On April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School, thirteen people lost their lives in a devastating massacre. After this tragic event, the state of Colorado enacted the 2003 Concealed Carry Act to allow law-abiding residents of the state over the age of twenty-one the right to carry a concealed weapon with a permit for five years. The process of obtaining the permit requires the resident to contact their local sheriff’s office, complete an application, and pass both a fingerprint-based background check and a safety-training class taught by a nationally-certified instructor (Kopel). At the time of enactment, the Concealed Carry Act was used to provide “statewide uniform standards for issuing permits to carry concealed handguns for self-defense” (Concealed Carry Act, 2003).
With the recent rapid increase in the amount of gun violence, new bill proposals have been created in the hopes of creating a safer America through the regulation and reform of guns. Here in Colorado, two Republican state legislators, State Senator Tim Neville from Golden and State Representative Kevin Van Winkle from Douglas County have recently proposed a new bill. This bill is called Senate Bill 97 and would allow a law-abiding person to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. The bill would have the same carrying limitations and rights as a person who holds a permit but would not require the process of obtaining a permit through the local sheriff’s office. People in opposition of the bill worry that this could result in more people in possession of handguns without properly completing a safety course. The Colorado Bill allowing state residents to carry a concealed handgun without a permit should not be implemented in the state of Colorado and the existing policy, created by the Concealed Carry Act of 2003, should remain in place in order to ensure the safety of Coloradans.
Senate Bill 97 would not only eliminate the carrying of a permit requirement but also would eliminate the fees paid to the state and Federal Bureau of Investigation and make the safety-training class, a non mandatory requirement. In a recent news article posted by the Denver Channel, the sponsor of the bill Tim Neville said that, “The idea behind constitutional carry is that you should be able to carry a concealed handgun without applying for government permission or paying an expensive fee, if you are otherwise legally able to carry a firearm” (The Denver Channel). With the existing bill, the current fees are fifty-two dollars to apply and the local sheriff’s office may charge up to an additional one-hundred dollars for fingerprinting and processing fees. It costs twenty-five dollars to renew the license every five years (USA Carry). The four-hour safety-training class is a required course under the current law and costs an additional eighty-nine dollars. It is also required that the applicant completed the course within the last ten years before they may apply (USA Carry). In the class, participants learn knowledge to help keep the participant and others physically, legally, financially, and morally safe. Participants also learn about the legal use of force, violent encounters and their repercussions, and Colorado carry laws (Colorado Gun Class). If this new non-permit bill, Senate Bill 97, were to be passed then these required safety courses would no longer be mandatory. More Coloradans carrying guns without a state-issued permit and proper completion of gun safety and training courses will result in more gun violence. Additionally, it will leave guns in the hands of people who have not been certified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local sheriff’s office. Although some argue that since Colorado already allows residents to openly carry a handgun without a permit, they should be able to put their handgun in their pocket or purse and avoid paying fees. Despite this opposition, the current fees are not all that excessive and the fees allow the state and federal governments to have a count on how many people are registered to carry.
A few years ago, my Dad went through the current process of obtaining a permit to carry a concealed gun. After the completion of the safety course, he stressed the value of the safety class in obtaining the permit. He said that the instructor emphasized the importance of the concealed gun carrier knowing all the regulations and limitations of possessing a concealed gun. The instructor also informed the participants that if the carrier were to ever shoot someone, their life would never be the same. The use of the firearm is an absolute last resort to save your life or save someone else’s life. If the safety course were to no longer be required under the new Senate Bill 97, concealed gun carriers would be unaware of the vital regulations and consequences that come with having a concealed gun. It would increase the number of concealed gun owners without the proper knowledge of the dangers of having a gun.
In 2017, “51,030 concealed carry permits were processed: 12,293 renewals and 38,737 new applications” (The Denver Channel). If the permit process were to be eliminated then there would be no available statistics on the number of people who are carrying a concealed gun in Colorado. Under the current law, “it is a class 2 misdemeanor for Coloradans to knowingly carry a concealed weapon without a permit, and a class 6 felony if they do so on school grounds” (The Denver Channel). The new proposal would still enforce the ban of concealed guns on school grounds but would eliminate the class 2 misdemeanor charge, which is usually a two-hundred and fifty dollar fine or up to three months in prison.
On March 8, 2018, Senate Bill 97 was passed in the Senate with eighteen Republicans voting in favor, while sixteen Democrats and one Independent voted against the bill (The Denver Channel). The bill is now on its way to the House of Representatives where the democratic-controlled House will argue and vote on the measure. In the 2017 Colorado General Assembly session, a similar bill proposed by the same sponsors was also passed in the Senate but was lost in the House of Representatives. Given that the bill is still in the middle of the legislative process, residents have more effect on the passage of the bill than if it had already been passed and become a law. In order for Coloradans in opposition to influence policy making and ensure that this measure is not implemented, Coloradans must lobby to legislators to get convey their beliefs. Individually, lobbying can be expressed in multiple ways such as calling or writing to the office of the representative from a specific district. In a bigger sense, joining a lobbying group that has direct access to the legislators and the same interest in preventing the measure from being passed is a larger way to ensure that the voice of Coloradans are heard.
If Senate Bill 97 were to be implemented in the state of Colorado, it would allow more people to conceal carry a weapon without a fingerprint based background check or the safety training course. These extra measures are entirely beneficial and as such should not be eliminated. In order to keep Coloradan’s safe from gun violence, Senate Bill 97 should not be implemented and the current permit process should remain in place.