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Just the committee...final vote on Friday.
A Colorado Senate committee on Monday passed a measure that bans ammunition magazines of more than 15 rounds after several hours of testimony from a barrage of experts, law enforcement officials and victims of mass shootings.
House Bill 1224 passed on 3-2 party line vote and moves to the Senate floor on Friday.
Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, the Senate sponsor of the bill, said several recent shooting sprees, including ones in Aurora and Newtown, Conn., were committed with gun magazines that held more than 15 rounds.
"This bill is an attempt to reduce the slaughter," Hodge said.
The bill — which also limits shotguns to having eight shells — passed through the House chamber by a 34-31 margin in February before moving on to the Senate.
Those testifying in favor of the bill included Patricia Maisch, a woman who helped disable Jared Loughner, the shooter who killed six and wounded 13 people, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, outside a Tucson grocery story in January 2011. Also testifying in favor was Theresa Hoover, mother of A.J. Boik, a victim in the Aurora theater shooting.
Meanwhile, Republicans balked at the measure.
"These awful tragedies should be prevented, but there's a real deep disagreement as to how we get there," said Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who added that the right of ordinary citizens to defend themselves would be infringed.
Supporters also included Jane Dougherty, sister of Mary Sherlach, the Sandy Hook Elementary School psychologist who was killed in the mass shooting that killed 20 children and six adults.
"Simple arithmetic says a smaller magazine needs to be replaced more often than a larger magazine," said Dougherty, who said 11 children managed to escape death at Sandy Hook when the shooter had to change gun magazines.
Republicans repeatedly questioned whether banning the larger capacity magazines would actually save lives.
Republican senators saved special scrutiny for David Chipman, a former agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms who testified in support of the bill. Chipman said the limit on magazine sizes would stop some shooters from becoming "killing machines."
But Sen. Steve King, a Grand Junction Republican and a career police officer, tore into Chipman, asking him if he'd ever shot someone or been shot at.
"I have not," Chipman said.
Three Democrats and two Republicans sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which early Monday passed a bill that sets restrictions on access to firearms for domestic violence offenders.
Both measures are among several pieces of stricter gun laws that the Democrats — who control both chambers at the Capitol and the governor's office — are proposing in the wake of several mass shootings in 2012.
House Bill 1224 passed on 3-2 party line vote and moves to the Senate floor on Friday.
Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, the Senate sponsor of the bill, said several recent shooting sprees, including ones in Aurora and Newtown, Conn., were committed with gun magazines that held more than 15 rounds.
"This bill is an attempt to reduce the slaughter," Hodge said.
The bill — which also limits shotguns to having eight shells — passed through the House chamber by a 34-31 margin in February before moving on to the Senate.
Those testifying in favor of the bill included Patricia Maisch, a woman who helped disable Jared Loughner, the shooter who killed six and wounded 13 people, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, outside a Tucson grocery story in January 2011. Also testifying in favor was Theresa Hoover, mother of A.J. Boik, a victim in the Aurora theater shooting.
Meanwhile, Republicans balked at the measure.
"These awful tragedies should be prevented, but there's a real deep disagreement as to how we get there," said Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who added that the right of ordinary citizens to defend themselves would be infringed.
Supporters also included Jane Dougherty, sister of Mary Sherlach, the Sandy Hook Elementary School psychologist who was killed in the mass shooting that killed 20 children and six adults.
"Simple arithmetic says a smaller magazine needs to be replaced more often than a larger magazine," said Dougherty, who said 11 children managed to escape death at Sandy Hook when the shooter had to change gun magazines.
Republicans repeatedly questioned whether banning the larger capacity magazines would actually save lives.
Republican senators saved special scrutiny for David Chipman, a former agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms who testified in support of the bill. Chipman said the limit on magazine sizes would stop some shooters from becoming "killing machines."
But Sen. Steve King, a Grand Junction Republican and a career police officer, tore into Chipman, asking him if he'd ever shot someone or been shot at.
"I have not," Chipman said.
Three Democrats and two Republicans sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which early Monday passed a bill that sets restrictions on access to firearms for domestic violence offenders.
Both measures are among several pieces of stricter gun laws that the Democrats — who control both chambers at the Capitol and the governor's office — are proposing in the wake of several mass shootings in 2012.
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