Gun bill ignites rights battle

Some Republicans see 2nd Amendment erosion

Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

A bill to make concealed-handgun permits issued by other states worthless to Colorado residents won first-round approval Monday in the House.

But several Republicans blasted it as an attempt to erode citizens' right to bear arms.

House sponsor Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, said that Senate Bill 34 is needed to plug a dangerous loophole that allows mentally ill or violent offenders - who are barred from obtaining Colorado concealed-handgun permits - to simply get an out-of-state permit to legally carry a gun.

She cited "disturbing" committee testimony by a Colorado man who said he could not obtain a concealed-handgun permit in this state, so he got a Florida permit and used it to take a concealed handgun into a college classroom.

"I think it's important to talk about a balance between constitutional rights and public safety," Madden said.

This triggered a stream of objections from Republicans, who said the bill flies in the face of the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment right "to keep and bear arms." They also worried that other states might halt reciprocity agreements allowing Colorado permit-holders to legally carry concealed handguns in other states.

"A safe society is a society that can defend itself, not a society that has been disarmed," said Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud.

Rep. Rep. Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, fired back that Republicans were engaged in "a bunch of fear mongering."

"There's nothing in this bill . . . that would keep anyone from carrying a (concealed) weapon if they have a valid concealed-weapons permit," he said.

gathrighta@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5486