Boulder, Colorado, unanimously votes to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines

[silver_2000_tj]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boulder-colorado-unanimously-passes-ban-on-assault-weapons/

Three months after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, reignited the debate around assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, no sweeping gun control laws have been enacted at the federal level. On the local level, however, a handful of cities and towns across the country are taking aim at the controversial firearms.

In April, the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois voted to ban assault weapons and fine violators up to $1,000 a day. And now, the city of Boulder, Colorado, is following suit. On Tuesday, Boulder's City Council unanimously passed a ban on the sale and possession of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and bump-stock devices -- even while attorneys from a pro-gun rights group threatened legal action.

In accordance with the new ordinance, owners of high-capacity magazines and bump stocks will have until July 15 to dispose of the firearm accessories or sell them. After that point, they will not be permitted in the city of Boulder.

The council did, however, extend an olive branch to gun owners in the form of a grandfather clause: residents already in possession of assault weapons will have until the end of the year to receive a certificate proving prior ownership. At that point, all firearm owners who have proven that they owned their assault weapons prior to the passage of the new ban will be permitted to keep them. Only the purchase of new assault weapons is prohibited for Boulder residents who are not members of law enforcement, government officers or military personnel.

However, attorneys from the nonprofit Mountain States Legal Foundation insist that loophole is not enough and plan to challenge the ban in court.

According to the Daily Camera, the group's attorneys threatened legal action during the open comment section preceding the vote "on behalf of an unnamed client, alleging 'violations of the Second, Fifth and 14th Amendments,'" as well as the Colorado state constitution.

As it currently stands, the ordinance only grants Boulder police, not local gun stores, the right to issue certificates to current firearms owners. And while that piece of the ordinance may very well be amended in the future, as it currently stands, the law represents continued and groundbreaking local action in the effort to restrict access to assault weapons.

"My hope is that we will see more bans at the state level and one day at the federal level so these weapons will no longer be available," Boulder Councilman Aaron Brockett reportedly stated at the vote.

[SS Junk]

All these blue shithole towns will follow suit. Even after it's proven it will do nothing to curb gun violence they'll still think they accomplished something because of their mental disability.

[GhostTX]

I bet San Fran will be next.

[Broncojohnny]

Based on the description of the outlawed guns in the ordinance this won't stand for long, it is purely feel good liberal garbage.

[SS Junk]

... and here is their next tactic:

[Gargamel]

I bet San Fran will be next.

As far as handguns are concerned in San Fran, it already happened in 2005.

Proposition H

How the hell this hasn't been overturned yet concerns the hell out of me and makes me think that these local laws are going to stick despite being unconstitutional as hell.

Where the heck are the conservative State and Federal judges to reign in this crap? Oh, I forgot.... that Judicial activism crap only goes one way.

All these laws do is make criminals of law abiding citizens.

[YALE]

I'm fairly certain only Denver has preemption rights in Colorado.

[DON SVO]

I like how they’re going to “grandfather” your existing “assault weapon” by essentially creating a gun registry that will include high cap mags. I’d treasure living in a city where the only regulated, controlled, and penalized people are the ones who own a legal firearm.

[Chili]

I'm fairly certain only Denver has preemption rights in Colorado.

That was my understanding too.. I think remember reading that on handgunlaw.us or opencarry.org or something similar.

I like how they’re going to “grandfather” your existing “assault weapon” by essentially creating a gun registry that will include high cap mags. I’d treasure living in a city where the only regulated, controlled, and penalized people are the ones who own a legal firearm.

Yeah, one of the first things I thought of too.

I bet San Fran will be next.

CA state law is already there..

[Chili]

I'm fairly certain only Denver has preemption rights in Colorado.

Doing a quick search, it looks like the preemption issue has yet to be fully addressed by the Colorado Supreme court, though the Denver ban does stand:

The Supreme Court of Colorado considered the appeal of these two cases in early 2006. On June 5, 2006, in an unusual 3-3 court deadlock, the aforementioned lower-court decisions were allowed to stand. Thus, Denver may now enforce its ordinances regulating the open carrying of firearms generally and in city parks, and banning assault weapons and Saturday night specials. The split provided no clear ruling on the preemption issues involved with these firearm ordinances.

http://lawcenter.giffords.org/local-authority-to-regulate-firearms-in-colorado/

[sc281]

I like how they’re going to “grandfather” your existing “assault weapon” by essentially creating a gun registry that will include high cap mags. I’d treasure living in a city where the only regulated, controlled, and penalized people are the ones who own a legal firearm.

Any government that makes it so unbearably difficult for a citizen to remain law abiding and so easy to be an outlaw is no government at all, and will itself soon be governed by outlaws.

[Broncojohnny]

Just need to hang the liberals with their own rope. If the City of Denver can preempt laws then why can’t an individual citizen or group of citizens do the same? Can the city of Ft. Collins legalize machine guns? If not, why not?

[sc281]

Just need to hang the liberals with their own rope. If the City of Denver can preempt laws then why can’t an individual citizen or group of citizens do the same? Can the city of Ft. Collins legalize machine guns? If not, why not?

The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.

[Gasser64]

All these laws do is make criminals of law abiding citizens.

They'd make one out of me. I don't recognize their authority, and I will do what I please. Not going to make it obvious what I was doing, but I'd still do it. Fuck 'em. They're outside the law, not me.

[Trip McNeely]

Just need to hang the liberals with their own rope. If the City of Denver can preempt laws then why can’t an individual citizen or group of citizens do the same? Can the city of Ft. Collins legalize machine guns? If not, why not?

Tehehe i believe thats exactly what they did in Illinois with the ‘Gun Sanctuary’ cities. Used the liberals own law and language to create it. I love it.