Two of three firearm safety bills heard by Colorado's Legislature

Two of three firearms safety bills got initial hearings in state House committees in the past week.

House Bill 1298 is in part a response to the shooting at the south Boulder King Soopers on March 22. The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee approved the bill on May 5 on a 7-4 party-line vote.

The bill is a comprehensive approach to several issues tied to background checks. It has three components: the first is to bar anyone convicted of a violent misdemeanor from purchasing a gun for five years after the conviction, and that is retroactive, meaning once the bill becomes law, it wou...