Colorado Gun Law

With the current legislative session winding down, a bill to repeal the magazine restrictions passed by the Dems on straight party-line votes 2 years ago is now in the Dem-controlled house. Predictably Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst (D-Peoples Republic of Boulder) has consigned it to the house Veterans Affairs committee, also known as the "kill committee". This committee is made up of people from districts so safe that anything they do that didn't result in a lengthy jail term would probably not impact their chances of getting reelected.

Up to now anyway. Rep. Joe (pop-pop) Salazar (D-Thornton) who famously opposed allowing permit holders to carry on college campuses because he was afraid some flighty coed would simply turn around and "pop a couple of shots" at someone innocently following her, was almost defeated in the last election. He is now reconsidering his position on guns. Specifically he is willing to amend the repeal bill to up the limit to 30 rounds. 

A 30 round limit probably covers 95% or more of what anyone uses, and passing such a bill would allow Dems in close races to lie about supporting gun rights, possibly enough to save some of their sorry asses in the next election. This probably has a chance of passing. Over the hill like the rescuing cavalry comes Dudley Brown and the RMGO whose position is that either the repeal goes through with no amendments or there will be primary challengers for those who voted the wrong way. Admittedly this is no idle threat. The Colorado electorate is slow to anger, or anything else, but they can be roused and even some of the best Gerrymandering around didn't save the Senate last election.

So here's the choice: No compromise, and probably no change to the mag limits, or take the 30 round compromise and plan on going full court press in the next election anyway. With new leadership in the Republican party here, this could happen. If they bring their A game, this should happen anyway but at this point it's too early to predict what Steve House, Republican chairman will do.