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Gun-control debate returns to Colorado Capitol; 1 bill already failed

DENVER — Republicans on Monday will revisit one of the most intense topics in Colorado’s recent political history: Gun control.

They’ll be bolstered by a new majority in the Senate, but that doesn’t guarantee their attempts to roll back gun restrictions will succeed since Democrats who passed the laws still control the House.

In 2013, Democrats who controlled both chambers and the governor’s office passed new firearms restrictions, responding to mass shootings the year before in a suburban Denver movie theater and at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Without a single Republican vote, Democrats passed laws limiting the size of ammunition magazines to 15 rounds and requiring background checks for firearms sales conducted online and between private sellers. They also shifted the cost of conducting background checks from the state to gun buyers.

On Monday, Republicans will take a first step to undo those laws while trying to expand gun rights at the same time. The bills up for committee hearings in the Senate stand a good chance of passing, but those in the House are likely to see the same fate as Colorado Springs Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt’s proposal to remove liability from businesses where a shooting occurs, which failed in committe.

Here’s a look at what’s up for a vote:

— Repealing new background check requirements and the user fees that go along with them. The same proposal is making its way through each chamber.

— Undoing the limit on ammunition magazines. That bill is starting in the House, so its prospects are dim. However, Republicans may try again later in the Senate.

— Allowing anyone over 21 who can legally possess a gun to carry a concealed firearm without a permit, except on school grounds. That bill is up for a vote in the Senate.

— Expanding protections against prosecution when a business owner or employee uses deadly force against an intruder. Homeowners already have that protection under current law. The proposal did not clear comittee after a 6-5 party-line vote.

— Reducing the civil liability of businesses that let people carry concealed firearms, with a permit, on their premises. The bill, which sponsors say is intended to allow an armed response to an attack, is being considered by the House.

 

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