FBE68FAC5AC42DA487258AE60077E1C4 Hearing Summary

Senators Kolker and Jaquez Lewis presented Senate Bill 24-131, concerning prohibiting carrying a firearm in sensitive space. 

Committee members asked the bill sponsors questions about sensitive and omitted spaces, as defined in the bill.  Committee discussion ensued about a related United States Supreme Court decision on sensitive places and firearms. 

 

Chair Gonzales laid out the ground rules for the hearing and placed a five hour limit on testimony.

Ms. Beth McCann, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Michael Dougherty, representing District Attorney's Office, 20th Judicial District, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Lindsay Nichols, representing Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, testified in support of the bill.

Jessie Ojeda, representing Giffords, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Peter Gurfein, representing Giffords Gun Owners for Safety, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members inquired about disarming security teams at churches and other similar places.  Further questions were raised about concealed carry.  Discussion followed about jurisdicational boundaries and the bill's application.

Mr. Ian Escalante, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Triston Young, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Dr. Erika Woodyard, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ms. Hope Scheppelman, representing Colorado GOP, testified in opposition to the bill.

Committee members asked questions to the panel about related court cases. 

 

 

Chase Cromwell, representing University of Colorado Boulder Student Government, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Evelyn Curtis, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Laura Stephens, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Alexander Cisneros, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Brylan Graber, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Committee discussion ensued about the University of Colorado Board of Regents position on concealed carry on campus.

 

Undersheriff Matt King, representing Mesa County Sheriff's Office, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Lad Sullivan, representing Teller County Sheriffs Office, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Kevin Tedesco, representing Teller County Sheriffs Office, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Phillip Dvorak, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Further conversation ensued about related court cases and concealed carry restrictions in certain places. 

 

 

Ashley Stolzmann, representing Boulder County, testified in support of the bill.

Claire Levy, representing Boulder County, testified in support of the bill.

Marta Loachamin, representing Boulder County, testified in support of the bill.

George Marlin, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked about local control and application to universities. 

 

Jim Blanchard, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Keith Emerson, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill and distributed a handout (Attachment E).

Sandie Mielenz, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Max Mielenz, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Mark Ippolito , representing Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act, testified to amend the bill.

Michael Pope, representing themself, testified to amend the bill.

Meghan Raynes, representing Colorado Education Association, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Yvonne Wu, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Cherie Garcia-Kuper, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Haleh Abghari, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Witnesses responded to questions from the committee.

Dr. Arlene Bjugstad, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Bjugstad provided written materials to the committee that can be found as Attachment F.

Lydia Waligorski, representing Clayton Early learning , testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Rachel Friend, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Jill Grano, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Chief Brent Newbanks, representing the Colorado Association Chiefs of Police, testified in opposition to the bill.

Howard McClaskey, representing First Baptist Church and Academy, testified in opposition to the bill.

Brent Gardner, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Andrew Lucas, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

The panel answered questions from the committee.

Camden Sharkey, representing University of Colorado Student Government, testified in support of the bill.

Skye Maldonado, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Kimaya Kini, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Sam Fitts, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Michelle Kopriva, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. William Kopriva, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Benjamin Kopriva, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Michael Kopriva, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Jadon Cruzan, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Jorden Gershon, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Hayley Crist, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Kathy Hagen, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Don Distefano, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. John Overmyer, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ashlee Springer, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Lee Gaines, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Colby Drechsel, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Travis Couture-Lovelady, representing National Rifle Association, testified in opposition to the bill.

Committee members asked questions to the panel.

Ms. Hunter Nelson, representing Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Simon Smith, representing Clinica Family Health, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. David LaRocca, representing Boulder County Public Health, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Kaitlin Whelan, representing American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Leland Levin, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ms. Erin Meschke, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Jordan Edmondson, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Brett Kahn, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Committee members asked questions about metal detectors.

Patrice Schnierle, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Beka Venturella, representing Giffords, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Maya Essmeier, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Courtney Moore, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Guy Monighetti, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Travis Adducci, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. Tyler Peters, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ms. Jessica Rhody, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Allan Koenig, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ms. Jane Dougherty, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Abbigale Frees, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Andrew Barton, representing Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.

Erika R., representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Cody Harm, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ron Edgar, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Dr. Catherine Winchester, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ms. Kelly Ashton, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mr. David Williams, representing Triple A Coach LLC, testified in opposition to the bill.

Written comments submitted about the bill may be found in Attachment G.

The bill sponsors made closing comments and requested the bill be laid over to work on amendments.

Committee members made closing comments.