# Bill closing gun-permit loophole gets early OK



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

*Bill closing gun-permit loophole gets early OK *
A Senate panel approves clarifying reciprocity with 25 other states, agreeing it was meant for travelers, not mail-order licensing.

By Jennifer Brown 
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 01/29/2007 11:19:59 PM MST

Coloradans who want to carry concealed handguns could no longer get mail-order permits from other states under a bill that won initial approval Monday.

The legislation would close a loophole that allows Coloradans who don't want to work through their local sheriff to get permits elsewhere, said its sponsor, Sen. John Morse.

The Colorado Springs Democrat said law enforcement officers don't have the authority to yank the permits if they are issued by another state. "To me, that's common sense," Morse said.

Front Range Community College president Karen Reinertson told the Senate Judiciary Committee that a student with a Florida concealed weapons permit was suspended for two semesters when fellow students saw the handle of his .40-caliber Glock in a hip holster.

It's against school policy to bring weapons on campus, no matter which state issues the permit. But the incident highlighted the loophole, Democrats said.

Gun advocacy groups, including the Colorado chapter of the National Rifle Association, opposed the bill, saying it does not address a public safety issue that needs government intervention.

A change in the law could affect thousands of permit holders, said Robert Edmiston of the Firearms Coalition of Colorado.

But Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said law officers should have discretionary authority about who in their community gets a permit to carry a concealed weapon. They often are the only ones who know whether the applicant is suicidal or is hallucinating about intruders, for example.

The legislation would clarify Colorado's reciprocity agreement with 25 other states whose concealed weapon permits were vetted by the Colorado attorney general. Reciprocity was "meant for people traveling, not a way around Colorado laws," Morse said.

Out-of-state permits for people on vacation in Colorado still would be valid. People who move to Colorado would have a 90-day grace period to get a Colorado permit.

The bill passed on a 4-3 partisan vote and is headed to the Senate.


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## Revolver (Aug 26, 2006)

> But Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said law officers should have discretionary authority about who in their community gets a permit to carry a concealed weapon. They often are the only ones who know whether the applicant is wealthy or bribing them, for example.


This is what he really means. "Law officers"(as he calls them) are not knowledgeable nor qualified to make such assertions. Corrupt POS.


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