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Senate takes up gun-safety bills; moves to legislate on critical‑risk orders while rejecting some school‑zone provisions
Summary
After extensive floor debate, the Senate voted to move forward on a critical‑risk protection‑order bill (SB555) while the judiciary committee recommendation to find other firearm‑related bills inexpedient was also adopted in separate actions; debate centered on due process, public safety, and mechanical drafting problems.
The Judiciary Committee reported several gun-related bills and the Senate debated them at length. Senate Bill 4 63 (prohibiting carrying firearms in designated "safe school zones") was recommended by the committee as inexpedient to legislate; senators debated whether the proposal would create burdens or criminalize parents and staff who unknowingly pass through defined zones. After discussion and a roll call, the committee's recommendation that SB463 be found inexpedient to legislate was adopted.
Senate Bill 5 55, which would create a process for issuing critical‑risk protection orders (CRPOs) to temporarily require surrender of firearms from people judged to pose an immediate danger, drew the session’s longest debate. Proponents described a tool for families and law enforcement to seek temporary disarmament and argued it could prevent suicides and mass shootings; opponents raised due‑process concerns, the risk of low evidentiary standards, and technical drafting problems (for example, questions about warrant language and how a person is removed from the NICS database). Supporters pointed to similar laws in other states and endorsements from mental‑health organizations.
The Senate voted to overturn the committee's recommendation and "legislate" (i.e., move the bill forward) on SB555 by recorded roll call (motion to legislate adopted). SB555 remains subject to amendment in committee or on the floor as it proceeds.
What happens next: SB555 will continue through the legislative process for committee consideration and drafting fixes; other gun‑related bills did not advance after committee ITL recommendations were adopted.
Representative quotes and balance: The transcript includes multiple direct quotes from senators on both sides of the measures; articles reference them only as attributed in the record.
