The gun control lobby has found Colorado to be increasingly fertile ground for their anti-2A agenda over the past decade. Starting in 2013, the Democrat-controlled legislature has adopted a number of restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms like “red flag” laws and bans on “large capacity” magazines, while repealing the state’s firearm preemption law and allowing localities to establish even more restrictive ordinances. 

Democrats haven’t managed to pass an “assault weapon” ban, though they came close last session. Lawmakers in Denver also scaled back a sweeping “sensitive places” bill that originally included prohibitions on concealed carry in dozens of publicly-accessible spaces like parks, houses of worship, and bars. The bill that was signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis is bad enough, banning lawful carry on school grounds (including college and university campuses), most government buildings, and polling places, but it was still a slight improvement over the original language. 

Bills imposing a semi-auto ban and more “gun-free zones” are almost certain to be introduced in the 2025 legislative session, but according to the president of the Colorado Log Cabin Republicans, one anti-gun lawmaker is drafting a bill that would limit the number of guns someone can own. 

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗨𝗽:
At a meeting discussing gun violence State Legislator Steven Woodrow said the problem is some people have too many guns and that the 2nd amendment doesn’t give you the right to an armory. He said he was working on…

— Valdamar Archuleta (@Archuleta4CO) November 13, 2024

Woodrow hasn’t confirmed Archuleta’s report, but it wouldn’t be out of character for the Denver Democrat to demand a cap on gun collections. Woodrow voted for virtually every gun control bill that reached the House floor last session, and also sponsored a bill that would have required gun owners to have a liability insurance policy or face hundreds of dollars in fines. 

Woodrow was also in the news over the summer when he referred to Donald Trump as “the devil” shortly after the attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

“The last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are,” Woodrow said. 

… Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor two years ago, condemned Woodrow’s tweet.  

“Everyone must denounce this,” Ganahl said. “Such rhetoric has no place in the wake of an assassination attempt. Every American should oppose this kind of hate, yet our own Colorado Representative is perpetuating it.”

Every member of the Colorado legislature, including Woodrow’s fellow Democrats, should also condemn any attempt to limit the number of firearms citizens can own. 

If I don’t have the right to an armory of guns under 2A, then you don’t have a right to a library of books under 1A.

— Mark W. Smith/#2A Scholar (@fourboxesdiner) November 14, 2024

Come and take them!! https://t.co/jdcvVjskBU

— Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (@RMGOColorado) November 13, 2024

Colorado’s violent crime has increased dramatically since the shift towards more gun control laws in 2013; not because some people own too many guns, but because a small number of people are committing more violent crimes. Sometimes a gun is involved, sometimes it’s a knife, and sometimes it’s just fists or feet, but I’m not aware of any incident where someone has been accused of committing a violent crime with an “arsenal” of firearms. 

And THIS is why Colorado can’t fix their violence problem.

They have too many idjits in charge.

It only takes ONE gun to commit armed crimes. Having 50 guns doesn’t make anybody more lethal.

Until you decide to change your policing and prosecution practices, you’ll suck.

— 2A History (@2aHistory) November 14, 2024

Now, it could be that Woodrow’s alleged plan never turns into an actual piece of legislation, and even he does introduce a bill limiting the number of guns citizens can own there’s no guarantee that his fellow Democrats will go along. A gun rationing bil would be almost impossible to defend in court given that there’s no national tradition of restricting the number of firearms someone can possess and the plain text of the Second Amendment refers to “arms”, not “an arm”. 

The plan allegedly floated by Woodrow would also be a nightmare to enforce. Colorado doesn’t have a gun registration law, so how would anyone know how many guns someone owns? And if a citizen crossed the arbitrary limit defined by the legislature, how would those “extra” guns be removed from that person’s possession? Does Woodrow really want to send SWAT teams to go round up “arsenals” that consist of guns that were lawfully purchased? 

Maybe he does, but that doesn’t mean his colleagues (or local law enforcement) are ready to do the same. There’s no reason to believe that gun control won’t once again be a top priority for the Democrats in charge of the statehouse, but my guess is that their biggest push will be to ban semi-automatic rifles, not “arsenals”. Either way, with anti-2A lawmakers in control of both chambers, gun owners and Second Amendment supporters are going to have their work cut out for them in Colorado next year.