Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House on Sunday passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms, a major step for the legislation after roughly the same bill was swiftly killed by Democrats last year. 

The bill, which passed on a 35-27 vote, is now on its way to the Democratic-led state Senate. If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states — including California, New York and Illinois — that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns. 

But even in a state plagued by some of the nation’s worst mass shootings, such legislation faces headwinds.

Colorado’s political history is purple, shifting blue only recently. The bill’s chances of success in the state Senate are lower than they were in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 majority and a bigger far-left flank. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has indicated his wariness over such a ban.

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[–] 77 points 2 years ago (75 children)

I'll give up my guns when the cops do it first.

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    [–] 70 points 2 years ago* (29 children)

    This will get struck down, and it'll be the one thing I agree with when it does. You can't just make everything except bolt-action rifles illegal. Semi-automatic firearms encompasses 99% of what people use for self defense in America. This is a clear violation of rights.

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  • [–] 54 points 2 years ago (29 children)

    Right or wrong it’s a constitutional right for a reason, and that reason has nothing to do with hunting.

    Similar to GOP and abortion, dems need to drop this fight. Let’s fix healthcare and save/improve more lives than almost everything else you could spend time on.

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  • [–] 40 points 2 years ago* (7 children)

    I wish beyond wishing that O'rourke would have just shut the fuck up and deferred about coming after people's guns in Texas. I really wonder if he could've squeaked a victory and Texas would be quite different today. Guns are a losing issue. Even more so than abortion or 'the gays!', guns bring single-issue voters out from everywhere.

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  • [–] 28 points 2 years ago

    Agreed. The 2A is a right, full stop. Doesn't matter if you or I like it, the courts agree, and have historically.

    You'll get a dozen dumb arguments, but none will address the fact of the 2A. And there's no way it gets overturned given our amendment procedures.

    This is actually a pretty dumb stunt. It's going to lose in court, zero doubt. And now there's more precedence.

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    [–] 40 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states — including California, New York and Illinois — that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns. 

    Zero states ban semiautomatic firearms.

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    [–] 40 points 2 years ago (21 children)

    Supreme Court shoots it down in 3-2-1...

    The Heller ruling in 2008 already decided this.

    Washington D.C. had effectively banned pistols, the court ruled then:

    https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/554/570/

    "As the quotations earlier in this opinion demonstrate, the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right. The handgun ban amounts to a prohibition of an entire class of “arms” that is overwhelmingly chosen by American society for that lawful purpose. The prohibition extends, moreover, to the home, where the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute. Under any of the standards of scrutiny that we have applied to enumerated constitutional rights,[Footnote 27] banning from the home “the most preferred firearm in the nation to ‘keep’ and use for protection of one’s home and family,” 478 F. 3d, at 400, would fail constitutional muster."

    So, no, you can't ban an entire class of weapon.

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  • [–] 13 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    So, no, you can’t ban an entire class of weapon.

    You absolutely can. Full-auto weapons are banned for general purchase in pretty much every state. Things like explosive-based guns are also banned. Flame-throwers, etc.

    Heller is a clear violation of state's rights to pass more-restrictive laws than the federal level. We've had tons of gun laws that restrict purchases and types of firearms for decades anyways on the state and local level.

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  • [–] 22 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    General purchase, yes, but you can still buy one if you fill out the appropriate ATF paperwork and pay the HUGE transfer fees.

    https://www.therange702.com/blog/can-you-legally-own-a-machine-gun/

    "To legally own a machine gun, you first have to apply for approval from the federal government. After purchasing the gun, you must fill out an ATF Form 4 application and wait for approval before taking possession of the firearm. The FBI conducts a thorough background check using fingerprints and a photograph required with your application, which could take 9 to 12 months to process. The gun will need to stay in possession of the previous owner until the process is complete.

    In addition, you will need to pay a $200 “NFA tax stamp” for each weapon transaction. If approved, you will receive your paperwork in the mail, including a permit with the listed lawful possessor of the firearm. Only then can you take the machine gun home and possess it legally."

    This Colorado ruling doesn't allow for that.

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    [–] 29 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    This ban will apply to police as well?

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    [–] 27 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    This just seems like a stupid time to be pressing legislation like this. I don't even disagree with it myself. I just think it's idiotic from a political perspective. The Dems can see the GoP struggling with the fall out of Roe v. Wade, and they still want to step into this fight now?

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  • [–] 23 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Imagine still wanting gun control people after January 6th 2021 and the police violence of the George floydd protests.

    We're on our own, stop hiding your heads in the sand.

    SocialistRA.org

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  • [–] 22 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    It's not a "Semi-Automatic Firearm Ban" it's an Assault Weapons Tax. Seriously the only penalties in this bill are modest ($750) fines.

    No matter which side of this debate you are on this legislation is a joke.

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  • [–] 13 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Are we reading the same link?

    A person in violation of the prohibitions will be assessed a first-time penalty of $250,000 and $500,000 for each subsequent violation.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Here's the actual text of the bill. Do you find that dollar amount listed anywhere but in the summary?

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    [–] 19 points 2 years ago (6 children)

    This will never get past the Supreme Court because it is blatantly unconstitutional.

    Nice job wasting money posturing for your base, colorado democrats.

    You're just like the grifters in florida.

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    [–] 17 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    Isn't that like... most guns people actually use other than some shotguns and some handguns? And even then, why you would use a pump action over a semi-automatic shotgun is beyond me...

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    [–] 17 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    Conservatives are demanding the widespread oppression and even slaughter of our nation's most vulnerable groups and the best we can come up with is "let's disarm ourselves". FFS

    Why not outlaw far-right ideologies like nazism? The conservatives would oppose that too, but it's something all the normal people can agree on.

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    [–] 17 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    If only Americans could be like the Swiss, y’all could have your guns and none of the problems.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    My .22 varmint rifle is semiauto. They take those too?

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