Senate Democrats are winning the gun battle at the state Capitol so far this year.
The Senate State Affairs Committee, known unofficially as a graveyard for bills that leadership wants killed, shot down a proposal Monday to expand Colorado’s “make my day” law.
The three Democrats on the five-member committee rejected legislation that would have allowed business owners to shoot threatening intruders, as homeowners are already permitted to do.
The bill’s demise came three days after Senate Democrats thwarted attempts by Republicans to hijack a Democrat-sponsored bill that would tighten restrictions on concealed weapons.
Republicans tried to amend the bill to say Coloradans could use concealed-gun permits from any other state. Instead, the legislation from Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, squeaked through as he originally wrote it – a ban on mail-order and other out-of-state permits for people who want to pack concealed handguns.
The bill’s future, though, is uncertain as it heads to the House. It depends on a handful of rural Democrats, the same group that helped send the “make my day better” bill to the Senate.
“You got a lot more gun-loving Democrats over there,” Rep. Buffie McFadyen said.
The Pueblo West Democrat and seven other Democrats sided with minority Republicans to pass the expansion of “make my day,” House Bill 1011. McFadyen said she hasn’t decided whether she will support Morse’s measure on concealed weapons.
Morse said his bill, Senate Bill 34, closes a loophole that allows Coloradans who don’t want to work through their local sheriff to get permits elsewhere. Current law does not allow enforcement officers to yank the permits issued by another state.
“This is common-sense public safety,” he said.
Democrats who killed the “make my day better” bill said they were concerned it would escalate violence in stores, malls and restaurants.
Sen. Peter Groff, a Denver Democrat who chairs the committee, said a shopkeeper could end up shooting a straight-A student in baggy pants “listening to Snoop Doggy Dog” on his iPod just because he looked threatening.
But Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, said his bill would not “give people the free will to have street death penalty.” Rather, people could have used the law to defend themselves by shooting an intruder who threatened bodily harm, he said.
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached at 303-954-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
