Colorado gun-free zone bill stripped of bars, parks, protests

A proposal to limit where people can carry firearms in Colorado, openly or with concealed carry permits, was narrowed substantially Wednesday as sponsors fought to win a key committee vote in the state Senate.

The bill as introduced would have banned firearms from being carried at a slew of places, including stadiums, protests at public locations, bars, places of worship, public parks, libraries and more. It was amended to only ban firearms at schools, from preschool to college, as well as polling places, the state legislature and local government buildings, though local governments could opt out. It would allow exceptions for security and law enforcement.

Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat and key vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee, thanked the sponsors for “significantly narrowing the scope of this bill.” He had concerns about the breadth and constitutionality of the proposal, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. That decision broadly expanded firearm rights under the Second Amendment, though it still outlined some places where guns could be banned.

The amendment adopted by the committee aimed to hew closely to that ruling and other recent U.S. Supreme Court cases. Roberts specifically cited U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion in Bruen as laying out where states are constitutionally allowed to ban firearms.

To drive home the point, the amendment also changed the title of Senate Bill 131 only to add that the gun ban is limited to places “recognized by the United States Supreme Court” as historically having prohibitions on firearms. It also appears to lock in the tighter focus of the bill, as bill titles can be narrowed in scope, not expanded, as they work through the Capitol.

The bill will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

Sen. Chris Kolker, a Centennial Democrat and sponsor of the measure, said the changes were “part of the legislative process, the give and take, and listening to people’s concerns.” Despite losing many of the original locations proposed in the ban, he said including higher education was his “No. 1 goal” with the bill.

The bill comes as the University of Colorado’s elected Board of Regents considers a new ban on the concealed carry of firearms on CU’s four campuses. A Colorado Supreme Court decision in 2012 reversed a longstanding ban on concealed carry. Current policy allows people 21 and older with a valid permit to have concealed firearms on any CU campus, except in residence halls and special event zones like sporting events and concerts.

His co-sponsor, Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat, rejected the notion the bill was watered down by removing many of the specified gun-free locations and called it “a game changer.”

“I think we’ve set a pattern that this is what other states can follow,” Jaquez Lewis said. “…The Supreme Court cases do not say this is an exhaustive list. This is where we needed to go for Colorado and we’re happy that we were able to pass this.”

The bill passed on a 3-2 party-line vote. Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, a Highlands Ranch Republican, said even with the narrowing “it’s still a very bad bill that leaves, especially, kids on college campuses totally defenseless.”