State senator introduces bill to ban bump stocks in Colorado

Following the Las Vegas shooting in October, 58 people were killed as gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire at a music festival.

The BATF said several of his guns were modified with bump stocks.

That is what’s motivating State Senator Michael Merrifield to introduce a bill banning bump stocks and other devices like it.

“If we make it more difficult for them to buy a mechanism that allows them to kill as many people as quickly as possible there’s a possibility there’ll be some interference there,” Merrifield said.

Bump stocks modify a rifle to simulate automatic fire, and it costs just hundreds of dollars with no background checks required.

“There’s no reason to own that,” Merrifield said.

The sentiments are not shared by Senator Owen Hill, he said the bill would restrict the rights of gun owners who abide by the law.

“We’re talking about a government ban on a piece of plastic that you can get anywhere. It just becomes a government overreach that doesn’t do anything to solve a real problem crime,” Hill said. “The only check to out of control criminals who want to take others lives is a making sure we have a well educated and well-armed citizenry.”

Another question is if the bill will be a start of more restrictions on gun accessories? Merrifield said no.

“Has nothing to do with any additional opportunities to create more regulation,” Merrifield said.

Hill said he will be voting no as he said there’s no way to enforce the law.

“This is an unenforceable law that we undermine the rule of law for everybody when we put unenforceable laws on the books,” Hill said.

The decision will be heading to the Senate State Affairs Committee in February. Should the bill pass it would mean owners of bump-stocks, or other devices that allow a rifle to simulate automatic fire, would have to get rid of their current devices.