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Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs

Tuesday, April 7, 2026·2h 41m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee advanced four gun-related and two other contested bills on party-line 3-2 votes, including measures requiring law enforcement to use the ATF's E-Trace system, tightening firearms dealer regulations, adjusting CBI background check hours, and creating a statewide homelessness strategy — drawing sharp opposition from gun rights groups who called several bills existential threats to small FFLs.

Key Actions

·HB 26-1126 – Requirements for Firearms DealersPassed

+ 4 more actions

Controversies

Whether HB 26-1126 creates a law enforcement registry without a warrant

Ian Escalante (Rocky Mountain Gun Owners) argued the bill forces dealers to hold customer firearm records and allow law enforcement at any level to have access without a warrant. The chair challenged this directly, stating the bill specifically prohibits DOR or any other state registry from using records to create a registry and called Escalante's characterization 'misleading.' Escalante maintained his position.

+ 4 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“During field inspections, the division documented a string of four after hours burglaries at four separate firearms dealers. Three of those four dealers had secured their firearms off the sales floor. They had zero stolen firearms. The fourth dealer had not secured their inventory. 19 firearms were stolen from that one location, and 19 firearms are now out in the world with no accountability for where they go or what they're used for.”

Senator Cathy Kipp — Senator Kipp cited this example from Firearms Dealer Division field inspections to justify the physical security requirements in HB 26-1126.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Move Senate Bill 143 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendationPassed
Yes (3)William Lindstedt, Tom Sullivan, Katie Wallace
No (2)Rod Pelton, Lynda Zamora Wilson
Move House Bill 1265 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendationPassed
Yes (3)William Lindstedt, Tom Sullivan, Katie Wallace
No (2)Rod Pelton, Lynda Zamora Wilson
Move House Bill 261202 to the Committee on the Whole with a favorable recommendationPassed
Yes (3)William Lindstedt, Tom Sullivan, Katie Wallace
No (2)Lynda Zamora Wilson, Rod Pelton
Move House Bill 26-1126 to the Committee on the Whole with a favorable recommendationPassed
Yes (3)William Lindstedt, Tom Sullivan, Katie Wallace
No (2)Rod Pelton, Lynda Zamora Wilson
Move House Bill 261302 to the Committee on the Whole with a favorable recommendationPassed
Yes (3)William Lindstedt, Tom Sullivan, Katie Wallace
No (2)Rod Pelton, Lynda Zamora Wilson
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TranscriptPreview
Yes, please. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Members of the public, Mr. Chair, committee members like to start by thanking you for the opportunity to discuss this bill today. Along with my colleague, Senator Wallace, the most amazing committee chair members, the late Faith Winter leaves behind a meaningful and lasting legacy in her work supporting young people across the state of Colorado. Her contributions reflect a deep commitment to elevating youth in policymaking and ensuring that the next generation has a seat at the table. Created in 2008, the Colorado Youth Advisory Council, also known as Koyak, is designed to bring 14 to 19 year old students from across 14 to 19 year olds from across the state together to examine, evaluate and discuss issues affecting young people and advise the legislature. Through this structure, Colorado has become a national model for youth civic engagement, one that Senator Winter actively supported and strengthened during her tenure. And what this bill does is seeks to rename the Colorado Youth Advisory Council Review Committee in her honor. And this gesture reflects a profound respect for her dedication to youth engagement and her belief in the power of young voices to…
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