Colorado Senate Bill 49

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If you don't already know about it, Colorado Senate Bill 49 (available at the bottom of this page http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/BillFoldersSenate?openFrameset) would criminalize unsafe storage of a firearm if that firearm is taken by a minor to school or used to hurt or kill themselves or others. The bill is extremely vague as to what constitutes safe and "resonable" and is obviously an unconstitutional invasion of privacy by the state legislature. Read it, write your Senator and tell others too.

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This bill has been pre-amended. There are some wording changes, but it still sucks all the same.

The one saving grace (if it can be called that) is that if you DO have trigger locks and/or a gunsafe, and the minor circumvents that security, then the point is moot. You did a reasonable amount of securing the firearm(s), and that is what the bill wants to see: Safe Storage.

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This bill is now at the Senate Appropriations Committee. I sent an "oppose SB49" email message to all committee members today. Already got a reply from Senator Greg Brophy. He also opposes the bill and wrote that he would do "everything possible to defeat it".

If the bill passed, I would not need to comply because the only way a minor can get to my weapons is by commiting burglary, which is specifically exempted in the bill text. It really only applies to minors who live in or visit the owner's house.

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According to Sen. Brophy, SB49 was killed in the Appropriations Committee on 4/11/08. Unless it is reheard on 5/8/08, it's dead.