While the city of Longmont considers a proposed list of gun control measures, the Boulder County Commissioners next week are introducing a slate of ordinances that include a ban on assault weapons and “ghost guns.”
The ordinances will get their first reading at the board’s business meeting July 5. The proposals represent a multifaceted approach to reducing gun violence through bans on the sale of assault weapons and the possession of “ghost guns”, as well as an age-based restriction, a waiting period for purchasing a firearm, and restrictions on firearms in sensitive public areas, according to a Boulder County news release.
“Ghost guns” are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home.
The board of commissioners early in June joined other communities across the country in declaring June to be Gun Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Other Boulder County communities — including Boulder — have also passed a slate of gun control ordinances.
Longmont City Council are considering a group of measures including:
- Banning the open carrying of weapons in the city.
- Enforcing a 10-day waiting period after the purchase of a firearm.
- Being 21-years-of-age before the purchase of any firearm.
- Prohibiting the sale of unserialized firearms or “ghost guns.”
- Signage on buildings reminding people about an open carry ban.
Several gun rights advocates spoke up against ideas during a lengthy public invited to be heard session, decrying the rules as knee-jerk reactions to a recent spate of mass shootings.
Longmont Councilor Tim Waters also said the city should be ready to reach across the ideological aisle for a discussion about gun violence in our society. “What will make a real difference is a change of culture,” Waters said earlier this month.
Boulder County Commissioner Chair Marta Loachamin said in the news release that the county has a long-standing commitment to the prevention of gun violence. “While we continue to support state and federal progress, we need to continue to take action at a local level to protect our communities,” Loachamin said.
The U.S. experienced 295 mass shootings in the first half of 2022 alone, Board of Commissioners Vice-Chair Claire Levy said in the news release. “But sadly gun violence is bigger than mass shootings, and includes injuries and deaths every day from domestic violence and suicide — both of which are more deadly when a firearm is used, Levy said. “We need to do everything we can to protect Boulder County residents from gun violence.”
Senate Bill 21-256 removed restrictions that prohibited local jurisdictions from passing gun violence prevention ordinances, Commissioner Matt Jones said. “Thanks to the legislation’s sponsors Boulder County legislators Senate President Steve Fenberg and Representative Edie Hooton, as well as the state legislators who voted in favor of it, we now have the power to make real changes to prevent gun violence.”
The following proposed local ordinances apply to unincorporated Boulder County:
Ordinance 2022-2 An Ordinance Prohibiting the Purchase of Firearms by Anyone Under the Age of Twenty-One
Ordinance 2022-3 An Ordinance Requiring a Waiting Period Prior to the Sale of Firearms; and Setting Forth Related Details
Ordinance 2022-4 An Ordinance Prohibiting the Carrying of Firearms in Sensitive Public Places
Ordinance 2022-5 An Ordinance Prohibiting the sale and purchase of Assault Weapons, Large Capacity Magazines, and Trigger Activators
Ordinance 2022-6 An Ordinance to Regulate the Possession of Unfinished Frames and Receivers, and Unserialized Firearms
The second reading of the ordinances, including the opportunity for oral public comment, is scheduled for Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. Written comments should be submitted online by July 31. Visit the county’s website for details and links to the draft ordinances.
