MCSO Sheriff Rowell on S.B. 25-003
Last week, WesternSlopeNow talked with District 3 U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd and District 54 state Rep. Matt Soper about the bill and both said they were against the bill, saying it infringes on the Second Amendment rights of Coloradans.
Those for the bill, like Mesa County Democrats Communications Leader Jen Hancock, say, 'It does not infringe on the Second Amendment in any way.'
Wednesday morning, WesternSlopeNow talked with Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell about the bill and learned his views on it.
'I don't believe it makes our community safer. All it does is infringe on law-abiding citizens. Over the last six years, we've had 22 homicides here in this community. Over the last quarter century, we've had six mass shootings in this community. Not one single firearm used in any of those crimes is on this list of specified firearms.'
As of this posting, Polis has not yet decided to sign or veto the bill.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Jersey gun-rights advocates target racial disparities in carry permit denials
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But it also allows officers to make subjective judgments and reject applicants they deem lack 'the essential character of temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm.' Consequently, a growing, disgruntled group of applicants — including Ramadan, Palombi, and Mirabal — have successfully challenged denials, which two recent studies found have disproportionately impacted people of color in New Jersey. Now, a Republican state lawmaker wants police to answer to the Legislature and the public on the issue, by mandating monthly reporting on permit denials. Municipalities would have to publicly detail their reasons for denying firearm purchaser identification cards and gun carry permits under a bill Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-Sussex) introduced Monday. The measure also would require reporting on the age, race, gender identity, and ethnicity of denied applicants. 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Academic researchers with the nonprofit Rise Against Hate drilled deeper into the data and determined the denial disparities reflected 'major systemic issues,' given that people of color applying for carry permits passed the same initial screening requirements (to get firearm ID cards) as white carry applicants. Those researchers also found that denials disproportionately impacted Hispanic applicants too, and that disparities (for subjective and objective reasons) were worst in Ocean, Gloucester, and Cumberland counties. They recommended policymakers mandate more detailed explanations for denials, anti-bias training for law enforcement officers overseeing permit decisions, and increased transparency to eliminate disparities they deemed systemic. Spokespeople for the attorney general's office did not respond to a request for comment about racial disparities in denials. 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The bill, which Assemblyman Bob Auth (R-Bergen) also signed on to sponsor, would require the state attorney general's office to report in detail on denials dating back to June 2022. That's when the U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling known as Bruen, declared gun owners have a constitutional right to carry guns, and states cannot require gun owners to prove a need to take firearms outside their homes or businesses. Applications for carry permits have soared in New Jersey since Bruen, with police fielding almost 77,000 between Bruen and May 31, data shows. Less than 1,500 of them were for renewals; the rest were new applicants, the data shows. Four hundred applicants were denied. The New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate is pushing for Fantasia's legislation, which has the same goals as a measure now stalled in Congress. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) introduced a bill in March that would mandate federal reporting on permit denials. The syndicate endorsed Fantasia's reelection bid in May and named her Legislator of the Year. Joe LoPorto, the group's director of legal operations, said Bruen was clear that subjective denials cannot stand. 'The whole point was to establish that law enforcement agencies couldn't arbitrarily decide who and who couldn't exercise their rights,' LoPorto said. 'For Second Amendment purposes, background checking should be straightforward. There really shouldn't be subjective standards at all, and we're not getting enough information on why these denials are coming out the way that they are.' Ramadan seconded that sentiment, saying his fight isn't just one of principle. His permit denial kept him from landing a job in armed security, he said. 'I think the answer here is, literally, just follow what the Constitution says and stop trying to abuse your authority,' Ramadan said. The bill is part of a widening strategy gun-rights groups have undertaken since Bruen to try to dismantle New Jersey's famously tough gun restrictions. Gun owners challenged a state law Gov. Phil Murphy signed in December 2022, in response to Bruen, that barred guns from sensitive places like arenas, polling places and beaches, created new training requirements, and hiked permitting fees, among other things. Nearly two years since lawyers argued the matter in court, the federal appellate court still has not issued its ruling. The law, though, largely remains on hold until the court challenge is resolved. Gun owners have also taken their fight to municipal meetings around the state, lobbying local officials to give up the higher gun-permit fees state legislators mandated in the December 2022 law. Englishtown and Franklin recently became the first towns statewide to authorize municipal officials to refund $150 — the local portion of permit fees — to applicants. 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They make it complicated. I've heard stories from people: 'They treated me like a criminal, an international drug dealer, a terrorist.' When you have rules like this, it's not going to be enforced in Berkeley Heights, in the high-end neighborhoods. It's going enforced on the poor people and the brown people.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
2 days ago
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10 Colorado laws going into effect July 1
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Newsweek
2 days ago
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Thomas Massie Gets Brutal News From Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky risks losing his seat in Congress amid his battles with President Donald Trump, according to a new poll. Polling from Kaplan Strategies found that Massie was unpopular among Republican voters and would lose more support if Trump endorsed a primary opponent. Why It Matters Massie has gained notoriety in recent weeks following a series of skirmishes with Trump. The Kentucky lawmaker has voiced his opposition to the president's "big, beautiful" spending bill and has criticized Trump over his decision to strike Iran. In response, Trump has denounced Massie, prompting the president's allies to launch a super PAC to oust the representative, who has held his seat since 2012. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky speaking with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on June 23. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky speaking with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on June 23. Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images What To Know The poll of 368 likely GOP primary voters found that 19 percent said they planned to vote for Massie in the 2026 Republican primary. If Trump endorsed a primary opponent, the proportion of people voting for Massie would drop to 14 percent. The poll also showed that 23 percent of respondents viewed the representative favorably, while 62 percent viewed him unfavorably. In terms of his arguments with Trump, 72 percent said they were less likely to vote for Massie because of his opposition to Trump's tax cuts and budget, while 58 percent said they were less likely to vote for him over his opposition to Trump's Israel policy. The poll was conducted between June 23 and June 24, and its margin of error was plus or minus 5.1 percent. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 24: "Third Rate Congressman Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, a phenomenal State that I won all three times (by a lot!), keeps talking about how he is going to protect the Constitution, but he is actually very bad for the Constitution, and will probably vote against 'THE GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,' that grants the Biggest Tax Cuts in History, secures our Southern Border from Criminal Invasion, funds the Golden Dome, our Great Military and Veterans, protects our Second Amendment, grants NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, and NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY (for our Great Seniors!), and so much more." In response to the president's post, Republican Representative Thomas Massie wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "@realDonaldTrump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress. #sassywithmassie." What Happens Next The general election for Massie's congressional seat is scheduled for November 3, 2026. The Kentucky representative has one declared primary challenger: Nicole Lee Ethington, a registered nurse.
