Colorado Democrats have won another battle against the U.S. Constitution. On Wednesday, Democrat Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a requirement that credit card companies track credit card purchases of firearms and ammunition.
The new law forces card payment companies to apply a special code to gun and ammunition transactions in the state. The bill’s prime sponsors were also Democrats.
Supporters say the “merchant category code” to firearm purchases will help banks and payment companies alert law enforcement of potentially dangerous purchasing patterns.
Sen. Tom Sullivan of Centennial, Colorado, pushed the legislation; his son was killed in a 2012 Aurora theater mass shooting by a man who Sullivan said bought $11,000 in firearms and military gear using a credit card. He wants banks to alert law enforcement when suspicious purchases are made.
Second Amendment and constitutional protectors say this is a backdoor gun registration. The National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation opposed the bill.
The Colorado Attorney general’s office will have exclusive authority to enforce the new law. Before bringing an enforcement action, the attorney general’s office must notify in writing the person alleged to have violated the law. The bill sets standards for such notification and a violator has 30 days to “cure the violation in accordance with the standards in the bill.”
If the person does not “cure” the violation, the attorney general may bring an action to seek a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation and an injunction that prevents the person from purchasing more firearms or ammunition.
The law goes into effect starting Sept. 1, and will be fully in effect beginning May 1, 2025, unless a court stops the enforcement under constitutional grounds. Laws such as this one typically draw lawsuits and requests for injunctions.
A summary of the bill is at this Colorado Assembly link.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill this week that prohibits the kind of gun sale tracking law that Colorado has just passed.
In addition to the new tracking law, Colorado’s lawmakers are considering an excise tax on guns and ammunition.
HB 24-1349 creates an 9% excise tax on the sale of all firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. If passed, voters will decide on the tax on the ballot this fall. Firearms and ammunition are already subject to an 11% federal excise tax known as the Pittman-Robertson Act, and are subject to other state and local taxes. If Colorado residents go along with the tax plan, it will be only the second state to have a firearms and ammunition excise tax, and will raise the overall tax on these purchases to 19%.
Colorado has become a Democrat state over the past two decades. While the majority of voters chose Republican presidential candidates between 1920 and 2004, during the last four presidential elections, Democrat Party candidates have won Colorado. In 2020, Joe Biden won the state by a 13.5% margin.
See you at SCOTUS.
Shall not infringe and all that.
It’s ironic the party determined to “save” democracy constantly poops on the Constitution and treats “democracy” like a $3 a night call girl.
What is this supposed to achieve beyond NCIS checks conducted by the FBI? Will it prevent gun purchases by felons or the mentally ill?
A worthless law that will likely cause more harm than good. People can just pay w/cash instead, and then there are criminals that steal credit cards.
Every move you make. Every breath you take…
I do wonder how this will all end. But I know it inevitably will.
Colorado deserves what they get.
Always pay in CASH!!!!!
Truer words were never spoken
Head of ATF pushing to prevent that since it prevents tracking (spoiler alert: registration)
CBDC will prevent that.
Excellent. Small step toward fewer children massacred.
You are not wanted here in Alaska. Go.
You’re not on a first name basis with reality, are you son?
Deluded much?
54 kids in Chicago killed in gang shootings in 2023. Not one legal gun or bullet involved in one of them. People that believe saddling the law abiding with regulations limiting their freedoms will prevent criminal behavior are deluded.
And exactly what part of Neverland do you live in?
Blaine in Fairly Tale Land:
Call your mother and ask her if you can come home and live with her. Too many big bullies in Camelot.
Abortion kills way more children.
Please explain the logic.
I need a cause leads to effect justification for your assertion.
The echo … “if even one life is saved” …. as thousands die from illegal drugs. There is no link to the law and reality.
These same Democrats, who crow on about freedom and democracy are the first ones that are salivating at the end of cash. I guarantee you that when we are forced onto a digital currency platform they won’t just track purchases, they’ll flat out deny you the ability to spend your “money” on anything they deem isn’t necessary.
Really? What would be a large step? Body armored Democrat Nazis going door-to-door confiscating guns?
Credit card companies already keep records of every cc purchase you make, including all gun and ammo. It is nothing more than phony virtue signalling to write such a law requiring them to do what they are already doing.
Credit card companies already stated they can’t determine what was purchased, just that you made a purchase at a store that sells guns or ammo. For all they know you bought $300 worth of rifle slings or a really cheap scope.
True. But many are flatly refusing to do any commerce, or allow their holders to do so, with any firearms supplier.
Another worthless law that is more likely than not unconstitutional and will do absolutely nothing to deter crime. Law abiding citizens are NOT the problem. Worse yet, this worthless unconstitutional law will require new government workers for the Military Industrial Complex.
Everyone important in our society has some sort of security protecting them or their minions, so I ask you what is the most important resource In our society? Our children are but yet we allow them to ride a bus without seatbelts and let them into schools with NO SECURITY IN PLACE!! Are they really that important to the people in power or are they used for policy? Think about it, I apologize to any liberal reading because I know that you can’t think constructively.
Freedom is not free and in a truly free society you can never outlaw crazy. A moral society makes for a more stable and free country, which we run further and further away from as the days pass due to our leaders which I believe are creating this on purpose. Don’t lose sight of the real problem creators as they get us fighting and arguing amongst ourselves which they create to keep our focus off them. They just stir the pot and sit back and laugh, Occupy Wallstreet, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, Pro Hamas agitators and the list goes on and on.
There are gun control freaks within the Alaska Legislature right now. Alaska is not immune to the 2nd Amendment phobia that is continually promoted by Public Broadcasting, Johns Hopkins University, George Soros, AARP, the National Education Association, and the Democratic Party. National gun control groups have lobbyists in Juneau.
Please stop sending anti-2A people to Juneau! This campaign season, the one that begins in just 3 to 4 weeks, go door to door for and with well spoken, reasonable conservative candidates. Candidates can be conservatives without appearing to be nut cases, and if the district is somewhat divided politically, as most are, then a nutcase conservative will lose.
The Steps to control you.
1. Censor their speech
2. Force experimental modified bio-weapon into them, killing them or making them sick
3. Stop or restrict their ability to defend themselves
4. Feed them propaganda via the mainstream media, keep them in the dark
5. Indoctrinate their kids by gender confusing them and grooming them through the LBGTQXYZ agenda
6. Place harmful chemicals in their water and food supply
7. Teach the college kids to hate their country
8. Keep them distracted with worthless entertainment
9. Drive a wedge between parents and their kids through that indoctrination, destroy the family
10. Kill them off through abortion
11. Control their elections using machines and fake ballots, placing our paid off puppets in office
12. Implement a Central Bank Digital Currency and social credit score like China
13. Shutoff their money if they don’t comply
14. Allow an illegal invasion of the United States over the border, place your paid militia everywhere
I’m sure I missed a few but hopefully this gives those still sleeping a picture of current events and what we are fighting.
When are they going to track who clothes you buy, did you buy a gas car what classes you kids go to.
We already do.
There is nothing wrong with your reality. Do not attempt to adjust the settings. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make you agree, we will increase your acquiescence. If we wish to make you irrelevant, we will tune you to a whisper. We will control the emotional and the mental. We will control your thought. We can manipulate your perception. We can change your focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the rest of your life, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear and think. We repeat: There is nothing wrong with your reality. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from our control agenda into your inner mind.
Once there is a central bank digital currency.
This is not about tracking.
The CO legislature and Governor know full well the credit card companies cannot identify one item on your purchase with a specific code. If you shop in a sporting goods store, it gets a code. Does not matter what you purchase, could be a gun, could be a kayak, could be a bunch of outdoor clothing. It gets whatever code that merchant has. Same with gas stations, grocery stores, etc.. the code assigned is what that shop has as its primary business.
.
This is about preventing purchases of guns in CO. If the card companies cannot comply with a gun specific code, one of two things will have to happen. Either the card company will have to refuse to do business with that merchant, or the merchant will have to stop selling guns. What do you think Walmart, Bass Pro, Cabelas, etc… will do in CO? Can they stay in business without the gun sales? Or would it be more damaging to stop taking cards?
.
The purpose of the law is to stifle guns sales, not to track them.