Colorado’s new gun-control law is already facing a fight from both gun-rights groups and county sheriffs who object to its training-certificate requirements for certain firearm purchases.
According to The Center Square, the law requires purchasers of semiautomatic firearms and rapid-fire devices to complete training and receive certification. The National Rifle Association has joined a lawsuit against Colorado’s governor over the measure.
Sheriffs object to certificate role
The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office announced shortly before the law took effect that it would not participate in managing or issuing the training certificate required through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife program.
In a statement quoted by The Center Square, Sheriff Steven Nowlin said his office “will not be participating in the management and issuance of the training certificate required” for a person to purchase or transfer specified restrictive semiautomatic rifles, shotguns or handguns identified under Senate Bill 25-003.
Nowlin told The Center Square that laws are generally enacted to promote public safety and security, but he did not believe SB25-003 adequately accomplishes that goal.
He also wrote that he had sworn an oath to uphold the U.S. and Colorado constitutions and to protect citizens’ rights in Montezuma County.
Custer County says it will comply, but objects
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office issued a similar public statement on Aug. 11, posting an image referencing Article II, Section 13 of the Colorado Constitution, which addresses the right to bear arms.
Sheriff Lloyd Smith wrote that while his office would comply with implementation of the bill, he “did not take an oath to help the state erode those rights one requirement, one fee, and one bureaucratic hurdle at a time,” according to the source material.
Gun-rights groups line up against the measure
The law has also drawn opposition from gun-rights organizations including the Second Amendment Foundation and Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which opposed the bill on constitutional grounds, according to The Center Square.
DCF Guns, described in the source as Colorado’s largest gun store and range company, pledged $400,000 to fight the law in court and lower rates for its firearm safety class, which the law requires for certain purchasers.
