Colorado Democratic lawmakers press Polis on gun and union bills
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Democrats at the Colorado Capitol are headed for a showdown with Gov. Jared Polis.
State of play: The majority party is advancing high-profile bills on guns and unions that conflict with the Democratic governor's sometimes-conservative values.
- Both measures cleared the Senate last week and now move to the more liberal House, where they are expected to easily win support.
The intrigue: The gun legislation, sponsored by Sen. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat whose son was killed in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, would restrict the sale of most semiautomatic firearms, like the one used by the Boulder King Soopers shooter in 2021. It won Senate approval by a narrow 19-15 margin.
- The union bill would remove the requirement for a second election before enacting a provision in the contracts to collect dues and fees. Colorado is the only state that requires the extra vote.
The other side: Polis initially expressed opposition to both bills, despite them being priority legislation for his party.
- His office struck a compromise on the gun bill by carving out certain weapons and allowing purchases if a buyer passes a training course.
Yes, but: The governor and lawmakers remain at odds on the union bill, which is vociferously opposed by the state's leading business groups.
- Polis said he wants to see lawmakers reach a deal with the business community, but he is skeptical about the possibility. Otherwise, he's likely to veto the measure.
What he's saying: "We've had stability in this area for 81 years, and that's been very important for the union movement," Polis recently told reporters.
- It's important, he added, for "workers to know they can choose to form a union, and they also have a choice on whether there's a required deduction from their paycheck."
What's next: Expect the union bill to stall in the House as negotiations continue, but the bill sponsors are adamant about its passage this year, regardless of the governor's veto threat.