that fruit might look like — but the bill is set for the Senate floor on Thursday.
That’ll be a jam-packed day in the Senate: Senate Bill 5 — a contentious measure that would change a key union-organizing provision in Colorado’s labor law — is also up for its first vote in the chamber Thursday. That bill has drawn even starker opposition from Polis, as well as objections from the business community.
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