Monday, Westminster City Council members heard opinions from multiple community members about whether the city should opt out of a Colorado Law banning guns in sensitive spaces.
Colorado Senate Bill 24-131 was signed into law this year.
Under the new law, which went into effect July 1, 2024, bringing a firearm into a building where a meeting of a local government’s governing body is being conducted is a class 1 misdemeanor. However, the law does allow local governments to opt-out.
During Monday's meeting, Councillor David DeMott requested that city council take action to opt out of the legislation so that concealed handgun permit holders can carry their weapons in Westminster's municipal building.
According to the city council meeting agenda, city staff recommended that the city not opt out of the new law, saying that SB 24-131 increases city hall security by limiting firearms.
Several members of the group Moms Demand Action attended the meeting, including Westminster resident Kathy Kelly.
"This is a time of real political volatility in our country, and I want to make sure that when we come to testify or when the elected officials are speaking about an issue, all of us are safe. And having concealed carry doesn't do that," said Kelly.
Multiple people who wanted the council to opt out of the law also spoke during the public comment period.
"You cannot legislate evil from existence," said one man who supported opting out of the law. "This only hamstrings law-abiding citizens' ability to defend themselves."
Another speaker who wanted the council to opt out spoke about his constitutional rights.
"The implementation of 131 would not only curtail our ability to protect ourselves, our loved ones, even our country, but it would also severely impact our ability to express our First Amendment-protected opinions," he said.
The discussion even drew heated testimony from city council members. But by the end of the night, the measure to opt out was defeated 4-3.
Castle Rock held a similar discussion and decided to opt out of the policy.
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