Colorado lawmakers passed two gun reform bills Sunday after three days of Republican filibustering that only ended after House Democrats dusted off a rarely used rule to accelerate votes and end what they described as stall tactics.
The two passed bills would expand the state’s red-flag law and make it easier to file lawsuits against gun manufacturers and dealers. The measures will head to Gov. Jared Polis‘ desk in the coming days, provided House and Senate Democrats resolve changes made between the two chambers. The measures’ passage and the tense debate around them came after hundreds of Denver students and teachers descended upon the Capitol to demand legislation to address gun violence in the wake of yet another school shooting.
It was that call for action that animated Democrats’ speeches throughout the weekend’s debates. They said the bills would allow for better mental health interventions while removing Colorado-specific protections for gun manufacturers and sellers. Republicans, who spoke until the procedural clock ran out Saturday and Sunday, cast the debate as an attack on the Second Amendment and an overreach of government that wouldn’t help the state address gun violence or suicide.
