Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper’s spokesman said today he will sign the new gun control laws passed by the legislature into law. Colorado will now have among the most restrictive laws in the country.
The Colorado laws include a ban on ammunition magazines that can carry more than 15 rounds, and eight shotgun shells. The bill on background checks expands the requirement to sales and transfers between private parties and online purchases.
Two laws that didn’t make it: “a new liability standard for gun owners and sellers, and a ban on concealed weapons on public college campuses.”
A few more are still under consideration:
…a ban on gun ownership by people accused of domestic-violence crimes and a bill to eliminate online-only safety training for people seeking concealed-weapons permits. [My emphasis]
There will also be fees for background checks to buy guns.
One Colorado sheriff says he won’t enforce the laws— apparently he’s not the only one:
“Criminals are still going to get their guns,” [Weld County Sheriff John Cooke]said. Cooke said the other bill would also technically ban all magazines because of a provision that outlaws any magazine that can be altered. He said all magazines can be altered to a higher capacity.
Cooke said he, like other county sheriffs, “won’t bother enforcing” the laws because it will be impossible for them to keep track of how the requirements are being met by gun owners. He said he and other sheriffs are considering a lawsuit against the state to block the measures if they are signed into law.
In my view, these laws are no more than a band-aid — they don’t treat the wound, they just provide temporary cover. They will not keep guns out of the hands of those determined to use them. They won’t stop glory killers or deranged individuals.
Guns don’t cause rage, they are the means by which people express it. I suspect there will be a greater number of crimes committed with explosives, which carry a potential for killing many more people.
Laws should not be enacted in the aftermath of individual tragedies, no matter how horrific. Cooler heads are needed.
Pass in haste, repent at leisure. Once you give up rights to the Government, you rarely get them back.
What to watch for next: restrictions on video games. How far will legislators take these feel-good, untested restrictions? From sugary drinks to guns, way too far.
Cross-posted at Talkleft.com