Colorado’s new firearm law, SB25-003, takes effect Aug. 1 and places Colorado Parks and Wildlife in charge of developing and approving firearm safety courses that will be required to purchase certain semiautomatic firearms. This means CPW will be responsible for setting curriculum standards, approving instructors and determining what training Colorado gun owners must complete. That is a significant expansion of authority for an agency whose primary mission has been wildlife management and conservation.
CPW has been holding public meetings around the state to gather input on how it should implement these new responsibilities. However, turnout at these meetings raises questions about how much public input the agency is actually receiving. At the Durango meeting Monday, May 4, only nine people attended. That low number may reflect a lack of outreach rather than a lack of public interest. When agencies truly want participation, they ensure the public knows when and where to show up.
Even more concerning is how far CPW appears to be stretching its new mandate. Officials have discussed turning Hunter Education into a five-year renewal program and suggested the agency may have authority over what concealed-carry instructors teach. That goes well beyond what SB25-003 requires and raises serious questions about oversight and intent.
In my view, CPW has been given new power and is pushing it further than the law intended. SB25-003 is already unconstitutional, and CPW’s approach risks expanding the damage to constitutional rights.
Now is the time to speak up.
Holly Hott
Ignacio
