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MorningMagazine_2025-04-17 Gabrielle Mendoza
State GOP Asks for Federal Review Of New Gun Law
Colorado’s House Republicans are asking the federal government to review the constitutionality of the newly-approved gun safety law.
Senate Bill 003 requires that individuals take a safety training course and get approved by law enforcement in order to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns that have detachable magazines.
Governor Jared Polis signed the bill into law last week; however, it won’t go into effect until August 1st of 2026.
The bill has undergone many revisions since it was first introduced; initially, it sought to ban the aforementioned guns entirely.
Supporters believe the bill will help prevent mass shootings, according to Colorado Politics.
Opponents, on the other hand, have argued that the law strips away some rights granted under the Second Amendment, and don’t believe it’ll stop gun violence in the state.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, House Republican leaders called 003 “one of the most extreme” gun laws in the country, and urged her to prioritize challenging it.
Defense Against DOGE
Colorado Democrats are firming up a plan to defend the state against the Trump administration.
House Bill 1321, known as the Defense Against DOGE bill, won approval in the State House yesterday on a 43-22 party line vote. It goes next to the state Senate.
The measure would take four million dollars in unobligated funds from the state’s Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act Cash Fund, to hire attorneys and other personnel in federal legal proceedings, according to Colorado Politics. The money would be used at the discretion of the Governor’s office.
House Speaker Julie McCluskie said the bill is about defending Colorado taxpayers from federal actions that threaten health care, education, the environment, and public safety. Democrats said in a statement that the Trump administration has already frozen more than $570 million, on the recommendation of DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency.
Republicans are criticizing HB 1321 for using money that was supposed to be used for state infrastructure.
Wolf Repeal Effort Falling Short
A Colorado group called Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy is reportedly having a hard time raising money.
The group is backing the repeal of Colorado’s voter-approved wolf reintroduction program, and hopes to put the issue before voters on the 2026 ballot.
Their goal was to raise $200,000 by the end of March. But Colorado Politics says their first campaign finance report shows they only raised about $29,000.
Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy wants two proposals on the 2026 ballot. Initiative 13 would end the wolf reintroduction program by the end of that year. The second initiative has been challenged by the Title Board for violating a state law that limits ballot initiatives to a single subject.
Meanwhile, The Colorado Sun is reporting that over the next few days, the group will start gathering the signatures required to get Initiative 13 on the November 2026 ballot.
Heavy Weather
Weather forecasters say a cold front moving into the region will bring snow to the metro Denver area.
9News says the snow is expected to begin tonight, and continue most of tomorrow and into Saturday, when it should taper off.
Accumulation will likely be greatest in higher elevations, where four to eight inches of dense snow could fall. The weather system should clear up by Sunday.
