After over 12 hours of public testimony, 10 of which was solidly against the bill, the House Judiciary Committee passed HB24-1292 “Prohibit Certain Weapons Used in Mass Shootings” (their sneaky way of saying “Assault Weapons” ban) on 3/19/24 on a party-line vote of 7-3.

From here it will need to go to a debate and vote in the full House Chamber. This is scheduled on the legislative calendar, but they continue to lay it over each day, meaning it isn’t being heard but reappears on the calendar the next day. It also means it could go to that full vote any day.

This bill does NOT currently have a prime sponsor in the Senate, something that is required for it to be scheduled in the Senate Chamber and eventually become law.

Take this time to contact your State House representative and let them know you are oppose to this bill. You can find legislator contact info HERE. You can also begin reaching out to your State Senators.

This bill could easily clear the House Chamber but last week House Majority Leader Monica Duran told the Colorado Sun that if this bill does not get a Senate sponsor, it may never go to a vote of the full House Chamber. Instead they will continue to lay it over daily until the session ends. Forcing a two-day long debate on the house floor over the bill, and then making vulnerable Democrats vote on it, is just not worth the political capital if they know it’s dead in the senate. We continue to watch it closely. 

Please keep the pressure on. We will keep you updated as it moves forward. If it finds a prime sponsor in the Senate, it will be scheduled for another public committee hearing. If it doesn’t, it will stall. This is where we can make an impact and let the Senate know they do not want to touch this bill this late in the legislative session. 

It must pass both the State House and State Senate chambers to make it to the governor’s desk to become law.