Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, a Democrat, said he was open to look into further licensing requirements for some “high-powered guns” but declined to support President Biden’s call for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” on Sunday, Fox News informed.
NBC News “Meet the Press” anchor Chuck Todd asked Polis whether he would support a federal assault weapons ban suggested by Biden last week after the mass shooting in Colorado Springs. Polis, who is generally conservative on gun issues and has opposed demands for assault weapons bans in the past.
After a shooter opened fire on a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub on November 19, killing five people and injuring dozens more, Vice President Biden promised to lobby Congress to pass a new assault weapons ban before the new Congress convened in January and the Republicans took back control of the House.
The president gave the impression that all semi-automatic weapons, which account for a sizable portion of rifle, handgun, and shotgun purchases in the United States, are the same as “assault” weapons. When the trigger is manually pressed, a semi-automatic weapon only fires one bullet but automatically reloads after every shot.
Democrats frequently refer to a class of semi-automatic long guns like the AR-15, which can fire 30 rounds without needing to reload, when they use the contentious term “assault weapons.” A ban on the sale of 19 different types of semi-automatic weapons, as well as other rifles, shotguns, and handguns with two or more of a specific set of features, such as pistol grips, detachable magazines, and sound suppressors, was passed by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and was set to expire in 2004. Additionally, a magazine could hold a maximum of 10 rounds.
After Todd pressed Polis once more on Sunday about whether he would support a renewed ban, the governor reportedly said he would be willing to consider additional licensing requirements for some “high-powered weapons.”
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