The Weld County Sheriff’s Office published a press release this morning that expressed Weld County’s discontent with Governor Jared Polis’s signing of SB25-003 into law last week. The release, signed by Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams, said that “the bill will have a direct impact on the citizens of Weld County and the duties of the Weld County Sheriff’s Office.”
SB25-003, signed into law after months of deliberation about the bill in the House and Senate, will require Colorado citizens to have a permit and complete a safety course before purchasing certain firearms, while banning rapid-fire conversion devices. The bill was first introduced on January 8 and initially sought to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of semiautomatic rifles or shotguns with detachable magazines and gas-operated semiautomatic handguns. Over the last three months, the bill shifted from an all-out ban to emphasizing safety training and a permitting process. It still holds firm on banning rapid-fire conversion devices.
On April 7, before the bill became law, Sheriff Reams and Captain Matt Turner attended the Weld County Board of County Commissioners’ (BOCC) regular meeting, during which the commissioners “supported a resolution submitted by Sheriff Reams to express opposition to SB25-003.” The BOCC, which is composed entirely of members affiliated with the Republican Party, unanimously voted to approve Weld County’s opposition to the bill…