Lawmakers worked into the night Thursday passing seven gun bills that sparked passionate responses from dozens of witnesses.
The House Judiciary Committee debated nine gun bills, ranging from tougher penalties for felons with firearms to background checks on all sales at gun shows.
By midnight, committee members had approved all seven bills they had considered and were debating the eighth. One more bill was pending as they worked on.
Require juveniles offenders' fingerprints to be sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
A number of witnesses said more gun laws are not the answer.
"All you need is a little common sense to see that existing gun laws are ineffective and more gun laws would also be ineffective," said Columbine High survivor Rachel Ebert, who was in the school cafeteria when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold stormed the school April 20.
But Ollie Phason, whose son Broderick Bell was shot in the head during Denver's "Summer of Violence" in 1993, begged lawmakers to strengthen gun laws. "I'm depending on you from the bottom of my heart," she said.
The hearing began at 1:30 p.m. in the Old Supreme Court chambers at the Capitol with dramatic testimony by Robyn Anderson, the Columbine student who bought three of the four weapons used in the shootings.
Lawmakers spent most of the afternoon debating House Bill 1272 by Rep. Dorothy Gotlieb, R-Denver, which would allow the state to prosecute federally licensed firearms dealers who sell handguns to anyone ages 18 to 21. Currently, only the federal government can prosecute violators.
But even supporters of strict gun controls argued against the bill because they said it did absolutely nothing.
"It's a wussy bill," said Eileen McCarron of the Colorado Coalition Against Gun Violence. "It's an amoeba in wolf's clothing."
Gov. Bill Owens supported the bill. It passed 8 to 5.
Ari Zavaras, director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety and Owens' point man on gun issues, was clearly relieved.
"Was it 100 percent of what the governor wanted? It isn't, but it's a step in the right direction," he said.
It's no surprise that gun bills passed the House Judiciary Committee. It's the most moderate committee in the legislature and most of the gun bills were expected to survive the hearing. Seven of the nine guns bills up for a vote Thursday were sponsored by Republicans and most had Democratic support.
The bill most GOP lawmakers oppose is House Bill 1242 by Rep. Ken Gordon, D- Denver. It would require background checks on all firearms sales at gun shows, a move Owens backs. Currently, only federally licensed firearms dealers must do checks.
Anderson testified she never would have bought the guns Harris and Klebold used in the Columbine massacre if she were required to undergo a background check. The purchases were made from private sellers.
But Gordon substituted a new bill that tightened the definition of gun shows and requires federal as well as state background checks. It passed the committee on a 7-6 vote with Republicans Bill Kaufman of Loveland and Marcy Morrison of Manitou Springs voting with the five Democrats.
But even with those changes, Don Douglas, a federally licensed firearms dealer from Parker, called it a bad bill.
"More private sales occur than anyone can imagine," he said. "It's probably double the number of licensed sales."
The next big test for the bills comes when they are heard on the House floor, where Republicans enjoy a 40-25 majority. If it passes muster there, it's on to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has passed one of five guns bills so far.
Contact Lynn Bartels at (303) 892-5405 or bartelsl@RockyMountainNews.com.
January 28, 2000