BOULDER, CO (March 15, 2021) — Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) released the following statement today regarding Colorado 20th Judicial District Judge Andrew Hartman’s order in Chambers v. Boulder, which determined that Boulder, Colorado’s 2018 ordinances banning so-called “assault weapons” and “large capacity” magazines are both preempted by state law.
In its March 12th Order, the Court held that Boulder’s gun control ordinances banning the possession, sale, and transfer of “assault weapons” “is expressly, impliedly, and operationally preempted by state law,” while its ban on magazines holding more than 10 rounds “is operationally preempted.” The Court also determined that “the State of Colorado has passed laws that are effectively a scheme preempting local governments from enacting municipal firearms and magazine possession ordinances.”
FPC is currently involved in lawsuits challenging laws and policies under state preemption in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Michigan, and is litigating challenges to bans on so-called “assault weapons” in California and Maryland. We are pleased to see the Court enjoin the enforcement of these ordinances, which have prevented people in Boulder from possessing common, constitutionally protected arms.
Firearms Policy Coalition and its FPC Law team are the nation’s next-generation advocates for the right to keep and bear arms and adjacent issues, having recently filed many major federal Second Amendment lawsuits, including challenges to the State of Maryland’s ban on “assault weapons” (Bianchi v. Frosh), the State of Pennsylvania’s and Allegheny County’s carry restrictions (Cowey v. Mullen), Philadelphia’s Gun Permit Unit policies and practices (Fetsurka v. Outlaw), Pennsylvania’s ban on carry by adults under 21 years of age (Lara v. Evanchick), California’s Handgun Ban and “Roster” laws (Renna v. Becerra), Maryland’s carry ban (Call v. Jones), New Jersey’s carry ban (Bennett v. Davis), New York City’s carry ban (Greco v. New York City), the federal ban on the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition by federal firearm licensees (FFLs) to adults under 21 years of age (Reese v. BATFE), and others, with many more cases being prepared today. To follow these and other legal cases FPC is actively working on, visit the Legal Action section of FPC’s website or follow FPC on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube.
Firearms Policy Coalition (firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. FPC’s mission is to protect and defend constitutional rights—especially the right to keep and bear arms—advance individual liberty, and restore freedom through litigation and legal action, legislative and regulatory action, education, outreach, grassroots activism, other programs. FPC Law is the nation’s largest public interest legal team focused on Second Amendment and adjacent fundamental rights including freedom of speech and due process, conducting litigation, research, scholarly publications, and amicus briefing, among other efforts.