Gun control bill passes Colorado Senate

DENVER (KOAA) — A controversial gun bill in Colorado has passed the Senate and is headed to the House for consideration.

Senate Bill 3, Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices, originally sought to ban the sale of certain semi-automatic shotguns or rifles that have a detachable magazine or gas-operated semiautomatic handguns. However, a major amendment added in the second reading last week removes the ban and now requires buyers to take certain training and more background checks. The bill does not impact anyone who already owns these types of guns.

Nearly a dozen Republican lawmakers took the floor on Tuesday to voice their opinion against the bill, many of them saying with the amendment it takes a right and turns it into a privilege.

"This is not a privilege granted by the government, it is a right inherent to who I am and enshrined in the United States Constitution," Senate Minority Leader Republican Paul Lundeen said of the Second Amendment.

One of the bill's prime sponsors, Democratic Sen. Tom Sullivan, lost his son Alex in the Aurora Theater shooting in 2012. He spoke to his fellow lawmakers and the public pleading with them to understand why he believes more gun control is necessary.

"I wish that I never had to be here," Sen. Sullivan shouted while speaking of his son who was killed by gun violence. "I wish that Alex had called me, and said 'Dad why don't you come with me tonight?' Then I wouldn't have to be standing here in front of you!"

Republicans also voiced concerns over a "registry" being created for purchasing these types of firearms.

"I've had hundreds of emails I think, so many I didn't answer them all," Republican Sen. Marc Catlin said. "The point is, people are really concerned about this, the idea they have to put their name on a list."

Senate Democrats continued to say that this bill would reduce gun violence. Sen. Sullivan had a message for veterans who he says have been calling him and threatening him over the proposed bill.

"To all the Green Berets and Navy veterans who are threatening me... I stood up during Vietnam and told this country, send me wherever you need me," Sullivan yelled while on the Senate floor.

The bill would also prohibit the purchase and sale of after-market accessories that increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm, like binary triggers.

If passed into law, it would be effective Sept. 1. The biggest amendment allows a person to purchase a semiautomatic firearm with a detachable magazine after undergoing vetting by a local sheriff and completing a firearm certification course that includes information on safe gun usage, federal and state firearm laws, de-escalation and crisis intervention strategies, range time, and more. Certification would last five years. If after those five years, an individual seeks to purchase a semiautomatic firearm, they would again be required to be vetted by a local sheriff and take a refresher course.

Democratic Senators Tony Exum and Marc Snyder asked to have their names removed from the bill as co-sponsors and voted against the bill, both represent El Paso County. Sen. Exum is up for re-election in 2026 and told Scripps News he couldn't risk the fact of possibly losing his seat after hearing from his constituents.

One Senate seat is currently vacant after Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis resigned this week during an ongoing ethics investigation. A total of three Democrats voted against the bill.

A list of lawmakers who voted for or against the bill see the votes in the Senate's 3rd reading:

Member Name

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Gun control bill passes Colorado Senate

A major amendment added in the second reading last week removes the ban and now requires buyers to take certain training and more background checks.

Gun control bill passes Colorado Senate

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