Statement from Attorney General Phil Weiser regarding Supreme Court decision rejecting national bump stock ban

June 14, 2024—Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement regarding today’s U.S. Supreme Court opinion reversing a federal rule that banned bump stocks:

“The purpose of a bump stock is to turn a firearm into an automatic weapon, or what is known as a machinegun under federal law. A common-sense reading of the law shows that bump stocks are exactly the type of device that Congress wanted banned nationwide under federal gun laws. The 2018 rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms defining bump stocks as machineguns was designed to prevent mass shootings and save lives. The only people who benefit from today’s dangerous Supreme Court decision rolling back the national ban on bump stocks are shooters who want to kill as many people as possible with a firearm.

“Today’s decision increases the risk of more deaths from gun violence. And it will put law enforcement at greater risk when they respond to dangerous calls. Despite this setback, we will continue to enforce and defend Colorado’s common sense gun safety laws and do all we can to prevent the senseless tragedies caused by gun violence that have claimed far too many lives.”

Colorado was part of a coalition of states on a court brief in Garland v. Cargill in support of the federal rule banning bump stocks.

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Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov