Alphecca

Colorado Dem Wants Tougher CCW Standards

Well that didn't take long... Put Democrats in power and gun control rises to the top of the agenda, at least in Colorado. From the Denver Daily News:

...Other such public safety legislation said to be introduced, is a bill that would toughen the application process for concealed weapons permits. The legislation is expected to be introduced by Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs.

“There are some states that grant concealed weapons permits via mail,” read the statement sent by the Senate majority leadership. “These states do not have our same high standards for issuing permits, nor provide an ability to prevent ineligible applicants from receiving a permit. This bill fixes that loophole."

I'm trying to figure out what power a Colorado State Senator has over the permit issuing procedures of the other 49 states. The article is short on specifics. Maybe he wants to eliminate "reciprocity" with other states.

Or is he talking about making it tougher in Colorado itself? Hmmm... Maybe he thinks just any 'ol person can get a permit there. Yet, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, here are the state requirements:

New Applicants

Process components to be provided:

1. A completed application (.pdf), not signed. Applications must be signed in the presence of the county sheriff or his designee. A Supplemental Form (.pdf) must be completed if you answer "yes" to #14 on the application.
2. A copy of a valid Colorado driver's license or valid Colorado or military photo identification.
3. Applicants are required to show proof of a completed firearms (handgun) safety or training course by providing an original or a copy of their original certificate. (see details)
4. Two non-refundable processing fees are required.
5. Application and attachments must be submitted in person to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Records Section, 200 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden, Colorado. Applications will be accepted Tuesdays and Thursdays only, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (click here for map and directions)
6. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office will take two sets of fingerprints.

So you have to, in person -- not by mail -- show proof of I.D., you have to show proof of firearms training, get fingerprinted, and according to the application itself you are...:

"I fully understand that the issuing County Sheriff's Office conducts a background investigation of all applicants who are being considered for a concealed handgun permit. This investigation includes, but is not limited to, an investigation of military, police, driving records, and character.

Emphasis mine. Colorado is NOT a "shall issue" state. As the FAQ says:

Regardless of whether the applicant meets the criteria specified, if the sheriff has reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely the applicant will present a danger to self or others, the sheriff may deny the permit...

Meaning that if the Sheriff doesn't like you, you're fucked. Unspoken is the fact that if you voted the wrong way or are black or gay, you might not get your permit. I'm not saying they actually discriminate, simply that your permit approval is at the mercy of someone else's subjective opinion.

The background investigation can take 90 days to complete and if you pass, you still have to go down and get photographed. I'm surprised they don't also require a DNA sample...

Apparantly, all of that still isn't enough for Democratic State Sen. John Morse. The news articles I looked at don't specify exactly how he wants the process "toughened" but I assume it involves questioning under hypnosis, torture, and receiving an electronic brain implant device...

Somehow I wonder, after the national Dems exhaust their "100-Hour Agenda," what gun control legislation the Schumers and Feinsteins have in store for the rest of us.

Posted by Jeff Soyer at January 8, 2007 08:04 AM