DENVER — The long-awaited bill to ban so-called "assault weapons" surfaced in the House late Friday afternoon — and has already lost a key supporter, raising questions about the viability of its path to the governor's desk.
Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, was listed as a first prime sponsor in previous drafts, but his name is no longer on House Bill 1230, which is sponsored by Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver and Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora.
The measure may not have enough support from Democrats, including by some leaders on this issue, and the measure is in danger of dividing the Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Caucus.
A draft of HB 1230 had been floating around the Capitol and on social media since the first day of the 2023 session, but sponsors, including Boesenecker, were less than certain on whether it would be introduced at all.
When Democratic lawmakers unveiled a package of four gun control bills on Feb. 23, the assault weapons ban was notably not on the list. Nor did lawmakers mention it.
Under HB 1230, "assault weapons" — a nonspecific term — is defined in several ways:
- a semiautomatic rifle that can accept a detachable magazine, along with modifications, such as a pistol grip, a detachable stock, a flash suppressor or a grenade launcher;
- a semiautomatic rifle with a fixed large-capacity magazine or a semiautomatic pistol with the same list of possible modifications;
- a semiautomatic shotgun, including those that can accept the same modifications;
- a semiautomatic firearm that can accept a belt ammunition feeding device or a semiautomatic firearm modified to be operable as an assault weapon as defined in the bill.
>Read the full article at Colorado Politics.
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