Colorado passed Senate Bill 25-3 to create a clear, consistent process for purchasing semiautomatic firearms across our state. It took effect August 1. Three days later, Montezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin announced his office simply won't do it — won't issue the eligibility cards the law requires. That's not a policy disagreement. That's a county official telling Colorado residents that state law doesn't apply in his jurisdiction. If we let that stand, every sheriff in every county gets to decide which laws they feel like enforcing. That's not how our state works.
This also falls hardest on regular people. A Montezuma County resident who wants to legally buy a firearm covered under this law now has to drive to another county, take time off work, and pay whatever that trip costs — because their own sheriff refused to do his job. Law-abiding Coloradans are being burdened while the official responsible faces no consequences. Families shouldn't have to jump through hoops created by a single county official's political statement. Either the law applies to everyone or it doesn't mean anything.
I'm asking you to publicly call on the state to hold Sheriff Nowlin accountable for refusing to implement Senate Bill 25-3, and to support any legislative or oversight action that ensures consistent enforcement of this law across all Colorado counties.
Please stand up for the rule of law and make sure every Coloradan is treated equally under it.
