DENVER (KDVR) — The gun debate continues at the state Capitol.
Colorado state senators spent their Friday night discussing three major gun bills.
The bills would broaden red flag laws, give gun violence victims more pathways to suing firearm dealers and manufacturers and raise the age for all firearm purchases to 21.
The red flag and lawsuit bills passed the second reading in the Senate. They now move to a third reading before moving to further consideration by the House.
Republicans slow progress on gun bills
Republican state Sens. Bob Gardner and Paul Lundeen spoke for extensive lengths of time, offering amendments to slow the progress of the bills — specifically the bill that would give gun victims a path to sue.
“What this bill is doing is ensuring that those who manufacture and sell firearms, small gun shop owners, are driven out of business,” Gardner said.
“There’s only one entity, one being, that has the ability to foresee with the level of clarity this would require, and that’s God almighty,” Lundeen said.
As of 10:15 p.m. on Friday, the bill to raise the age to 21 for firearm purchases had not even been discussed.
Gardner, Fenberg on Colorado gun legislation
Gardner and Senate President Steve Fenberg shared their thoughts on “Colorado Point of View” this week.
“I think the bills are very clear. There’s very good reason why each of these individual policies are being introduced,” Fenberg said. “When you look at the bill to raise the age to purchase a firearm, a large portion of our violence is from men between the ages of 18-21.”
Gardner told FOX31 the bills introduced don’t have clarity on the problems they’re solving.
“We hear the term gun violence thrown around. We think the problem is violence. It might be with guns, it might be with other weapons. But the problem is violence,” Gardner said.
Before any of these bills could become law, they would have to pass through the House.