By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Democrat Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday signed four pieces of gun control legislation and “before the ink was even dry,” lawsuits had been filed to stop at least two of the bills in their tracks, according to ABC News.
Chief among the legislation are bills that raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21 years, and create a three-day waiting period for the delivery of a firearm. Waiting periods seem to be popular with the gun prohibition movement this year. A bill extending the waiting period in Washington to ten days was signed by Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee earlier in the week, along with a bill banning the future sale, manufacture and import of so-called “assault weapons.” The latter measure was promptly challenged by two federal court lawsuits, Hartford v. Ferguson, filed by the Second Amendment Foundation, and Banta v. Ferguson, filed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation with support from the National Rifle Association.
The governor’s website detailed the four bills:
- HB23-1219 Waiting Period to Deliver a Firearm
- SB23-168 Gun Violence Victims’ Access to Judicial System
- SB23-169 Increasing Minimum Age To Purchase Firearms
- SB23-170 Extreme Risk Protection Order Petitions
Another Colorado measure signed by Polis reportedly “strengthens” the state’s so-called “red flag law,” while a fourth bill will open the door to civil lawsuits against the firearms industry for crimes committed by people misusing guns.
The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners are plaintiffs in the legal actions. According to a press release, RMGO filed two lawsuits naming Polis and the State of Colorado as defendants. The lawsuits specifically target the waiting period requirement and the change in minimum gun-purchasing age.
In a prepared statement, RMGO Executive Director Taylor Rhodes explained, “Gun owners’ rights are being ravaged in the Colorado legislature by the puppets of Everytown for Gun Control and Michael Bloomberg. And they will not be happy until all law-abiding gun owners are disarmed, and only the criminals have guns. When a single mother is being harassed by a violent, abusive former partner, the Democrats at the Capitol think it is fine to make her wait at least three days to defend herself and her baby. And if she is twenty, these gun control fanatics insist she is completely defenseless.”
Rhodes was quoted by ABC News asserting, “This is simply bigoted politicians doing what bigoted politicians do: discriminating against an age.”
Polis, same as his counterpart in Washington State, was flanked by gun prohibition activists when he inked the legislation Friday morning.
