WEAPONS

one’s plan can save a life, Sullivan said. “Although rearms are used less than 10% of the time in suicides, they have a success ratio of over 90%,” he said.

e waiting-period bill, expected to be formally unveiled this week in the House, is part of a package of gun control measures Democrats are planning to introduce at the Capitol this year. Other legislation will seek to raise the age to purchase ri es and shotguns to 21 to match the policy for handguns, regulate homemade rearms that lack serial numbers — also known as “ghost guns” — and make it easier to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. Additionally, there will be a measure introduced that would expand who can petition a judge to order the temporary seizure of someone’s guns under the state’s so-called red ag law.

Several Democrats are also mulling whether to introduce a bill banning the sale and transfer of so-called assault weapons, which draft legislation de nes as semiautomatic ri es and pistols with certain features. “If we do get the language right, you’ll see it. If we’re not able to get the language and the content right, you won’t see it,” Sen. Rhonda Fields, an Aurora Democrat and one of the lead sponsors of the prospective legislation, said at an event earlier this month.

Democrat and another lead sponsor of the waiting-period bill, said Democrats will continue pursuing gun regulations “until we don’t need to do it anymore.”

“ ere are about 10, 12 things you can do to reduce gun violence, and we’ve done a couple of them. We’re gonna do a couple more,” said Froelich, who is part of a new gun violence prevention caucus at the legislature. “We’re going to go about it in a kind of methodical way. e ultimate goal is to recognize that this is a public health crisis and to just, at the end of the day, save lives.”

Proponents of waiting periods, also known as “cooling-o periods,” say they can prevent impulsive homicides and suicides. Nine states and the District of Columbia already have waiting periods for gun purchases, according to Gi ords, a group that pushes for tougher rearm regulations, though the policies di er from state to state. e forthcoming Colorado bill would apply to all rearms. If a background check takes longer than the three-day waiting period, purchasers would have to continue waiting to access their weapon until the check is complete. e prospective measure is slated to o er an exception for domestic violence victims with a restraining order against their abuser who can prove that the order is in e ect. ose victims would still, however, have to pass a background check. ( e carve-out for domestic violence victims may be added as an amendment after the bill is introduced.) e bill’s lead sponsors say they settled on three days after looking at other states’ policies and taking into consideration that if they aren’t instant, as designed, most background checks in Colorado are completed within two to ve days. e waiting period would begin when a seller initiates a background check. e bill’s sponsors say they have the backing of Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic leadership in the legislature. “We feel we have the support across the board of the executive branch and leadership in both chambers,” Froelich said.

Hawaii has the longest waiting period, at 14 days, followed by California and Washington, D.C., at 10 days.

In Rhode Island, people must wait seven days after purchasing a rearm to gain access to it. Florida requires three days between when someone purchases a gun and can access it. In Illinois, gun purchasers wait 72 hours.

Minnesota has a seven-day waiting period for handguns and so-called assault weapons, while Washington had a 10-day waiting period for semi-automatic ri es. Maryland and New Jersey each require a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases.

Antique and relic rearms would be exempt from the waiting period.

Gun sellers who violate the policy would be subject to a $500 ne that could increase to between $500 and $5,000 for a second and subsequent o ense. e penalty would be civil, not criminal.

Conor Cahill, a spokesman for Polis, didn’t directly respond to a question about how the governor feels about the concept of waiting periods.

“ e governor is committed to making Colorado one of the top 10 safest states and appreciates commonsense e orts to help accomplish this goal, including support for law enforcement, tougher penalties on auto theft and improving gun safety,” Cahill said.

Sullivan considered bringing a waiting-period bill in 2021, but Democrats opted to focus that year on other gun control measures instead. “We would have loved to have seen it either of the past two sessions, but it just didn’t nd its way to daylight,” he said Tuesday evening.

Republicans are likely to oppose the measure, but they are in the minority in the Colorado House and Senate and have few options to try to stop the bill from passing. Gun rights groups will also ght the proposal.

Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, another lead sponsor of the bill, says she was inspired to work on the measure in part by her son’s unsuccessful attempt to kill himself with a gun.

Years ago, Amabile’s son was in crisis and attempted to purchase a gun, but his required background check was not immediately completed. Instead, Amabile and her husband were able to intervene.

“Had his background check come back instantly, he would have been sold the gun and, I believe, he would be dead,” she told e Sun. “But instead he continued to spiral and ended up in hospital and is still with us. And doing better.” ere are several cases in Colorado in which someone purchased a gun and shortly thereafter harmed themselves or others. e man who killed 10 people, including a police o cer, at a Boulder King Soopers in 2021 purchased the gun he used in the attack six days prior. is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

( e fourth lead sponsor of the waiting-period bill will be Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver.)

In 2019, Sol Pais, an 18-year-old Florida woman obsessed with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, traveled to Colorado days before the 20th anniversary of the deadly attack, prompting schools across the state to close as a precaution. Pais drove straight to a gun store from the airport and purchased a shotgun and ammunition. She then killed herself near Mount Evans.

In the case of the Highlands Ranch mother, Jennifer Laber, her husband later revealed that she had battled depression for years. But he said he never thought she would harm their children.

“ ere was no sign that she intended to hurt herself or the boys at all,” he told Denver7.