Colorado Sheriffs Displeased With State’s New Semi-Auto Ban

There’s a lot about the gun debate I find funny.

Not “ha ha” funny, but “that’s freaking stupid” funny.

For example, anti-gunners will routinely claim that pro-gun lawmakers aren’t really about “law and order” because they oppose something that a handful of big city police chiefs say they like, all while ignoring anytime law enforcement takes issue with a gun control law.

In other words, it’s only relevant when it’s convenient.

Take the most recent trainwreck in Colorado, where Gov. Jared Polis has signed some very troubling legislation into law. You know about it by now, of course, and if not, well, Cam has covered it.

And, as you might have gathered, at least some law enforcement officers are less than thrilled by this.

Several sheriffs in Southern Colorado are making their feelings known about a new gun control bill, SB 25-003, that was signed into law this week by Governor Jared Polis.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office called the bill “the most atrocious anti-2nd Amendment bill in Colorado history.” In a release, Sheriff Joseph Roybal said he was deeply disappointed in the Governor’s decision to not veto the bill and added, “Public safety experts across the state opposed this legislation, as it will be burdensome on law-abiding citizens, and have no adverse effect on criminals.”

Roybal also said, “It is clear those who hold the power in our state legislature are more interested in carrying out a political agenda, rather than sponsoring and voting for legislation which enhances public safety and preserves the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell also released a video statement in response to Governor Polis signing SB 25-003. In the video, Mikesell called the bill the “most restrictive gun rights bill in the United States’ history.”

Senate Bill 25-003 prohibits the purchase or sale of “rapid fire conversion devices, like bump stocks and binary triggers,” according to Colorado Senate Democrats.

The truth of the matter is that this bill will likely impact semi-automatic pistols, such as those preferred for self-defense purposes, to such a degree that people aren’t going to bother getting them, making them far more vulnerable to violent crime.

However, criminals aren’t going to even blink because, well, when have criminals demonstrated they’re law-abiding and get the appropriate licenses before they buy firearms illegally?

Yeah, exactly. Never.

They’re not going to slow down. No one is.

And what’s worse is that Polis has framed himself as a libertarian Democrat, which should suggest that he’s at least open to gun rights.

He’s not. That’s clear as day now to anyone who has eyes.

And yes, a lot of sheriffs are saying that it’s a terrible idea, which anti-gunners don’t care about, even as they try to use opposition from other law enforcement officers for gun rights into a talking point. It only matters when it’s convenient.

Meanwhile, at least this side of the debate has some consistency. Rights are rights, and it doesn’t matter if police favor or disfavor a given policy to most of us. They’re still our rights.

As noted in Cam’s piece from Friday, there’s a lawsuit already in the works, and I honestly don’t see how this can be justified under the history, text, and tradition standard laid down in Bruen.

But I also can’t imagine how Polis can justify it to himself, especially with so many sheriffs upset over it.