Originally published on NSSF. Republished with permission.
Firearm and ammunition businesses in Colorado generated nearly $1.4 billion in economic input last year. That figure includes close to 7,000 jobs related to the industry, which paid hard-working employees wages of $445.5 million.
But to Colorado’s Democrat legislative fringe, those jobs aren’t the right kind of jobs. The Colorado radicals have pursued an agenda of extreme gun control — void of any means of holding criminals accountable for their crimes — that is driving lawful businesses outside of state lines.
Gov. Jared Polis is letting Colorado down by failing to control the crazies in his caucus. In signing his most recent gun control proposal into law, the governor repeated tired phrasing that usually accompanies such ineffective policy. These are bad policies. He knows it.
“This law will help protect Coloradans and our communities from senseless gun violence,” Gov. Polis declared. Spoiler, it won’t. It doesn’t target any criminals — only the law abiding.
That slamming sound you just heard was, in fact, doors slamming shut as Colorado businesses pulled up their roots and moved to friendlier states, taking their jobs and tax revenue with them.
Expand, Expand, Expand
One of the most recent bills the sent to the governor’s desk was an expansion — the third such — of a so-called “red flag” law first enacted back in 2019. Colorado SB26-004 expanded, yet again, the state’s existing Extreme Risk Protection Order, or ERPO, law to allow for a wider net of people to file so-called “red flag” orders against others, possibly leading to firearm confiscation. Only the fringe wanted it. The governor signed it.
The new law, deemed “controversial” by local media, “allows health care facilities, behavioral health treatment facilities, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher education” to petition for Extreme Risk Protection Orders. This represents a second expansion of the original law, signed by Gov. Polis in 2019, that allowed for only family members and law enforcement to petition for the firearm confiscation orders. To be clear, NSSF does not oppose laws that maintain constitutional protections of Due Process and Sixth Amendment rights to confront witnesses against you… No state — including Colorado — has adequate constitutional protections included in their so called “red flag” laws.
Second Amendment supporters opposed to the law made their objections known, posting on social media, “Gov. Polis and CO Dems just signed SB26-004, expanding the red flag law so schools, hospitals, and behavioral health teams can more easily petition to seize guns from law-abiding citizens. They call it ‘gun safety.’ We call it government overreach that strips due process and Second Amendment rights, all while violent crime and school failures continue.”
Their concerns are well-founded. According to Colorado Office of Gun Violence Prevention (an office established by allies of gun control) law enforcement are those most capable of determining what may be a necessary situation that requires an ERPO. Expansion beyond law enforcement only taints the program, leading to more denials, and probable unnecessary firearm confiscations. Even proponents recognized this bad idea.
According to data reported in Colorado Newsline, petitions filed by law enforcement have a judicial approval rate over 80 percent, while those filed by the public (family or community) have a roughly 22 percent approval rate. Needless to say, expanding the pot of individuals and institutions who can initiate gun confiscation is not an effective means to reach correct outcomes.
No surprises that the most fringe antigun zealot of all legislators, Democratic Colorado state Sen. Tom Sullivan, praised the bad legislation.
“Adding health care and education facilities to the list of qualified petitioners for an ERPO helps ensure that trusted community members are able to reach those who are a danger to themselves or others sooner and stop more violence before it occurs,” the senator said in statement following the bill signing, ignoring the data that says otherwise. Sen. Sullivan sponsored the red flag expansion and has put his name on every piece of bad gun legislation that became law in Colorado during his tenure.
Year In. Year Out.
This recent bill signing wasn’t a one-off gun control policy enacted by Colorado Democrats — it seems every year there is something new they push to penalize lawful, legal, regulated firearm and ammunition businesses.
Last year, Gov. Polis signed SB25-003 into law. This flawed proposal banned the sale of the most popular selling rifle in America — the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) — unless Coloradans install a fixed magazine or obtain a permit to purchase after jumping through hoops from their county sheriff.
Coloradoans now need a state government permission slip to exercise their Second Amendment rights if they wish to purchase the most popular selling semiautomatic rifle in the country, of which there are over 32 million in circulation, more than there are Ford F-150 pickup trucks on the road. NSSF condemned Gov. Polis for giving his signature to the blatantly unconstitutional proposal. It led to Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte making an open pitch to any and all Colorado-based firearm or ammunition businesses to “Come back to America.”
The economic consequences of that law are already being felt today. According to the Longmont Leader, Phoenix Weaponry, located in Weld County, announced it was picking up roots and moving to nearby South Dakota, a much more firearm friendly climate. Enactment of SB25 will crater nearly 40 percent of Phoenix’s revenue once it takes effect, according to owner Aaron Cayce. So instead, Cayce is up and moving his business where they will be welcomed. The exodus of firearm industry members from Colorado began in earnest when Magpul Industries relocated its headquarters to Texas and production to Wyoming following Colorado’s unconstitutional ban on standard capacity magazines in 2013.
Not Alone
Of course, Colorado isn’t the only state with a strongly anti-Second Amendment, anti-firearm industry legislature or legal environment. Farther west, Washington state is another example where businesses that provide for the exercise of Second Amendment rights aren’t welcome. In fact, one big one just announced it too was leaving its current base.
Zev Technologies, a manufacturer of handguns, AR-style rifles and firearm components, announced it was relocating its headquarters and manufacturing operations to Riverton, Utah, according to a press release published in The Outdoor Wire.
Zev leadership stated the move from Washington state was “driven by the brand’s desire to conduct its business in a state that respects Second Amendment rights” and “fosters a positive business environment for 2A-affiliated brands.”
“Due to the evolving political climate in Washington state, our company determined that it could no longer, in good conscience, continue operations in a jurisdiction where law-abiding citizens are restricted from purchasing and owning the products we manufacture,” Zev Technologies president Taylor Goode stated.
Beyond Phoenix and Zev, NSSF has tracked several dozen firearm and ammunition businesses throughout the past several years — especially since 2020 — that had finally had enough of the belligerent and suffocating gun control approaches by states hostile to Second Amendment rights and decided to pull up roots to move to friendlier terrain. Sturm, Ruger and Co., did this quietly when it relocated its headquarters from Connecticut to North Carolina.
As gun control governors, including Colorado’s Gov. Polis, continue to tolerate radicals pushing policies to punish law-abiding citizens and suffocate lawful and constitutionally protected businesses, in favor of leftist experiments that don’t affect criminals, moves like those of Phoenix and Zev will become more frequent still.
Fortunately, Gov. Polis cannot run for a third term and will be out of the governor’s mansion at the end of the year. But gun owners and Second Amendment supporters must remain vigilant, active and engaged as campaign season picks up. The next governor could be even worse.
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