The Colorado Senate gave preliminary approval early Friday to a bill that would ban the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and pistols, but the chamber added a major carveout for people who complete a training course to be regulated by and offered through the state.
The exemption, tacked on by Democrats in an effort to appease Gov. Jared Polis, represents a significant watering down of the measure. But proponents of the legislation felt it was needed to advance Senate Bill 3 after two delays to allow for more negotiations with the governor’s office.
Some Democrats in the Senate were wary about voting for the measure if Polis was eventually going to veto it. With the carveout, the governor has signaled he will sign the bill into law if it passes the House, as is widely expected…