KKCO, Grand Junction, Colorado Early in February 2024, a measure from Colorado was filed that would have prohibited weapons from 19 areas deemed “sensitive.”
Carrying a handgun in sensitive spaces is forbidden under SB24-131, Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces. This includes both open and concealed carry of firearms in certain public areas. Public parks, community leisure centers, hospitals, sports arenas, pubs, libraries, universities, polling places, and government facilities are among the precise areas mentioned in the bill. The prohibitions would also cover the carrying of firearms during public gatherings such as marches, rallies, protests, and other gatherings. Unless the owners specifically permit it, churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship would also be prohibited from carrying. The surrounding parking lots of these spaces would be included in the prohibition on carrying a handgun in the regions mentioned.
Should the bill become law, anyone found in possession of a firearm in any of the designated public areas would be charged with an unclassified misdemeanor, which carries a $250 fine. A punishment of up to $1,000 would be imposed for a second offense.
Law enforcement officers, members of the US armed forces or the Colorado National Guard, security personnel, firearms kept in secure containers in cars, and possession of firearms for instruction for organized classes, extracurricular activities, or an athletic team approved by a college or university are among the groups covered by the bill’s exceptions.
The bill states that the state has the authority to prohibit the carrying of weapons because it already forbids carrying in public places like schools and train stations. This claim would disprove the bill’s claim that it violates the Second Amendment. The local government would still be able to pass laws allowing people to carry firearms inside of buildings that it owns, leases, or runs even if the prohibition were to take effect.
The general assembly finds, decides, and proclaims that this act is required for the urgent preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the state’s departments and state institutions, according to an excerpt from the law.
SB24-131 would take effect on July 1, 2024, if it passes. The bill is presently being discussed.