COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado's newest gun law has been in effect for less than two weeks, and gun rights advocates are already taking their fight against it to federal court.
The Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA) filed a federal motion Tuesday asking courts to halt enforcement of the state's permit-to-purchase requirements, arguing the system is broken and violates Second Amendment rights.
"This is the worst piece of gun legislation in Colorado's history," CSSA Executive Director Huey Laugesen said.
Laugesen says the system doesn't work — especially for the state's rural communities.
"We found a functioning application process in only 20 counties, at least 23 offices were unreachable to explain the process, and 21 counties had no approved trainer to teach the required course at all," Laugesen said.
The group's research shows the financial burden can exceed $589 before even buying a firearm. Laugesen also argues Colorado's approach to gun control isn't working.
"We've seen a dramatic increase in the last decade in Colorado in terms of gun control, yet we've also risen the ranks on crime," Laugesen said.
But the law's author, State Senator Tom Sullivan, says the legislation could prevent tragedies like the one that took his son's life. Sullivan lost his son Alex in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting.
"This is the sentence I'm carrying, a lifetime sentence of him not being here," Sullivan said.
Sullivan says the new law is designed to enforce Colorado's 2013 high-capacity magazine ban, pointing to recent mass shootings.
"Since 2013, high-capacity magazines have been continually used in tragic circumstances, one down in your area with the Club Q shooting," Sullivan said.
"The gunman who murdered my son on July 20, 2012, had never owned a gun before. So if he or someone similar wants to do it, they will have to go through all these hoops," Sullivan said.
The legal challenge argues the system creates unconstitutional barriers — especially for disabled veterans like plaintiff Israel Del Toro, who lost a hand and most fingers in Afghanistan.
The lawsuit also points out the law requires a 90% score on the written exam — higher than what is required for Colorado police officers.
The federal court will now decide whether to halt enforcement while the broader constitutional challenge proceeds.
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