Transcription
Today, we should see dry skies. Temperatures will be about 30 degrees below average this afternoon in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. So, a warm-up is on the way. I'll tell you that much looks like as we head towards the weekend. There is some improvement. Look at that full forecast coming up in under 10 minutes. Great.
And we are continuing this morning to track a controversial bill in Colorado. This would impact the sale of semiautomatic guns with detachable magazines. Senior reporter Tony Keith is joining us after listening to more than a dozen lawmakers share their side on this proposed legislation, Tony.
Yeah, got heated this week in Senate. Bill 3 is no longer a ban on certain guns. But Republicans still strongly oppose it. It's now passed the Senate, heavily amended, and it goes on to the House. A major change at the end of last week: an amendment was added that would allow the sale of these types of guns. But the buyer would have to be vetted, complete a training course with a test, and be added to a registry. This bill would not impact anyone who already owns these types of guns. If it becomes law, it's effective September 1st. Yesterday, 11 Senate Republicans shared why they were against the bill, several saying that with this amendment, this is no longer just banning guns. They believe it's turning a right into a privilege. Two Democrats spoke in favor of the bill on the floor. One of the bill's sponsors, Senator Tom Sullivan, lost his son, Alex, during the Aurora Theater shooting in 2012. He shared emotional testimony saying that he would have rather had his son survive in place of him. This is not a privilege granted by the government. It's a right inherent who I am and in trying to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. I wished I had never had to be here. I wish that Alex had called me and said, "Dad, wanted to come with me tonight," and I wouldn't have to be standing here in front of you. The bill again now goes before the House where I expect a lot of debate. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they've received a lot of phone calls and emails on this bill. I'll have more on another major issue Republicans have with it and what Senator Sullivan has to say to veterans who he says are threatening him. Reporting live in studio, Tony Keith, News 5.
Thanks, Tony. Two of the bill's original Democratic sponsors joined Republicans to vote against it, and both of them are from El Paso County. I couldn't risk possibly losing my seat, a recall. All the gun legislation that we've had in the past, like 42, or even with the threat of recalls. But this had a different, different energy. Difficult day leading up to this because… like I said, once I get my word, you know, true to my word. And I went back on my word today. Unfortunately, the bill when I got introduced was quite different from what I was expecting and… as I followed the process along, it became more and more of another burden upon law-abiding, lawful gun owners. This bill became so much more than just trying to get rid of those high-capacity magazines, but also could not support it.
The bill is expected to pass the House and already has the support of Governor Polis. Today, a bill that would require all Colorado school districts to come up with a plan to limit the use of cell phones in class will be heard in committee. Under the bill, the policies would be decided by each of the school districts, catered to fit their size, their location, and unique problems they face when it comes to smartphones. Several of our local schools have already been doing this. Lawmakers point to studies that show students do a better job in class when they're not distracted looking at their phones; they say it improves academic outcomes. One of the lawmakers sponsoring the bill used to teach high school and says it was a constant battle with students. What I like about this bill is it does have the local control piece. We're just trying to help maximize student learning potential, and I personally saw cell phones taking away from that. Parents against the bill are concerned; if there's an emergency at school, they wouldn't be able to reach their child. Lawmakers say cell phones could be in backpacks and they still have office phones. If you are a District 11 parent, you might notice some teachers standing outside in front of the school at drop-off today. The Colorado Springs Education Association is planning what is called a walk at different District 11 schools. They say it'll demonstrate unity and commitment to advocate for students' needs. This is in response to the board's decision to end the union with teachers. Teachers will still be teaching class; they just want to show the district they believe the board is not prioritizing students. Today, we should