LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Gun owners packed the meeting room inside The Gallery Range and Restaurant in Lakewood Saturday morning to oppose Colorado Senate Bill 25-003, which aims to ban semi-automatic guns with detachable magazines.
Shots from the range next door echoed as they voiced their opposition to the bill.
“Really, this comes down to our ability to defend ourselves and our families the way that we see fit,” said Leland Conway, Rocky Mountain district manager for Delta Defense.
The bill — sponsored by Democratic State Senators Tom Sullivan and Julie Gonzales — is the first of its kind in the nation.
Under the proposed legislation, so-called assault weapons would still be allowed as long as they have fixed magazines.
Gun reform advocates, like local members of Moms Demand Action, say it'll make Coloradans safer.
“High-capacity magazines just makes a lethal weapon even more lethal,” said volunteer Kathy Hagen.
But this change to the assault weapon’s design is something firearms advocates say is a safety concern for users.
“The reality is, this bill would actually make those weapons less safe to operate, and would result in more negligent discharges and people actually being hurt,” said Conway.
The bill is experiencing some difficulties as it moves through the state legislature.
The opposition rally comes a day after state lawmakers postponed the bill’s second hearing.
It already lost support from one Democratic co-sponsor earlier this week.
“It's always a little bit frustrating when it doesn't move as fast as we'd like it to,” said Hagen. “We feel like it's an important bill for safety, but I also think it's a compromise between those of us in the community that want to make our community safer, and those who want to protect themselves with guns.”
With the next hearing approaching Thursday, opponents at Saturday’s rally said they hope to find some middle ground.
“I think there's good-hearted people on both sides, and I think it's important to recognize that, right?” said Conway. “I think at the end of the day, what we all want is for crime and violence to go down. There's just a better way to do that from a more common-sense approach.”
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
